Every time I look at social media, some form of activism is present. This activism nearly always pushes for a change that encourages acceptance, understanding, and general better treatment for fellow human beings. However, when it comes to talking about cultural appropriation, I often feel distressed to read what other people have to say.
This feeling doesn’t just stop at topics of cultural appropriation, but extends to topics that consist of other differences. These are what I interpret as differences between people. In other words, there are people with different physical capabilities, people with different genders, people with different hometowns... You name it, and it will inevitably be used as a means of saying, “Because I’m (Insert race, gender, etc.), I’m allowed to comment on (Insert controversial issue), but you are not.”
So, I’m half Asian. Part Korean. I honestly know next to nothing about Korean culture, the things that would probably make a Korean “Korean.” Because of this, I’m not about to start telling people of any other race that they’re not allowed to make judgments or philosophies about what it might mean to be Korean, because, although the race is in my blood, it isn’t exactly a part of who I am.
The movie "You Before Me" was released June 3 2016, and along with it came controversy. Was it a bad decision to make a movie about a paralyzed man who decides to end his life? Well, common feedback from those with differently abled bodies has been dislike for the movie’s popularity. In fact, some comments from the disabled community portray harsh negativity towards anyone with an able body who comments.
The comments that I’d agree with align similarly to the idea that the man in the movie made an unquestionably poor decision, isn’t an inspiration for disabled people at all, but is nevertheless a man who made a decision just like everyone has to do every day. He wasn’t a hero. He was a tragedy. But that doesn’t logically enforce the idea that disabled people will be viewed tragically or with sympathy because of someone else’s story.
I realize that all subjects like this are tricky because lots of people like to connect themselves with certain groups, and exclude those who haven’t had the same experience. But if this is the case, there wouldn’t be such thing as “the human experience” at all. I like to believe that we can all connect no matter what our backgrounds or differences may be, to share opinions on the entirety of complex issues as a whole. If we aren’t allowed to express our ideas to one another, how is anyone supposed to see hot topics in a new light, or be swayed by others’ reasons.
Every conversation that tries to limit speakers to a select group suggests that only those who belong to that group may discuss it, and, overall, that isn’t fair. What's better than suggesting that only one group be allowed to discuss controversy is to analyze all sides, to discover things that are different for everyone. Hoping that I haven’t been offensive to those who believe they should be the only ones that may speak for a group, I still end with the idea that the ability to listen to opinions from every person is more valuable than trying to shut other groups out.
