Non-Discrimination for All…
Recently, due to a misunderstanding that grew into a sequence of unfortunate events, our order was compelled to adopt a non-discrimination policy. This was a good move and a crucial step in becoming part of modern society. No one in their right mind should seriously believe discriminatory views of any type are permissible. Whatever one’s political or personal beliefs, we as an order have chosen to banish discrimination from our lodges and public venues, and must expect the same from those who chose to represent us. No one among us are perfect. None of us should discriminate against anyone else, nor should we find ourselves the subject of discrimination. This, of course, is the implied meaning of a non-discrimination statement. Some of us seem to think that the idea of non-discrimination is merely symbolic, a token response to a series of unfortunate events. Hardly. If anything, prejudice, sexism, hatred of any variety is anathema to today’s world and must be expunged from our thoughts and deeds.
Of course, all of us have heard discriminatory statements many times, and from many members, but just because some poor souls are still harboring hatred in a world that claims to be about friendship, love and truth, because they secretly believe their race, sex, religious beliefs are somehow superior to anyone else’s is so ludicrous and has become so incongruous that it calls into question the sanity of the person bearing such hatred. In truth, many of us grew up in an era when hatred, or suspicion of another culture or physical stature was somehow accepted behavior. For years I personally received racist cartoons sent thru Facebook by one misguided long-term member who thought it was fine to laugh at others while being unable to see the absurdity of his own point of view. If we can’t succeed in letting go of our hatred, prejudicial statements, slurs, stupid off-hand comments, and other random behaviors that are the products of unthinking moments may in fact doom our order forever. We should look around us. Many orders, cultures, and even countries have been decimated by stupid or inane statements and subsequent decisions. It is truly time to stop it. Personally, I have decided to try and gently remind anyone who tries to imply their white Anglo-Saxon attitude is the only one permissible the patent absurdity of this belief. I am not perfect. I am trying to battle my own demons within and attempting to banish hatred and ill-feeling towards anyone. This should be a prime endeavor for all of us. When we talk about friendship, love, and truth, that should mean for all those we encounter, not just some splinter of the whole spectrum.
Our order, like almost all fraternal groups, has a history of what one might call, congenial discrimination, in other words, a discrimination that mirrored societal precepts at the same place in time. Women were not allowed in the Odd Fellows until the turn of this century. In the 1800’s, almost all members were white Anglo-Saxon Christian men. Many would defend this by stating that society at large at that time shared the same prejudicial bent. But, of course, that is true only from our own vantage point, since even at that time, other cultures, races, sexual orientations existed as well, but were banned from our lodges. Clearly, times have changed. No person who enters our environs should be subject to derision, no religion, no sexual orientation, no race, no physical disability, no political belief. If we continue to say things publicly that deride any personality trait, belief, sexual orientation, disability, or race, we endanger our own right to co-exist with society at large. Clearly, we have made progress, but there are still miles to go before we can be equal to our own idealistic precepts. Lastly, while I applaud the idea of a non-discrimination statement, the act of non-discrimination itself should be ingrained upon our very hearts and minds. We should not have to refer to a piece of paper to know what is proper human behavior.
In Friendship, Love, and Truth,
Rick Boyles