Divided by Demographics

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Freshly laid off out of graduate school, I took the first job that came to me. After a period of time, I came to work alongside Cameron, to whom I wish to credit an attitude that both refreshed my faith in people and exemplified the mentality that ought permeate once more the opinions of this people. Although I forget the circumstances, I remember that somehow someone drew attention to his ethnic identity and Cameron asked why he had to be an African-American, “why can’t I just be an American?”

I understand how important demographics can be. I enjoyed my statistics course in college. For our final project, my partners and I polled over 500 students/visitors to our campus, asked them a series of questions, and then tried to correlate responses based on a series of demographics. Despite the large volume of data, in the end we concluded that the data remained insufficient to show any significant differences between demographics in our study. That is the take-home message.

Any kind of trend or stereotype crumbles under the weight of sufficient data points. Inevitably, as the sample size grows so also grow the frequencies and variations of outliers so measured. In the end, despite minute differences, we are all the same. Scientists make much of our 96% genetic homogeny with Apes and how we are so different, yet those who cite those studies as evidence for evolution ignore the fact that in practice and precept, people are also largely the same, despite variances in exogenous aesthetics.

We share so much with our neighbors- the food we eat, the air we breathe, our culture, our habits, a yearning for companionship and a desire to be rewarded for our labor. Yet, at every chance they get, elitists attempt, through application of a series of labels, to divide us on the basis of demographics.

I learned years ago that the first technique of an abuser is to isolate the victim. Instead of focusing on commonality, these malcontents separate us into groups of such small numbers that we eventually find ourselves bereft of companions, compatriots, and compassion. They establish cadres of “African-Americans” and “Irish-Americans”, of single, unmarried women, and men with more than one divorce. If they parse us down to ridiculously exclusive groups like men who chew gum and drive blue cars or dog owners born in New England with current passports, the data becomes truly meaningless, but the implications of these new identities divide us even when we need to be strong against their buttressing.

Divided, they then pander to our special interests, which interests we allow them to create when we allow them to ablate our commonalities. To one group they promise universal healthcare; to another they promise tax cuts, all the while knowing that their placations constitute nothing more than a series of mutually exclusive eventualities. Moreover, each of their new constituencies begins focusing on its individual needs regardless of the collective good or cost to the whole if their minutia finds favor.

When I worked with Cameron, a lot of work fell to me. Regardless of race, gender, or religion, we worked alongside slackers and workhorses alike, and I often sucked up higher workload despite no increase in pay for the common good. Large groups of people beyond my coworkers depended on our daily exertions, and I could not let them down even if to my individual detriment.

Echoing the sentiment of that coworker whom I greatly admire, I ask you, why can’t we just be Americans? Godspeed to you Sir, and all my best.