Covering: New Civil Rights Essay Example

feasible to accomplish the new civil rights, it is vital to discern that several other aspects of our society that must change. To efficiently expedite the New Civil Rights, the aspects of society that must change are small communities, schools, politics, and the internet. The environment in which we are raised is where we obtain our foundation for most of our opinions and beliefs. This is the first and most influential aspect of society that consistently has an impact on people throughout their lives. Specifically, small and localized communities need to be addressed and altered.

These include the people you associate on a daily basis such as friends, family, school and workmates. All of these people have huge impacts on a person’s beliefs and opinions. Generally, a person would share similar beliefs and morals as the people they associate with. This can be attributed to the innate need for a person to fit in. This can be a hindrance in the sense that negative, stereotypical ideas can be inherited from those you associate with. For instance, if a person was raised in a very racially prejudice family, they will likely grow up to be the same way.

But this assumption must be proven wrong to wholly implement New Civil Rights by adopting positive and tolerant demeanors. One way this can be done is by using reason forcing conversation. What this entails is challenging people’s opinions and beliefs when engaging in everyday conversation. Referencing these conversations, Yoshino wisely stated that “they should occur informally and intimately, where tolerance is made and unmade” (487). By using this tactic in a more intimate and comfortable setting,

such as in one’s own home, it will gently force people to use logic to back up their beliefs.

This will encourage the person to look at their opinion in a different light, by alleviating any feeling of pressure. This may possibly even facilitate a shift in their opinion from a negative stereotypical belief, to become more tolerant and understanding. If more people use logic when determining their opinions, then society as a whole would be more tolerant. It only takes one person to make a difference and begin spreading a more progressive and empathetic demeanor. As we get older and attend school we are faced with some of the largest amounts of pressure to conform.

This is yet another key area of society that must be addressed. It seems like a cinch to make happen, but there are several things to be considered. First of all, many parents would most likely be upset if the school systems started teaching their children to be morally tolerant. They feel that is solely their responsibility as a parent. But this could be refuted by using common mythology to spread tolerant ideas. For instance, the way Yoshino used past court cases to prove his point about employing the liberty paradigm over equality. It made it easier for one to build a connection and trust with Yoshino.

Learning about past, factual stories helps to make people feel assured and united which results in a foundation for trust. If these factual stories were taught in public schools, it would surely make a more accepting and tolerant population. Yoshino states that, “The aspiration of civil rights has always

been to permit people to pursue their human flourishing without limitations based on bias” (488). Here Yoshino is describing how the civil rights as always aimed to allow people to reach their full potential without having to worry about being judged.

Although it may seem unlikely, this can be somewhat achieved in the school systems. It is first important to realize that school is often times where we perfect covering to fit in, and protect ourselves from being made fun of. To fix this it would be vitally important for teachers to be perceptive of any type of judgmental behavior and to immediately discourage it. It would also be helpful if a class would be offered that solely taught students to be tolerant, empathetic, and taught these ideas of a New Civil rights.

This would offer yet another opportunity to further spread the word of these universal rights. When we mature into adults we are exposed to another vital area of society that needs to be altered, which is the political realm. This includes the laws meant to protect our rights, and the all-powerful politicians that run our country. These laws that supposedly protect us are often times geared towards group based identities. This is quite ironic because it’s meant to discourage segregation, but subliminally encourages people to assimilate.

Yoshino expands upon this idea when he states, “Law is also an incomplete solution […] because it has yet to recognize the myriad groups subjected to covering demands outside traditional civil rights classifications […]” (486). Here, Yoshino is bringing to light that the law also fails to include every group that may feel

the pressure to cover. So as a result one may feel that if they are not included in one of the recognized groups, then they may have all the more reason to utilize covering when they interact with the outside world.

To counteract this, it is crucial that laws be made to protect the rights of humanity as a whole, and not just specific individual groups. Political figures also have a massive influence on our society. People are so often times so caught up in their debating that they lose sight of logic and become completely emotional about it. It sometimes even goes as far as people voting based entirely on the political party and not the individual politicians views. This is a sad and true fact, but can be used in a way to help facilitate the New Civil Rights.

To make this happen it would be helpful to create a liberty party focused solely on human rights. This would aid in bringing people together and would be very helpful in spreading the word of the New Civil Rights. All throughout our lives we are constantly exposed to the last aspect of society that needs to be addressed, which is the internet. The internet is a behemoth; a huge creature that possesses a tremendous amount of influence. To facilitate the New Civil Rights these aspects of the internet can be utilized as a very effective tool.

It can be used as a phenomenal mode of spreading these ideas, and for using reason forcing conversation through debate forums and websites. This information can even be advertised and become common knowledge. One considerable

and unique quality that the internet possesses is its amplitude of anonymity. This can be beneficial because people feel more comfortable saying things on the internet they would usually never say otherwise. This would make for completely honest debates over these crucial opinions and ideas.

Yoshino, speaking of reason forcing conversation, stated that “such conversations are the best – and perhaps the only – way to give both assimilation and authenticity their proper due” (488). Consequently, one may say that by having these honest discussions as often as possible is imperative to the New Civil Rights movement. One can also consider the internet as a means of connecting people by means of social networking. This can help to desensitize people from what they may feel as morally wrong, or uncomfortable.

Speaking of social networking Weaver and Morrison stated that “In the context of today's electronic media, social networking has come to mean individuals using the Internet and Web applications to communicate in previously impossible ways. This is largely the result of a culture-wide paradigm shift in the uses and possibilities of the Internet itself. The current Web is a much different entity than the Web of a decade ago. This new focus creates a riper breeding ground for social networking and collaboration. In an abstract sense, social networking is about everyone.

The mass adoption of social-networking Websites points to an evolution in human social interaction” (94-100). Here Weaver and Morrison are describing how the internet has evolved to become a thriving scene of collaboration on a massive global scale. By utilizing this mass collaboration and working together to communicate society can determine

their viewpoints through reason forcing conversation. For instance, the social networking web site Facebook connects millions of people that would normally never speak in person.

This connection gives a person the opportunity to debate and discuss ideas with someone they would otherwise never have the chance to talk to. If the internet were to be used to positively spread the idea of liberty, tolerance, and acceptance it would only further enforce Yoshino’s tremendous idea. There will always be a reason as to why something may not work. This whole idea of a New Civil Rights may seem far-fetched and too utopian to ever happen. For instance, the creation of a liberty party and getting all schools to create a class based on these ideas may seem unlikely.

It is crucial to understand that the goal isn’t to completely abolish assimilation, but to minimize it so covering is not such an issue. One must also consider the fact that there will always be people who judge, and refuse to accept certain groups of people. “Your commitment is to help people ‘be themselves’ – to resist the demands to conform that take away their ability to be the individuals they are. But the covering idea could perpetuate the stereotypes you want to eliminate” (Yoshino 485).

This statement was criticism from colleague of Yoshino who believes that his entire idea about covering will always be an issue. This further proves the need to have a balanced viewpoint on the subject. Although Yoshino’s idea of a New Civil Rights may not happen in the near future, if the word is spread, without a doubt, it is

a possibility. This theory is a delicate balancing act, where we must find the right amount of tolerance without the loss individuality. Through altering localized communities, politics, media, and schools to spread the word, the New Civil Rights is a very realistic goal. It will just take effort and people to begin making a difference. If we fail to heed Yoshino’s brilliant advice, then society as a whole may never thrive and achieve its full social potential.

Works Cited Weaver, Alfred, and Benjamin Morrison. "Social Networking. " Social Networking. 41. 2 (2008): 97-100. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. Yoshino, Kenji. “Preface. ” Emerging a Reader. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007. 479-481. Print. Yoshino, Kenji. “The New Civil Rights. ” Emerging a Reader. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007. 481-488. Print.