Who is the real oppressor? Is HE? Is it ME?

We are both strong and weak, oppressed and oppressor of each, as well as by the white super culture. Our individual and collective development as men and women will not jeopardize but enhance our liberation. The brown man is not my enemy. Nor I his, but we must recognize that we both contribute to each other’s oppression. It would be easiest of all to see the white male as the enemy. He has the giant share of power. He controls our governments, resources, social institutions, language, education. Essentially he controls the world. To see him as the evil all-powerful enemy, however, forces me to accept little responsibility for my own oppression.

The article entitled BROWNESS clearly talks about how a person allows himself/herself to be a victim of oppression. The Oxford English Dictionary defines “oppression” as “the state of being subject to unjust treatment or control.” However, this does not mean that those so subject are aware of their unjust treatment or control.

In the article, it emphasizes that the Brown people have consciously and subconsciously accepted that White people are much better, the ones who are empowered, models of things right and good. Further, while no matter how the Brown tries to be good, to excel in what he does, to make things right, the thing is he is Brown, so he is wrong and weak and there is no way to equate the ultimate good of a White. This becomes an accepted notion and even an accepted reality. This penetrates into the system of the Brown, becomes part of their day-to-day encounter. It is being established and being inculcated in them that the society they belong, the state in general and even the church consider Brown as weak, fragile, non-human and dirty. A Brown person sees himself disrespected, degraded, and given less value may it be in terms of opinion and expertise. With this kind of taking, the Brown eventually empower other races to take in control in their lives. They actually have open wide the gate of their lives and the gate of their innermost being for others to intrude, to devastate, to deface and to humiliate their stored principles, mores, culture and even their soul.

Without such consciousness and effort to battle self-assumptions, change and self-progress is out of reach. Unless a person actively examine the assumptions given by the society and sadly assumptions that are basically self-imposed, a person is likely to fall deeper and deeper into a systematic treatment of completely creeping and ever expanding. While the person allows himself to fall on this milieu, he will be just as complacent with his future and become numb of the successive encroachment by people who himself let to control life and decide for his future.

UN Women: Auto-Complete Shows Perceptions Of Women

Indeed, there is still a significant number of women living in the United States today who believe they are lucky to be under the control of men who treat them abusively or like possessions. They live in the condition that men rule women, men oppress women, and women are but second class citizens. In the pedestal of the hierarchy imposed may it be by the state or church, men decide, men take over, men conquer the highest position and regard. What attributes are being given to women then? Well, they uphold the substandard output, ineffective decision-making, unproductive opinions. Whether in the consideration of race, gender, color or sexuality, there is the presence of oppression and cruelty. The sad thing is, oppression is not even obvious to those who are being oppressed that is the reason why these people, the oppressed don’t feel dissatisfaction or a reason to rebel. This is because enculturation into the state of mind of the people under oppression are done in a systematic way which are not ordinarily called into question since the subject are used to of the unjust treatment or control.

It has to be considered that man is born with the gift of free will to decide for his/her life. Indeed, the way we perceived ourselves considering the assumptions of the society, greatly involves our free will. The way we let others treat us boils downs to our own self-meaning. We seldom check and consider whether we are being oppressed by others, worst if we are the one oppressing ourselves. In what way? But letting others put label of who we really are. We welcome the way society dictates what our significant roles should be, and we let others decide how shall we be perceived and be given worth by the people of the state and church.

The emergence of Women’s Right Movement gives women the way to come out as people worthy of being heard and respected. This movement is an eye opener that all people have the same right to claim equality regardless of gender, color, and race. Women have to ponder that they must have the same sane existence with rest of the society. Standing for what is solely ours and guarding for our rights and privileges are not that easy. It entails sacrifices. It entails true patience and strong self-assessment.