O is for Outcasts

There are always “others” in our lives. There's us and there's them, the others. Those different from us. Those that don't fit into our idea of normal. They don't settle into our groups and aren't a part of the social structure as we understand it. They are the outcasts, the unwanted, the strange...and most often the bullied.

There are people who will never fit into societal norms, until those norms are changed. Anyone who fits into the LGBTI designations will be considered outcasts until we get over the fact that they're different and embrace that as part of who they are. They will never be allowed to fit in many places until we can look at them without prejudice.

Those who are of a different race, a different religion will be outcasts until we open our minds to the possibilities of knowing people who are not like us. This goes for any racial group looking at another racial group. White people are not the only ones who show racial and religious prejudice.

Those who don't choose to hold a regular job, who endeavor to create something different – the artists, the writers, the entrepreneurs – are outcasts. They don't do what society expects them to do so they are looked down upon. They are pressured to “get real jobs”, to become what those around them think is normal.

There are those who have fought for their countries, their homes, and they are looked down on for that. They are forgotten, ignored, and pushed to the side. They are treated poorly and instead of being given the recognition for their actions they are treated with derision.

The list goes on and on. As long as society holds with its views of normal, there will always be outcasts. Changing those views starts with us. We need to push back, tell “society” that we won't tolerate people being marginalized and treated less than everyone else because they're different.