Stop The Labeling!

I’m so done with labels. Our country has this unexplainable need to fit all of the citizens of the world into neat categories. This makes it much easier to judge people without knowing anything about them. Think about how many labels we have in this country. There are Democrats, Republicans, Independents, gays, straights, bi-sexuals, men, women, transsexuals, lower class, middle class, upper class, people of different regions, people from different countries, and people of all different races. I’m sure some of you can think of many more labels that people are divided into. Enough is enough. Aren’t we all citizens of Earth? Why are labels so necessary? In my humble opinion, I think people are afraid. People are afraid of what happens when there are not neat categories – chaos must ensue!

If we were to label this Jersey girl here’s what you would get: A catholic, straight, American, New Jersey born girl, who is a registered Republican from a middle class family who believes in Gay marriage, that people have the right to love whoever they choose to love, and equality for all; a girl who wants to feed the poor and spread peace around the world, who believes in Capitalism, and also wants to build houses in Africa.

I sense some label crossings in this Jersey girl. I don’t seem to fit into any category nicely. Perhaps there are many others like me who see themselves as aberrations to the labeling process? M’s boyfriend was on the phone on Saturday night. When we discussed how much I loved the musical HAIR and how much the message of peace and love spoke to me, his response was, “So Kate’s a Democrat now?” This is a very common response to issues of this sort, but here’s what I have to say: From this moment on in my life, I will focus on the issues and the issues only. I never have nor will I in the future vote for any office based on party lines. I’m beginning to feel that parties are part of the problem. Democrats vs. Republicans, them vs. us. Perhaps we should all stay focused on what we believe in, and if that means writing in a name on the ballot to stay true to my values, I’ll do it. My hope is that some day in the near future some of the issues I believe in won’t be political issues, but basic human rights. Until that day, I’ll never label a person again.