From the moment we are born, we become socialized to obey the rules of the world without reservation. Whether intended or not, our society is a product, sown with the seeds of the past, that teaches us how to navigate our way throughout it today, and into the future.
But what if we were able change the past? What would the world look like if it were not tainted with racism or sexism? Who would we be if our ideals of beauty were completely reversed? Or even ignored? What if we never made the social advances we did?
What if racism never existed?
The color of someone’s skin would be irrelevant. Would we have the class system we do now? White privilege wouldn’t be a term. People would be treated only according to their actions. New York City or Charleston wouldn’t have the same wealth they do now; unfortunately, both cities were built on slave labor. It probably wouldn’t have taken us as long to have an African American as president. The differences of our political parties would be vastly different from what they are today. Police hopefully wouldn’t have a such bad reputation. Eric Garner, and the victims of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and many others would probably still be alive.
What if our prisons were focused on rehabilitation?
Some people argue that our nation’s prison system should be considered modern day slavery. The 13th amendment states “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Therefore, there are corporations that will employ inmates for only 23 cents an hour. This upsets many because it’s benefitting no one other than major companies. In various other countries, prisons have less of a focus on isolation and more of a focus on rehabilitating the inmates. In this restorative justice system, prisoners become productive members in society when they are released. Statistics show that this actually works. Norway has one of the lowest percentages of prisoners who return to prison after their release in the world and one of the lowest incarceration rates.
What if all women had never been allowed to vote?
Women would still be seen as lesser than men. Ann Coulter would be satisfied. The advancements in the world would be completely different. Hillary Clinton would not be a leading presidential candidate. The Suffrage Movement would have never existed and women’s rights might not have been recognized nearly as much with only men making the decisions. People might actually still think that women can’t intelligently compete with men. And while there’s nothing wrong with being a housewife, women in the workplace would probably still be considered a joke.
What if we reversed our ideals of beauty?
In certain nations throughout the world, being bigger and older are considered to be the most valuable traits. Both characteristics represent wealth and wisdom. However, in Western cultures, we chase after superficiality disguised as thinness and youth. Maybe we’d be a more genuine, and truly beautiful nation if this were not the case. I suppose we’d all have a healthier body image. Eating disorders would take fewer lives and the beauty industry would not be what it is today.
What if our nation addressed the sins of it’s past?
American students learn of Germany’s role in World War II, but are typically given a brief, filtered version of their own nation’s past. Little is acknowledged when it comes to the mass murders that were committed during the Europeans discovery of America, the Trail of Tears, the Japanese internment camps, the subordination of women, and why minorities were so motivated to launch the Civil Rights Movement and still, little is taught on current social issues. Meanwhile, students in Germany are reminded often of the mistakes the generations before them have made, so as to never return to such a state. Throughout Germany, plaques line the streets with the names and date of birth and death of Holocaust victims.
What would our streets look like if we did the same?