marginalizing minorities

Mina makes the point that a civilized society is mostly judged by how it treats its minorities, so how civilized are we in comparison to other nations in relation to our treatment of people who don't exactly fit the socially acceptable norm?

"We've largely overcome our distaste for lepers and homosexuals, for instance," says Mina, "and other races and religions are now mainstream by virtue of constitutional rights or increased numbers -- they are no longer minorities -- but what about smokers and obese people?"

"I know they're out there -- the media is constantly focusing on the health problems they are causing and the astronomical amount of our taxpayer money being wasted on them," says Mina, "but I just don't see as many of them around as I once did."

"For many of us, their marginalization -- their disappearance from our workplaces, streets, parks, beaches and malls -- may be welcome," says Mina, "but I believe it is incredibly hypocritical of us to demonize these people, sweep them under the carpet and pretend that we are a civilized society."

"Come to think about it, it's not just smokers and obese people who've disappeared off the radar but disabled people, too."

"It wasn't so long ago that it was part of normal, daily life to deal with someone who was deaf, blind or intellectually challenged -- or a little person or someone in a wheelchair," says Mina, "but these days I could go for months without seeing anyone with a disability."

"What's going on?"

"I remember one young man in a wheelchair once telling me that it was a hassle trying to negotiate his way through a busy city -- and he hated people staring at him," muses Mina. "I can imagine how someone like that can give up trying."

"And because smokers and obese people have to put up with a lot more than people staring at them -- the bad publicity they get makes them open slather for insults and abuse from the crazies among us," sighs Mina, "I guess they have given up, too."

"I hear that a lot of smokers and obese people have left to live in more hospitable countries such as Spain, Greece or Cuba," says Mina, "but that would be only those who have the financial ability to do so."

"The ones who remain must necessarily be the poor," says Mina, "and with a fat tax being proposed in line with tobacco tax, these poor people are going to become destitute soon."

"No wonder they are nowhere to be seen!"

"The options our government offers these people seems to be shape up or ship out (get out of the country or die -- from social isolation, abuse and exorbitant taxes or from the greatly exaggerated risks of smoking or over-eating)."

"Neither option is particularly civilized," sighs Mina. "If I were obese I wouldn't like to be forced into stomach stapling or a strict diet for the rest of my life; and if I were a smoker I wouldn't like to be forced into taking socially acceptable nicotine patches or antidepressants."

"A civilized society embraces all people, warts and all, doesn't it?"

"The crux of this matter seems to be when on earth did our government gain the right to dictate what people can and cannot do in their private lives, especially in relation to legal substances?" asks Mina. "We can buy tobacco and junk food on every street corner, so why are we demonizing and marginalizing those who buy these products?"

"It doesn't make sense to me," sighs Mina, "and neither does the media focus on crazy government statistics and weird scientific experiments in relation to the health costs of obesity and smoking."

"What about the health costs of vehicles, alcohol and -- dare I say it -- old age itself?"

"Logic tells me that the main blow-out in our health care costs is due to people living longer," says Mina, "and yet we're not staring at old people, abusing them and marginalizing them, are we?"

"Oh, hang on, I think we're doing that, too."

"I remember a health official once proposing to deny surgery to everyone over 70," says Mina. "He was laughed out of town, of course, but in its efforts to cut costs I can see the government being forced one day to reexamine proposals such as this."

"Already, smokers and obese people are being denied surgery in some countries -- despite having paid tax all of their lives," says Mina, "and the rest of us, being non-smokers of normal weight, are not batting an eyelid. Why? Because the government and its media minions have carried out such a successful hate campaign against these minorities."

"All the government has to do is wage a similar hate campaign against the elderly -- or SUV drivers, or gun owners or any other minority group that you care to nominate -- and before you know it these people are marginalized and denied services (not necessarily health care) which their tax dollars were paid to provide."

"When you marginalize people you create a climate of revolution," says Mina. "On their own, smokers, obese, disabled and elderly people are seen as pathetic and weak, easily swept under the carpet and forgotten, but as a united force they could have the numbers to take on the rest of us."

"And why shouldn't they demand to be treated better?" adds Mina. "They are part of the social contract, too."

"The trouble with these minorities is that they are short on funds -- either being in low paid employment or on disability or old age pensions," says Mina. "Even if they were able to disregard their differences and meet on common ground, their revolutionary spirit would soon fizzle out with a threat from the government to cut off their pensions."

"Maybe there's an opportunity here for a bright young lawyer to shoot to stardom by putting the civil back into civilization and the demos (people) back into democracy."