So for my methods in health promotion class we've been watching these PBS series all semester about disparities and inequalities making people in America sick. It goes through racial barriers and how certain groups are unhealthy not from biological reasons but from inequality reasons that we've placed on them. This last episode was on Native Americans and how they have the highest rate of diabetes in the U.S. and how it's because we've exploited them and they live in poverty and have to rely on government handouts which end up just being junk food and canned food and how the nearest regular supermarket is an hour round trip away but is the only place with a good selection of fruits and vegetables and how there isn't anywhere to exercise, etc etc. So I thought it was a good episode, showed a lot of health disparities and how we need to legislate in those areas to get the neighborhoods cleaned up, build grocery stores closer by, etc. But this girl in my class, in my group just now, oh man..
She said she hated this last episode because she felt like she was just listening to people complain for 45 minutes. She said things like "I mean seriously? Stop complaining and go exercise. And they're all like 'There's nowhere to exercise' whatever they can exercise in their homes or whatever, you know?"
Seriously? Exercising in your home generally requires fitness equipment. Which generally requires a large sum of money. Which these people quite obviously don't have!!! How did she absolutely and completely miss the point of this episode, of this series, that there are health disparities for reasons such as poverty and how this inequality is making us sick. That's the point!! The point is they aren't like you, you silly little girl! They don't have money to spend on exercise equipment or the pounds of makeup you wear or expensive healthy foods or the nice clothes you have, the nice car you drive! That's why they're sick! Don't you get that?! They can't "just exercise inside". THAT'S THE POINT.
I don't know. It just riled me up. So I let it out through this. Some people. Some people just make me so...
4 comments:
nobody else, not even the teacher, said anything? this is not acceptable. it is up to you, then, to stop the ignorance disease. speak up!!!!!!!!!! hopefully they will get a bad grade in the class.
it was while we were doing a group project so it was just my group. i didn't want to cause animosity right at the end, we still have a huge project/presentation left...
That's pretty funny to me.
I have served my mission a lot among Native Americans, and while there is some combination of fault between all parties involved, a lot of change needs to come through the environment.
For one to flippantly pin the blame on one demographic and to say with such ease, "You just need to work harder" shows a lot of ignorance on that person's part. I will assure you, should she ever serve the health needs among the Native Americans for more than a month, she will have a much more compassionate view than the one she holds right now.
Jean! You have a blog! Yessss! I'm stoked to read it!!!
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