Parking Lot

Envision a parking lot with two levels. You and I are with a group of people who are curious and decide to investigate the bottom level. On that level there are many parking spots, all of which are labeled and each label represents the spot where people can park. Each different spot is reserved for people that evidently are discriminated against because of a particular prejudice.

The first space we come upon is labeled Black People. Next to that is a spot for Hispanic People. We look beyond that and see more labeled spots for Asian People and then in order, Middle Eastern People, Native American People, Polynesian People, Jewish People, Muslim People, and many more but we decide to look at a different row. On this row we see Females, Short People, Unattractive people, Disabled People, Overweight People, Old People, People with low IQ’s, Disabled People, Poor People, and once again more and more labeled Parking Spots that go off into the distance.

There are several rows so we check out another row. This one starts with People who grew up without two parents. Next is People who grew up with no parents. The next, People who were traumatized. Next, People who were physically abused as children, then, People who were sexually abused. Next one says, People who grew up being bullied. More and more but once again we stop and move on.

We look at one more row. This one starts with Black People with dark skin. Next are Hasidic Jews, then Shiite Muslims, Asians from Viet Nam, Asians from Pakistan, Hispanics from Mexico. This row is as long as the others and we don’t go much further. One person in the group says, “Hey, this row seem to be subsets of other labels we have already seen.” Another person submits that these are probably spots for people who are discriminated against from people that are within the larger discriminated group that we have already seen. Another wonders if Black People with darker skin can park in the spot just labeled Black People or do they have to park here. Most of us think they can park in either spot but lighter skinned Black People can only park in the spot that says Black People. That makes sense but a few folks wonder how you can determine if someone can park in the Dark skinned Black Person spot.

They wonder who decides what skin tone is dark enough.

A few members of the group have split from the main group and went further down a number of other rows and found spots for Asian Filipinos’ and even one for Asians with very narrow eyes. Others found spots for Gay People which was the beginning of other spots labeled for different sexual proclivities, including Transgender and Transsexuals, and there were several more. The last few people who went to the end of a couple of rows returned and told us a few more. Among them were Physically Weak People, Single Mothers and Divorced People.

We don’t see any spots for White People but everyone agrees that White People should probably be able to park in spots if they fit the Short, Overweight, low IQ, etc. groups. The group talks about this for a while and even though at least half of the group are made up of white people, every person in the group finds multiple spots that they could park in.

We start towards the ramp that would bring us to the upper level. But before we get there we see a sign that says, “You are on the level for Victims/Vi…. The second word only has the two letters and we can see that it is still being painted in. There’s a ladder there with a can of paint.

Suddenly we all turn when someone approaches. He’s in painter’s clothes and looks very surprised as he views our large group of people milling around his ladder. “Can I help you?” he asks.

“Yes,” one of us says. “We are wondering what the second word is that you are painting. Is it Victors?”

“No,” the painter replies. “It’s Villains. But funny you say that. The upper level is for Victors. See?” He points to a sign that’s next to a ramp. It has an arrow that points upward and says “Victors Level”

We all stay quiet for a few long seconds. Then someone asks him why Victims and Villains are all allowed to park on the same level?”

The painter has already climbed the few steps to the top of his ladder and turns around to face us. He looks at us with a curious expression. “What do you mean?” he asks. “Victims and Villains are really the same group of people. All of them identify themselves as Victims. But,” he continued, “They justify their villainous behaviors because according to them that’s what victims must do to defend themselves."

That had the group nodding and considering the impact of the observation. Soon, we all turned and walked up the ramp. When we arrived at the “Victors” level we saw just as many parking spots but none of them were labeled. Just open spots. We walked around but no matter where we looked, there were no labels.

The painter soon walked up the ramp to use a hose where he began washing his brushes. A few of us walked over to him and asked if the people with spots below were allowed to park up here.

The painter said, “Anyone can park here.”

A lady asked, “Then why don’t they?”

“There are always plenty of spots up here,” the painter replied. “The only condition is you can’t identify yourself as a Victim. But they don’t seem to understand this concept. You see, to them there are two groups of people and they consider Victims and Villains as those two separate groups. They don’t acknowledge the existence of Victors at all. So they will drive around the lower levels for hours, waiting for an open spot that they can park in down there, honking their horns relentlessly but only a tiny amount will ever drive up the ramp.”

You finally say, “Let me ask you this. You have seen the people who park up here and the ones who park down there. What’s the difference?”

Without looking up from his task of cleaning his brushes he said, “Nothing. Based on appearances they seem to fit the same labels as people who have spots in the lower level.”

“Interesting. Then they would have the same challenges in life that the other people do. So what IS the difference? ” you say mostly to yourself.

The painter shakes his now clean brushes and looks you in the eye. “I guess it’s just the way they perceive themselves.” Then, as he begins to walk away he looks back over his shoulder and says, “But what do I know? I’m just a painter."