Our first top donor question:

“I was a teenager in Southern California during the 70s. I was raised in an environment where feminism was considered the norm. Imagine my surprise when 30 years later I find the social climate seems to have taken a step back. I’m often thinking, “Didn’t we already cover this?” Feminism is just one example. The persistence of anti-science views such as anti-evolution and anti-vaccinations are others. Lack of tolerance for anyone who doesn’t adhere to society’s norms. I’ve always assumed that as a society we are moving forward, but I’ve never looked for concrete confirmation. Are there objective measures for things like social tolerance? If so, how are we doing?”

I’m not sure if there’s a truly objective measure – you can’t whip out your Tolerancometer and see how many milliKings a person is emitting. But we can estimate how much progress is being made in social movements by comparing where we are now with where we were ten, fifty, or a hundred years ago.
And I think that’s what you have to keep in mind – that we need to look at general trends. Social progress, like many things, is often two steps forward, one step back. Sometimes the current climate is certainly daunting – evolution and climate change deniers being as loud as ever, women’s health being thrown by the wayside, gays still not being able to have the same rights as straight couples.

But in the big picture, we have come a long way. Science triumphed over ignorance in the 2006 Dover trial, unlike in the Scopes trial. Birth control is one step closer to being subsidized, where 40 years ago you couldn’t even get a legal abortion. More and more states are legalizing gay marriage, when coming out in the 80s could get the shit beaten out of you.

Are things perfect? Certainly not. That’s why it’s still important for people to be outspoken advocates for science, feminism, and gay rights. Because while it’s better now, we want to limit that one step back to just one step, instead of tumbling all the way back to the Dark Ages.

You also have to take location into account. Southern California isn’t exactly a typical representation of the rest of the world, the rest of the US, or the rest of California for that matter. There are pockets of places that are more progressive, just as there are pockets that have a lot of catching up to do. Hello, the Middle East. …And China. …And Africa. …And…oh dear, we have a lot of pockets to work with, don’t we?

So even if your little spot on this planet seems to be doing alright, activism is still important. I see a lot of apathy in Seattle because it’s basically godless liberal paradise. What people forget is that if all of your neighbors are socially regressive, their views and votes will eventually effect you. So stay optimistic about the future, but keep up the endless fight for progress.

This is post 6 of 49 of Blogathon. Pledge a donation to the Secular Student Alliance here.