It was an average Perspectives meeting. This week?s topic of discussion was about the then-current crop of frontrunners in the race for the White House. The meeting started spectacularly, with a group of female students quickly attacking Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton. These girls criticized the former First Lady to great extent, sometimes using words that cannot be printed here. While I understand and respect any informed person?s political views, I was horrified by the main argument that these girls put forward: Hillary Clinton should not become President of the United States simply because she was a woman. With the irony both obvious and saddening, I came to the startling realization that this argument was actually considered legitimate by these girls and other students in the classroom.

Collectivism is the philosophy of grouping an individual with a larger body or establishment. Collectivists tend to make unfair associations between people and large social groups due to a stereotype or commonly held belief. Collectivism encompasses all forms of discrimination, including racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, etc.

The discussion regarding Hillary Clinton is a perfect example of collectivist attitudes found in America today. Here, girls attacked Hillary Clinton for being born a female. Instead of judging her as an individual, these girls argued that females were inherently less suited for the demanding job as leader of the free world because, according to them, women were emotional and not able to properly deal with stress. This argument was not against Hillary herself but rather against all women. These girls argued that their belief, whether formed by personal experience or otherwise, applied to Mrs. Clinton because she herself was a woman, not taking into account that Hillary, as an individual, might not conform to their preconceived notions of how all women act.

The terrifyingly gargantuan nature of collectivism can be hard to grasp. While it is well known that forms of discrimination are all related, the idea that they come from humans making generalizations about groups of people can be a tough pill to swallow. Besides this, our current culture and government perpetuate the collectivist way of thinking.

For example, government handouts and leniency based on race, sex, ethnicity, etc. can build resentment between groups of people. Intelligent individuals could turn towards racism if the government were to specifically give benefits to people of a certain race. If all the members of one group were given special treatment because they just happened to be born with a certain skin color or ethnicity, people who didn?t receive such treatment might characterize all people receiving the government?s attentions as having the same positive or negative traits.

Culture also perpetuates collectivist thinking. What do women want? I don?t know what women want, as I am not every woman on the planet. I do know what certain women want. I know that my mom wants to go on vacation this summer to Disney World. But does every woman share this goal? Grouping all men or women together with a seemingly harmless question takes away from the individual rights of every person to be considered equally among all humans, regardless of gender or any other inborn trait.

Someday, I hope that all people are judged solely on their non-superficial traits. Until this concept is realized, the world will continue to exist with over six billion people but not a single individual.

Ralph Ellison?s masterpiece, first published in 1952, is the story of a well-educated and ideological young black man who has graduated motivated and wishes to carve out a path for himself in the world. After graduating from his high school with the honor of being the class?s valedictorian, the nameless protagonist is given the chance to speak in front of a group of wealthy white men. First, however, he must compete in a brief fighting tournament against other black men, during which he is beaten and bloodied. Following the intense melee, he successfully delivers his speech and is given a full scholarship to a black university. From this utterly degrading and horrific event, our hero?s journey begins.

The main theme of Invisible Man is the lack of individuality due to the racism found in American society. The protagonist is never judged on his individual merits but rather is characterized simply as a black man.

The wonderful work is a true gem because it is one of the finest pieces of anti-collectivist American literature. The protagonist is burdened because society refuses to acknowledge that he is an individual, a man who thinks freely and tries to separate himself from the meaningless inherent quality of skin pigmentation.

Ellison understood that in our complex modern society, it is important we abandon such collectivist constructs as racism, sexism, and ageism (among many others). It is important that we stress individuality and that just because a person is of a certain race or sex, they do not necessarily act in the manner of certain other individuals in our society who share the same inherent traits.

At the end of the day, I do not wish to be judged on the basis of such qualities as ethnicity and sex. I am not your stereotypical American male who just happens to have a dizzying, world-spanning ancestry. I am me.

Copyright 2008 Daniel Downs