Still Wagging the Dog

I have been thinking about the idiom "wagging the dog" again.  The traditional meaning of the phrase is that something less important is controlling something that is more important.  The idea is that the tail has been given enough power that it can make the dog's body lose control.

Bree, one of our Farm Office Supervisors at the farm, isn't terribly impressed that I am thinking about this because she believes that dogs are kind of 'air-headed' anyway.  What should it matter whether the body or the tail of a dog wags?

An analogy from a couple of years ago

We left the farm for a doctor visit or some such thing and came back just after sunset.  That meant that I had to go straight out and close up the chickens for the night.  As I walked to the Poultry Pavilion, I heard loud voices that sounded like they were out by our east fields.  After completing the chores, I walked that way to investigate.

What I found was that there were three snowmobiles and drivers out at the edge of our property.  Clearly, one of them was stuck and they were loudly trying to 'unstick' their vehicle.  As I walked down the road towards them, they must have succeeded.  They shouted something to each other about cigarettes and beer before driving rapidly across the road and our neighbor's field.

Um. Okay?

There is some background to this story.  There is a snowmobile trail that runs around our farm to the west. There is no trail to our east.  We have noticed a few times that there were some folks who seemed to want to go all over our neighbors' fields.  We don't know if they had permission to do so - we just noticed there were a few who were doing this.

Apparently, on this particular night, in the process of running on our neighbors field, one of the drivers thought our little farm would be a neat place to try zipping around.  They hung themselves up on some caged bushes we have in our buffer zone that were mostly buried under a snow drift.  The result was that the cages and bushes were crushed - and maybe they had some damage to their machine.  

This isn't the only time we've struggled with snowmobile drivers deciding to take detours on our farm.  It isn't the only time they've damaged something.

Letting the minority define the majority

And now we get to my parallel to wagging the dog.  

The temptation after these experiences is for the two of us to conclude that people who drive snowmobiles are ... well...  what should we think?  Let's just say that we're not impressed and leave it at that.  It's so easy to want to grumble at EVERY and ANY snowmobile that goes by our farm after events like this.

But, that's the problem.  We should not allow a few individuals define what we think of all who enjoy snowmobiling.  After all, the vast majority of those who go by our farm stay on or near the trail.  They tend to go by at reasonable hours and not at 1 AM in the morning (which has happened).  They appear to be enjoying themselves while still being responsible and respectful to those of us who happen to live next to the trail.  

But, these other individuals make us entertain the idea that everyone who gets on a snowmobile is irresponsible and disrespectful.  Should we assume that if we see you on a snowmobile that you are are going to start driving all over one of the bushes we worked hard to put in and care for?   Should we paint you with the same brush and curse at you as you drive by?  Should we demand that the trail be shut down or call the sheriff?

You tell me.  But, read the next part first.

The bigger picture

As the pandemic started, the number of hate crimes against Asian-Americans rose significantly.  Apparently, because some people made a claim that China "caused" the Covid crisis, anyone who looks like they might have any Asian characteristics is to blame, is looking to infect everyone else, and should be punished by being treated poorly.

Without even getting into the whole "what causes a pandemic" thing, let's consider this with the same lens I used for the snowmobile drivers. 

Is it fair if I blame every single person who likes to snowmobile for damage to those bushes and cages?

No.

Does everyone who drives a snowmobile intend to damage my farm or wake me at 1 in the morning?

No.

Why would anyone think it is right to assume anyone who "looks Asian" is suddenly to blame for a virus?   How could you possibly justify your bad behavior towards people because you can't differentiate between responsible parties and everyone or anyone else? That's a tail wagging a dog if there ever was one.

And then, how is it that we are then surprised when everyone who is "like us" is lumped into a group and pegged as violent, uncaring and ignorant? 

I happen to be a white male of European decent.  Therefore, I am aggressive, prone to violence, foul-mouthed, and inconsiderate.  I am domineering and unsympathetic.  I sneer at people of color and think they are inferior to me and I believe women are ok, except when they start acting like they might be as smart or smarter than I am.  If that happens, I will put them in their place by showing how much smarter, how much more logical, and just how much better I am.  Or maybe I'll just resort to bullying them until they give up.

And, of course, I am likely to commit a mass shooting in the United States.

If you know who I am, I sincerely hope you disagree with all of those statements (and sentiments).  And yet, there is a whole host of examples of people who are ALSO white males of European descent for whom those descriptions fit.  Since I am like them, I must be .... like them?!?

The takeaway

The next time someone who is not like ourselves enters our world, don't make the assumptions that they are like the worst versions of whatever group we think they belong to. 

That snowmobile driver over there is not necessarily inconsiderate and bent on the destruction of bushes and cages.

The Asian-American walking down the street or living in your neighborhood is not plotting to infect you with a virus, nor are they naturally inclined to do you harm.

And you and I, no matter what groups we identify with, will be lumped with the worst characteristics shown by other people who can also be identified as being in that group.  Until we all make an effort to consider individuals on their own merits.

Don't let the tail wag the dog.