Mixed

Still mild and grey, rain only a faint promise of maybe. A strange day off, since I have no way to celebrate, save with dismay at how far we have not come. Injustice and violence continue to score, as kindness and civilization cower in fear.

But there has been progress. Within my lifetime, real progress. But as with scifi technology predictions, the problems have proven more difficult than early progress suggested. Making domestic violence seen, and unacceptable, was a grand first step. Changing entrenched attitudes in a society of many cultures is going to take a lot longer. Giving women more rights, access to their own credit happened not all that long ago. Getting equal pay is still a struggle. Still working on allowing any two consenting adults access to the legal protections of marriage. Or to have police refrain from stereotyping by skin color, or a significant portion of the population.

Discrimination is proving pretty durable. How much of that is related to culture? How children are raised within families, and the residue of values from countries of origin, religions, damage from generations before? Dysfunctions related to grandparent's journeys, not applying to everyone, but stereotypes come from somewhere. On both sides, of course.

We don't want to lose our cultural heritage, but that includes the crap that holds us back. And we are judged for it by those who only know our group from anecdote. It only takes one.

No jet packs, but we have drones with go-pros. And instead of video phones, there is skype. Flying cars are really never going to work, but self driving cars are looking to be a real option. So, perhaps some version of real equality will emerge as well. It will be a mixed blessing, surely.