I like to complain, a lot. So much, in fact, that if I got a euro for every time I ranted about something, I'd have enough money to go on a cruise, at least twice a year. Salty is my middle name, so if your food is ever lacking that sodium chloride...
Discrimination and racism, obesity, foreign relations, inequality of the sexes, illegal immigration, governmental control, ableism, etc.—the United States is going through quite a bit of turmoil lately when it comes to social change. You can read about it everywhere, especially on social networks like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, and even Wattpad (just look at any rantbook written by a POC). Learning about these social injustices has awoken me, which is why I now have a low tolerance for ignorant bullshit. I need to carry an epipen around.
Ever since I've moved back to my home country, Italy, I've started realising shit.
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Like how backwards the mentality of a lot of Italians is. Despite this country having led the world in art, science, literature, and culinary arts for centuries, Italy is now known for its corruption and archaic traditionalism. It's embarassing how many Italians are very resistant to change—I had this epiphany during lunch with my grandmother for the first time in four years.
I always knew she was outspoken about her opinions, that she had something negative to say about anything and everything, but I never realised just how racist and homophobic she was until that very moment, when, as an adult, I actually paid close attention to the things she said. When, after years of being out, I returned more cultured and acceptant of differences.
Unfortunately, this doesn't apply only to my grandmother, who still prefers the Italy of back in the day, when those "filthy blacks" weren't invading the country and "the gays" weren't getting married (topic which I will soon get to), but the same can be saidof other people her age, the generation after, and even of some millenials.
It's hard to sit at the table and hear her hateful spiels—no amount of 'schooling' and euphemisms will get her to understand that her toxic mentality is wrong, and that choosing to not keep up with the times is stupid. Not even that she never left her neighbourhood (which still doesn't justify bigotry), she's travelled and experienced the outside world as well, which makes me ask, why are Italians like this?
Their conservatism can only be attributed to the Vatican, the heart of the Catholic faith and Rome. Religion in Italy still has its claws in politics, even though, in theory, in the 21st century the two should NOT cross over, especially when Catholicism isn't the only religion practiced in the country. We aren't limited only to Christianity. Pope Francesco made a big point of this through his meeting with his two closest friends: a rabbi and a Muslim leader.
Which brings me to my next point, which is institutionalised homophobia.
Some Italians are openly homophobic, others are not, but it's all the same thing:
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