Thursday, August 09, 2012

With The Subtures

As usual, when using/creating a 'new' term, I check the internets to see if it is already in common usage-there is a "Subture Design Group" but they have nothing to do with this post.
"Subtures"- a contraction of "Sub-cultures" more streamlined for this fastpacedonlineworld.
My subture may be at odds with your subture, or we may be in agreement (tentatively) against other sutures.
Here's what I mean: when I was in the military, I was a member of a subture which those on the outside didn't/couldn't understand...but that we on the inside knew intimately. Now I am a part of a different subture, the former military, also a distinct group.
This past week saw a (one more) terrible tragedy in Wisconsin, with a 'white supreme-mess' killing Sihks during a worship service. Horrible and wrong.
The 'rules and defining attributes' of his subture caused him to hate to the point of killing those who are 'foreign' to his subture.
It doesn't always come to violence-there are as many 'truces' between subtures as there are subtures- the born again Christian subture generally lives in peace among all other subtures, the Muslim (in this country) subture generally keeps to itself, the sporting and fan subtures self identify and cloister:
"Roll Tide, Roll" may be the call of one subture, or "ABO", or "Gaga for Gaga".
You don't have to seek out Mennonite communities to find subtures which shun outsiders-go into the wrong bar on a Friday wearing the wrong color shirt. I dare you. Or a Yankees hat at Fenway.
But generally all subtures live in private peace amongst the rest, elements in the 'melting pot' of our Culture.
"Be kind to strangers-you might go somewhere and be a stranger yourself."


 

2 comments:

Doug said...

I don't expect this post to get a lot of play-maybe if I had mentioned the Dem subture vs the GOP, or straight vs homosexual subture, or...

anyway, I am a member of the born again Christian subture...and various subtures from mystery lovers to history buffs to film and Hollywood to sports and also music subtures. I'm a member of so many subtures that it's amazing that they all co-exist without too much friction.
Can a born again Christian enjoy things of this world? You betcha, as Sarah would say.
Did my mention of Palin suddenly remind you of an existing wall between our subtures? I'm guessing yes.

Doug said...

NOW I remember!
"elements in the 'melting pot' of our Culture." I was aiming at the metaphor of "Humanary Stew" but I couldn't recall the source:the
Alice Cooper song, "The Black Widow",
which has an interlude with Vincent Price.
Have fun in your subtures.