Right-handed Privilege?

Did you catch the news about the presentation at UNC Chapel Hill that stressed the horrors resulting from our right-handed society? Apparently Christina Parle, who has an MS in something and works for the university’s Social Responsibility office, gave the lecture on behalf of the school’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Now, supposing that those fraternity and sorority members who attended the lecture were actually sober, I expect they were shocked by Ms. Parle’s comments. After all, at least a few of those students who specialize in the Greek alphabet are probably left-handed. 

Ms. Parle, we are told, was explicit. Being right-handed enables one to use tools designed specifically for them. Life, therefore, is much easier for righties, an advantage that provides them with for more opportunity than those sinister lefties can ever hope to receive. She also implied that all those dexterous righties also possess a “sense of belonging” that the lefties lack. I guess there was a lot more, but I’ll openly confess I didn’t have the patience to sit there and watch it all. I have no idea if Ms. Parle is a physical lefty or righty, although we can all guess which side she’s on politically. 

Left-handers make up about 10% of the world’s population. The numbers, though, seem to be changing, if only slightly. In recent years the number of male lefties has increased by 2%, while females have remained about the same. No one knows why, although scientists who study such things (likely funded by government grants) believe it might be caused by hormonal, genetic, cultural, or societal factors. This explains a lot and we thank the scientists for publishing these guesses and the other results of their exhaustive research. Scientists, though, don’t limit their investigations to humans, but have also studied cats, dogs, and other of God’s creatures. Did you know that about 40% of cats and dogs are left-pawed? Why are almost half of our pets lefties while the vast majority of humans are righties? Once again, no one knows for sure. More research is surely called for here. There’s so much more to share with you, but I’ll let you examine the research yourselves. Here’s a link that will lead you the fascinating results of all these left-right studies: New Scientific Findings on Left-handedness.

As for me, I am completely left-handed. In fact, the only thing I do right-handed is shoot a rifle. As a ten-year-old I spent much of a summer at Camp Adahi in Union, Maine. Part of this highly traditional camp experience included learning to shoot a .22 bolt-action rifle. Because the bolt handle is on the right side, we all were told to shoot right-handed, and so I obeyed. It obviously didn’t cause me any real problems because I always managed to shoot well, and as a midshipman at the Naval Academy qualified as “expert” with both the formidable M1 garand and the .45 semiautomatic pistol. Anyway, I do everything else left-handed, except where right-handed tools and equipment force me to do otherwise. Unlike Ms. Parle, though, I have found this to be a real advantage. 

Because I am forced to use my right hand on so many occasions, I have actually become somewhat ambidextrous. For example, I spent many years as a Navy pilot, and the “stick” that controls an aircraft’s attitude is designed to be operated by the right hand. The left hand must be free to control many critical operations such as engine power, other control surfaces (flaps, etc.), radio communications, and navigation. At first, I found it odd to rely on my less dominant hand for the most critical part of flying, but I quickly learned to do so. Over time I saw this as a real benefit because I became increasingly comfortable using either hand for many daily activities. 

I also disagree with Ms. Parle’s belief that righties enjoy a sense of belonging not experienced by lefties. I believe exactly the opposite. Because we are a relatively small minority, we lefties tend to notice each other more readily and actually form a kind of bond unavailable to righties. I’ve never heard anyone, while watching another sign his name, say, “Oh, you’re right-handed!” Never happens, because rght-handed people are such a large majority, they rarely even notice each other. But just this morning, when visiting a neighbor in our local hospice facility, I had to sign in at the front desk when I arrived. As I began to write, the receptionist said, “Another lefty, like me. You’re the third this morning!” Trust me, right-handed people never say that about each other. Maybe this means we lefties are more likely to visit the sick — another area begging for research. 

It’s now pouring rain, accompanied by much lightning and thunder, and I have to leave in 20 minutes to conduct a graveside service at a cemetery in a neighboring town. Keep me in your prayers.

Blessings and God’s peace, to both the right-handed and left-handed.