the unlikely leftist
I write, throw, punch, and jerk off with my left hand. As a southpaw, I belong to one of history's most notoriously abused minorities.
Although roughly ten percent of the population is now lefthanded, the quotient a hundred years ago was only about three percent. Some believe this is due to the savage ostracism—and hence lower reproductive rates—suffered by lefthanders.
The modern word "left" derives from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "weak." The Latin word for "left" is the root of the modern English word "sinister," and the Frogs refer to the my side of the world as gauche. In centuries past, lefthanders were thought to be demon-possessed, and as recently as a generation ago, lefties were either beaten severely or had their left hand tied behind their back in order to discourage them from using their naturally dominant hand. They still tell me to raise my right hand to take oaths and to cover my heart with my right hand to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. And the world is built with the "right" people in mind.
We are controlled by a different side of the brain than the rest of you. We tend to be more creative and intelligent than you right-wing drones. I count Julius Caesar, Leonardo da Vinci, and Charlie Chaplin among my brethren.
Jack the Ripper, too.
