Mandatory is an interesting word which has evolved from its intended use of “required by law or rules, compulsory.” It is misused and abused today to force people into compliance.
Under communist rule compliance was ‘mandatory.’ Most things in our lives were mandatory whether inscribed in law, mentioned as unwritten rules, and rules made up on the fly. Regardless of where the word ‘mandatory’ came from, you had to obey and follow the orders or else.
After I fled Communism to the U.S., the word ‘mandatory’ started to creep into our daily school environment
‘Mandatory’ was so abused and draconian that, just on the sight of an authority figure, teacher, administrator, boss, policeman, security police, military police, economic police, and border guards, people froze in their tracks and wondered what would happen to them if those people decided to address them or check their I.D.s.
You searched quickly in your mind for reasons that you may have violated the ‘mandatory’ whatever and where you would end up if they decided to arrest you. You did not have to commit a crime, they made one up. Mental prayers did not help because everybody cooperated with the police state for extra food and money, including most priests.
People were guilty until proven innocent in a communist court of law. It was ‘mandatory’ that the accused provide proof of innocence.
It was ‘mandatory’ to attend all communist rallies and marches. It was ‘mandatory’ to show up at the precinct and to vote for the one-party candidate.
After I fled to the U.S., the word ‘mandatory’ started to creep into our daily school environment. ‘Mandatory’ seemed innocuous at first, just another word, until I asked too many questions.
‘Mandatory’: It magically became part of the job if I wanted to keep it
Then I learned that everything ‘mandatory’ was not remunerated. It magically became part of the job if I wanted to keep it.
It was ‘mandatory’ to tutor students every week after school for no extra pay. It was ‘mandatory’ to work weekends for several hours to meet and greet parents, no extra pay.
It was ‘mandatory’ to ignore our own families on weekends and one week at night for two hours to tutor students who did not pay attention in class or who were too lazy to come during daily office hours. It was all ‘mandatory’ if you wanted to keep your job.
It was ‘mandatory’ to attend assemblies and speeches that violated our religious rights and the rights of the students. It was ‘mandatory’ not to wear crosses because it offended the Muslims.
It was ‘mandatory’ not to display a small American flag on one’s desk because it offended others who were not Americans.
It was ‘mandatory’ not long ago to wear masks everywhere, even outdoors to protect the health of others around you, never mind that your health was not really protected.
Pretty much everything we do in a modern society has become ‘mandatory’
It was ‘mandatory’ to get a dangerous vaccine if you wanted to keep your job, go to school, travel, have a medical procedure in a hospital, attend church, shop for food, fly, and go on vacation.
It is ‘mandatory’ not to criticize those in power while perusing social platforms and the Internet. There are many consequences if these ‘mandatory’ unwritten and arbitrary rules and “community standards” are violated.
Someone sitting in a basement making $16 an hour deems your actions, thoughts, opinions, and words hateful and offensive to the community’s health, a community suffering of many mental issues, drug use, immorality, and perversions. But you are the threat because you violated the nebulous ‘mandatory’ rules of community behavior.
It was ‘mandatory’ under communism to wear uniforms with numbers sewn onto the lapel in case you broke some ‘mandatory’ behavioral rules that the police state informers felt were violated.
Pretty much everything we do in a modern society has become ‘mandatory.’ You cannot attend college if you are not vaccinated--it is ‘mandatory.’ If you don’t comply, your life will never be the same, you become an outcast of society.
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