Sunday, June 10, 2007

The danger of stereotypes.

This video is a bit long and could be edited but it still shines a strong light on a very real problem.

6 comments:

Greybishop said...

Young guy, tight jeans, leather jacket, waist length hair, tattoo on his head. Most people saw a drug addict, a thief, a thug or all three.

I was none of those things, but I learned to keep my hands in sight at convenience stores, to never walk into a bank with my hands in my pockets and to give little old ladies as much space as possible in elevators.

Even then, I can clearly recall being watched very closely in those convenience stores, the suspicious glances of fellow customers in bank lines, and purses being clutched to chests when I got in an elevator.

What's sad is that as I approach middle age, I see young men with baggy pants, abnormally short hair, hats on sideways and I sometimes catch myself envisioning them as drug addicts, thieves and thugs.

Prejudice is an insidious disease that we never really cure. It is managable, but we have to remain vigilant at all times. A relapse is quite easy to fall into.

Sawsee said...

GB: Anybody that does not fit into our idea of 'normal', is suspect. When I lived in the city, rarely would a neighbour walk across the street to introduce themselves, nor would I. Since moving to the rural areas, we've had neighbours coming over bearing gifts of food, and opening their doors to us. It's a very nice change, although I wonder if the same welcome would be applied if we 'looked' different. I guess we tend to assume the worst and slow to accept until trust builds through actions.

LOSTbean said...

not sure if you have seen the movie "Crash," but it really speaks to the, what i'd call, almost unintentional racism that happens. and it's not just by one "group" against another. it goes full circle. it shows you that every one of us is fully capable of racism, even in it's most "subtle" forms, if we aren't consciously aware of our thoughts. it is a good movie, but very sobering.

Sawsee said...

Hi lostbean! Yes, I liked that movie and it did give pause for reflection of our actions and perceptions.

Cultural, ethnic, political and religious differences should be put aside, and instead allow a moral compass to guide our opinions.

LOSTbean said...

i say if you are judging me for something i didn't get to pick at birth, back off! anything else is probably faith or opinion based and then we need to mutually respect each other's!

Sawsee said...

lostbean! I applaud your thinking!