My OperaTell me what you think
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 7:08:03 PM
Found this blog in the forum...
Thursday, August 14, 2008
What's wrong with being racist?What's wrong with being racist?
Why are people so timid when it comes to talking about the race they like the most…or least? Yet many girls can talk to you for 10-hours straight about what they like or dislike in a guy.
What's it to you if I, this middle-class white chick in a tiny town that is the opposite of racially diverse, dislike Mexicans? I never see Mexicans. I never talk to Mexicans. Is "Mexican" even the politically correct way to refer to people from Mexico? The only think I like about Mexicans is Mexican food.
What's it to you, this girl with a boyfriend, finds black men the most unattractive, cocky, and downright disgusting? I've never seen a black person in my little farm town. I don’t like hip-hop or rap. I'm not sure where the "ghetto" is actually located or if it's even truly made up of black people.
What's it to you if I, this intelligent American girl, finds Asians repulsive? What if I can't stand their squinty eyes or strange food? Does it matter that I don't like them if I never see them? Never talk to them? Who cares if I think anime is retarded?
There's a funny thing about prejudices: No matter how much I dislike Mexicans or blacks or Asians, if I meet one on an individual one-on-one basis, I'm most likely going to like them.
If SquintyEyes moves in next door, I'm going to walk my prejudice butt over to their house and chitchat on their front porch. Multiple times, I would imagine. If DarkSkin is selling sweet corn at the farmer's market, I'll buy from him and chitchat about his farm. If TacoHead gets a job on my brother-in-law's farm, I'm going to talk to him and probably pick up on some Spanish words, amigo. We'll be tight in no time at all. Heck, we might even go Salsa dancing together!
Prejudices do not always lead to hate crimes. Prejudices are close-minded thoughts about a group of people based on some type of characteristic they share. It's not the individuals that the prejudice person dislikes, it's that binding characteristic.
I disapprove of the gay lifestyle. Yet my best friend of over 10 years is gay. Obviously I don’t hold my prejudice against individuals; I dislike the idea and that's it. What's the harm in that?
How is a prejudice much different than me saying: I would never date a redhead? I can't stand guys with nose piercings? I find short, bald guys ugly? I can't stand businessmen? I don't associate with people who swear a lot?
It's not nice to say these things. But I think we've taking racial prejudices a little too far and let the idea of being prejudice get a little out of hand. It's really not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. I mean, so what if someone doesn't like something about you. People don't like that I enjoy the smell of cow manure or diesel fuel. That's life; people won't always like parts of you. Get over it!
(Yes…Yes…Ideally no one will dislike parts of others and we will all be one happy family like Barney and Kids. But I don't see that happening any time soon. We're all way too different.)
p.s. I wrote this to make a point; NOT to express my personal opinions. I don't care to hear anything about me being racist.
4:41 PM 37497 views 832 eprops 618 comments
Thursday, August 14, 2008
What's wrong with being racist?What's wrong with being racist?
Why are people so timid when it comes to talking about the race they like the most…or least? Yet many girls can talk to you for 10-hours straight about what they like or dislike in a guy.
What's it to you if I, this middle-class white chick in a tiny town that is the opposite of racially diverse, dislike Mexicans? I never see Mexicans. I never talk to Mexicans. Is "Mexican" even the politically correct way to refer to people from Mexico? The only think I like about Mexicans is Mexican food.
What's it to you, this girl with a boyfriend, finds black men the most unattractive, cocky, and downright disgusting? I've never seen a black person in my little farm town. I don’t like hip-hop or rap. I'm not sure where the "ghetto" is actually located or if it's even truly made up of black people.
What's it to you if I, this intelligent American girl, finds Asians repulsive? What if I can't stand their squinty eyes or strange food? Does it matter that I don't like them if I never see them? Never talk to them? Who cares if I think anime is retarded?
There's a funny thing about prejudices: No matter how much I dislike Mexicans or blacks or Asians, if I meet one on an individual one-on-one basis, I'm most likely going to like them.
If SquintyEyes moves in next door, I'm going to walk my prejudice butt over to their house and chitchat on their front porch. Multiple times, I would imagine. If DarkSkin is selling sweet corn at the farmer's market, I'll buy from him and chitchat about his farm. If TacoHead gets a job on my brother-in-law's farm, I'm going to talk to him and probably pick up on some Spanish words, amigo. We'll be tight in no time at all. Heck, we might even go Salsa dancing together!
Prejudices do not always lead to hate crimes. Prejudices are close-minded thoughts about a group of people based on some type of characteristic they share. It's not the individuals that the prejudice person dislikes, it's that binding characteristic.
I disapprove of the gay lifestyle. Yet my best friend of over 10 years is gay. Obviously I don’t hold my prejudice against individuals; I dislike the idea and that's it. What's the harm in that?
How is a prejudice much different than me saying: I would never date a redhead? I can't stand guys with nose piercings? I find short, bald guys ugly? I can't stand businessmen? I don't associate with people who swear a lot?
It's not nice to say these things. But I think we've taking racial prejudices a little too far and let the idea of being prejudice get a little out of hand. It's really not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. I mean, so what if someone doesn't like something about you. People don't like that I enjoy the smell of cow manure or diesel fuel. That's life; people won't always like parts of you. Get over it!
(Yes…Yes…Ideally no one will dislike parts of others and we will all be one happy family like Barney and Kids. But I don't see that happening any time soon. We're all way too different.)
p.s. I wrote this to make a point; NOT to express my personal opinions. I don't care to hear anything about me being racist.
4:41 PM 37497 views 832 eprops 618 comments
(14%)
DeeDeeTogaOga # Monday, September 1, 2008 8:00:37 PM