If I had a choice to rid the world of one human chracteristic; if I had the option of plucking it from existence, I think it would have to be narrow-mindedness.Recently, the presence of this characteristic has been staring me in the face more often than I can ever recall in the past. I'm sure its always been there, but I suppose I'm just noticing it more often. And now that its already on the forefront of my mind it seems that much more pervasive, and so utterly debilitating that it blows my mind.
In general, I'm referring to the tendency that exists within some people to hold a certain view and be absolutely unwilling to chance that view, even if a plethora of evidence presents itself for the opposing side. Obviously, this could be referring to many different situations: science, religion, race, etc., and like I said, the more I think about the general presence of this destructive mindset, the more I notice it.
But seriously, on what planet does it make sense to judge a person solely by the color of their skin? (the answer, apparently, is earth). And even if you do that, how can you be so stubborn as to ignore all reasonable and rational evidence and continue on your narrow-minded and destructive path of racism. What type of person would rationally say that they would prefer to interact with (in any capacity) a trashy, immature white individual over a mature and classy black person?
I know, I know, it isn't rational, and thats the problem. It is absolutely and completely emotional and these stereotypes are engrained in these people. Its hard for them, especially older people, to change long-held views... Blah, blah, blah... But honestly, I don't care. And what about the young people who think this way? Whats their excuse? At what age is it no longer deemed acceptable to outwardly express ridiculous prejudices? When are we going to move forward again? I thought we were... but I'm just not sure anymore...
I'm being very opinionated here. But guess what? If you would like to challenge my view, I will hear you out. I will have a calm and rational conversation about it, I swear. And if anyone presents me with enough evidence to suggest that my original hypothesis (i.e., that the physical attributes of a person do not determine what that person is actually like), then I'll re-evaluate and consider changing my original hypothesis. I just wish others would do the same...
1 comment:
You are so right!
As a high school teacher I see kids in the hallways who kind of scare me with their tattoos, piercings, black clothing, white make-up, chains, etc. I pray that they won't end up in one of my classes. Invariably, they do and, once I get to know them, find out that they are great, creative individuals who want what other kids want: someone to care about them.
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