When does awareness become prejudice?

[B yond]

After telling that in class I looked at my classmate and asked "where does being prejudice come in to that equation?".

Good for you!

 

[rogerjames]

I don't hate anyone. Not based on skin color or anything else.

But I am not ethnicaly sensitive, nor politicaly correct.

There is big difference between HATING someone and not liking / not aproving of someone. Stero types exist for a reason; they are not ALL INCLUSIVE becuase exceptions are always present and nobody lives up to the stero type 100% of the time, but there are plenty of people who pull it off a majority of the time.

The human brain needs stero types and profiling. On the most basic phycological level, it streamlines our interactions and allows us to react without thinking about every little inane thing we come across (we need to think about some things yes, but you cant accomplish anything if you have to PONDER every facet of your daily interactions) It helps keep us sane.

Why do YOU care anyway?

So you have chosen not to HATE, as you say... but you admit to "not like/or approve" someone you have never met, based on necessary stereotypes?
WE care because YOU enforce OUR streets.

 

[rainbowbob]

I was told by a classmate that I was "prejudiced" because I keep a loaded gun in case of a home invasion.

You ARE prejudiced - against people who break into your home! You have prejudged that anyone breaking into your home is a "threat" and "dangerous".

Shame on you!

 

[ironvic]

I walked up to the city library yesterday and there were 5 white boys and a fat little white woman, with hair shorter than my 2 day old stubble creating a ruckus. They were loud, uncouth and obnoxious, as many of the homeless ne'er do wells that take refuge at the library are these days. I tend to walk close by them, just to show that I ain't scared of 'em and they leave me alone. They were scaring the old ladies in the area so I just figured I'd put myself between the punks and them as I made my way to the door.

I am just as poor as those crack heads out front. Out of a job, newly graduated with a fisheries degree, and unable to find work of any kind since December. I live in an 11 year old Rv and eat beans for lunch, so I'm not too far off the social ladder's rung as "them." I find most of these clowns are looking to make themselves big by intimidating others because they don't have any power of their own. So I tend to telegraph to 'em that they don't scare this old guy.

I'm Mexican by heritage, but born and raised in the USA. I treat strangers kindly but am not a push over. I don't take any guff when I'm walking downtown and never give money to the homeless because there are plenty of social service agencies in our town and those guys know where they are.

I did have a guy pull a real long pair of scissors on me one day demanding money. I told him effoff and he left me alone. little did he know how close he was to learning an important lesson; first never pull an edged weapon on a Mexican-American and never, ever bring a pair of scissors to a gunfight. I'm glad for him it ended well.

 

[rogerjames]

Ironvic, good description of how we should behave. In the words of "the dog whisperer"... calm assertiveness.

 

[David904]

I too profile heavily. I don't care what color you are - if you are giving off the vibe that you are up to no good or that you are comfortable with having others think you may be a threat... Then you are a threat in my book.

Preoccupation or being overly concerned with skin color issues can get you killed. Travel to England and run afoul of some "chavs" and you can have a very bad day. They are predominately white. Gang members and scum of all ilk come in all different colors and creeds - just as good decent people do.