Discerning Differences

I too think racism is a learned behavior. But then I'd define racism not as noticing differences, but rather acting upon differences noticed. The human is wired to notice differences; that is part of our ability to survive. But we learn how to react to those differences. Your daughter no doubt notices the differences between races, but she has learned to not allow those differences to affect her treatment of others.

As I grow older, I find that what I react to most is the behavior of others. And yes, I do that by comparing the behavior I observe against a standard of proper behavior I hold in my mind. What I consider "proper behavior" involves, essentially, the "treat others" doctrine.

Stereotyping comes into this when, across time, I see improper behavior, time and again, displayed by persons possessing certain external characteristics. I believe this is unavoidable; I believe this is how we are programmed as human beings. We note differences and we start to build a library of impressions based on what we experience.

Many will say, "Don't judge a book by its cover." But nobody really operates this way in the real world. They make judgments and discernments all the time. Doing so is an essential part of life. The issue is more how quickly we apply a judgment, what our initial reactions to that application of judgment are, and how enduring that application is given evidence to the contrary.

Several years ago now I was in a company sponsored "diversity" class. It was an attempt at indoctrination, pure and simple. One exercise had them displaying slides on the screen with photos of people, and we were to assess our initial reaction to the people in the photo. One photo showed a group of street thugs, dressed in gang leathers, all with facial expressions conveying anger and threat.

Of course the reaction to that is initially one of caution and fear. Of course! But we were then told the people in the photo were actors, and in real life they were doctors and teachers. The lesson was: "Shame on you for judging too quickly!"

I went up to the instructor during a break. I asked, "If you encountered a man on the street wearing a Ku Klux Klan white robe and hood, what would be your initial reaction?" Her answer: "I would think him simply someone in a white robe." Her answer was, of course, a complete lie. She would form, as any normal person would, an initial impression based on an historical understanding of the KKK and the garments they wear.

That is an extreme example, of course ... few people walk the streets in KKK robes. But what about the "gangsta" image? That look is designed to express a potential threat. That is the whole purpose of that look. And if time and again we are treated poorly by those who dress that way, is it wrong to form a general impression of people who dress that way? I would argue no.

Years ago, Martin Luther King, in his famous "I Have A Dream" speech said, "I dream that one day my children will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." The second part of that is conveniently ignored by liberals today. The idea that "character" matters is generally opposed. That's because if it is allowed to matter, then we must deal with the issue of what constitutes "good" character and what constitutes "bad" character. They don't want to allow such a distinction.

Note: well, they do, actually. They very much want to allow the distinction. The real issue is they want their definition to be applied. That is irony of today's rallying cry about "diversity" and "tolerance." They very definitely do not want diversity of thought or opinion; they demand fairly strict adherence to a set of beliefs. And by tolerance they mean tolerance for people that possess those beliefs, but rather severe intolerance for those who do not. The classic irony is this: if someone was truly tolerant, they'd tolerate even the intolerant.

But there is such a thing, and there used to be a societal mechanism to reward good and shame or ostracize bad. I think the "tolerance above all else" mantra is a damaging thing. I very much think certain intolerances in society is a healthy corrective mechanism.