At least it would be if anybody actually thought about what it means. But I digress. The race discussion is interesting b/c nobody wants to talk about it. People pretend that it is not an issue, when, quite frankly, it is an issue in everything that we do.
Buzz Bissenger just wrote an article, about NBA and its fans, trying to illustrate why people don't like the NBA. Now, I know that he is polarizing and many people might disagree, but I do think that his thoughts are not that far off. Now the relevant question that needs to be asked is whether it is racist for a white person to say they don't like the NBA b/c it has too many black players or not enough white players? is that racism? I think not, not when Blacks are permitted, on a regular basis to say they don't like the NHL b/c there are no black players. I am not sure that's racism. It might be stupid, but not racist. Isn't it usual or normal for people to like or follow people who are like them. If they are country boys, they prefer to watch country boys. If they are city boys, they prefer to watch city boys. At its heart, that is because human beings try gather and relate to groups of people that are like them. Of course, I, of all people, believe that people should be open minded, meet different types of people and expand horizons. I am not suggesting that segregation is the answer (considering I have a white wife, and 3 mixed kids ((mixed twice)).
However, this fact does cause some interesting situations. An older lady asked my wife if our daughter was hers? is that offensive to me? No. At least she asked as opposed to assuming something that wasn't true. As human beings, we operate with stereotypes and prejudices. It is how we are wired. Would it be better if these stereotypes and prejudices were not hardwired into our brain, of course, but that is not how it is.
Instead of ignoring them, and acting as if they don't matter or we can repress them, we should instead acknowledge them, try to understand why they are there and deal with them. What are the stereotypes that blacks have about whites, or vice versa or whites have about Asians, and what Indians have about White people. The point is that they exist in everybody and they should be discussed in non-threatening and insulting way so there is an actual discourse and discussion. The discussion is how people realize that the prejudice and stereotypes are wrong and that is when minds actually become open.
The same is true for how people view homosexuals, illegal immigrants, or any other group. The discussion is what matters. We need to thicken our skin, and have discussions about these issues because that is the only way we move past them.
As discussed in the first article, a person with a white name "Emily Walsh" is 50% more likely to receive a call for an interview then a black name, Lakeisha Washington. Why is this true? Would those employers even admit they don't call people back because the applicant has a "black" name? If they won't admit it, how do we correct it? Have I benefited b/c my name is Chris Pickett? Would I be where I am if my name was Tyrone Jefferson? Interesting questions that have no real answer.In any event, I hope that one day we can have a real discussion that results in solutions and not the same denials that race plays no part in our views, decisions, philosophies, where we live, where we send our kids to school, and almost every other decision we make whether that decision was made subconsciously or not.
I should note, for the record, I am mixed (bi-racial).
Be easy.
I should note I am bi-racial (mixed) and quite proud of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment