Re: On the melon
While reading (unfortunately) ALL the posts, I felt awe-struck by some of the responses. As I began typing this, I remembered I really shouldn't feel anything. A point that stands out as most pertinent:
- Humans TEND to be PREJUDICE by nature. To elaborate, YES, to some degree, survival requires us to correctly utilize all previously acquired information in order to act in accordance with our innate motivation to survive. The idea that racism is taught, methinks, is not too far off, in that, an individual has no natural motivation nor receives any benefit, nor increases chances of survival through the avoidance of people with a distinctly different outward appearance; in fact, if we did this naturally, it would most definitely be -EV on the survival scale. A person "gains" the "knowledge" of blacks being -EV through 1.) rote memorization of faulty rationalizations created by respected authority figures or 2.) negative experiences with blacks which are irrationally tied to ALL blacks...EITHER WAY, this whole problem starts with negative experiences that are irrationally applied as explanation for a traumatic experience, IOW = the racist needs Dr. Sherman to help sort through their Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (and maybe some valium?)
The reason I shouldn't feel anything RE: others' responses in this forum is because my negative feelings are closely tied to my irrational assumption that people never change. I KNOW this is an irrational assumption bc I've seen people change, bc I've changed, bc change is the (one of the?) only constant(s) in existence. Sure, most people fall in the center of the bell curve. But, that doesn't mean they can't figure it out. They'll just have to come here every day and read all of Braush's posts.
Have we shifted our prejudice? Naw...it's really not prejudice we need to worry about,
it's the all too human trait of self righteousness and it's result: FEELING like a god.
peace out!
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