Text 14583, 67 rader
Skriven 2007-05-15 09:17:51 av Charlie Edmondson (995.babylon5)
  Kommentar till text 14580 av rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated (992.babylon5)
Ärende: Re: OT: a proposal for increasing teachers' salaries
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Kathryn Huxtable wrote:
> Bill <beastmachinery@msn.com> writes:
> 
> 
>>On May 13, 11:50 am, Kathryn Huxtable <kath...@kathrynhuxtable.org>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>The problem with the melting pot is that,effectively, it is filled
>>>with bleach. So long as you can pass for european descent, you can be
>>>part of the melting pot. Otherwise, you're one of the lumps.
>>
>>How do you figure that one? I have only been in one place where skin
>>color actually mattered to the general populace: Biloxi, MS.
>>Unfortunately, I ran into all the negative stereotypes of the deep
>>South while I was stationed there, including frequently getting called
>>"Damn Yankee n-gger-lover" to my own face and in public. Fortunately,
>>I've never encountered an entire area that small minded since.
>>Individuals and small groups, however, are another matter.
> 
> 
> I figure it because race still matters at some deep down place in the
> American psyche. It's not as blatant as you found in Biloxi, but it's
> still there.
> 
> Ask a person of color.
> 
> Now I don't think it *should* matter, but my beliefs and reality don't
> necessarily go hand in hand in this matter.
> 
> -K
> 
Ok, stepping up on the soapbox...

If you really look into it, race, color, hair color, height, weight, and 
any other distinguishing feature is ALWAYS going to figure into the 
human equation somewhere.  One of the things we humans do, is make 
judgements, both value and otherwise, on these all so noticable differences.

Me, I will always take a quick evaluative glance at a black person that 
is different from a white person, but that is because I grew up in 
Memphis in the 60's when that awareness was a survival trait!  In my 
senior year in high school, one friend of mine went out the bathroom 
window (on the second floor) because it was safer than trying to reach 
the door through the four black kids blocking it. (a very, very long 
story...)  I grew up in a world where blacks were portrayed (by the 
media!) as just looking for an excuse to riot and kill whiteys, so you 
better be careful!

On the other hand, I have similiar responses to a lot of other stimuli. 
  If I am in a convenience store, and three white teenages come in 
wearing similiar clothing, I check my exits.  In a crowd, I keep my eye 
out for 'shifty' characters who might go for my wallet.  I am now 
obtaining a lookout for hispanics, esp. teenagers and young men for the 
same reasons.

People will always have 'ingrained' responses to certain other types of 
people.  I worry about our children having a response to those of arabic 
and other middle easter descents.  I am concerned that our danger phobic 
society has trained them that they should never expose themselves to any 
danger, take no chances, that even walking down the street at night is 
inviting the boogeyman to get them.

But then, everyone already knows I'm nuts... 8-)

Charlie
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