mind politics
Feb. 5th, 2006 10:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eor"There comes a time when the operation of the machine is so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part, you can’t even passively take part" - Mario Savio
I discriminate against minority groups. I expect them to be more sympathetic toward others because they have experienced discrimination. I resent it more when a person who belongs to a religious minority is intolerant of another social minority (or vice versa) than I do when a member of the majority does the same thing. I expect people who've experience the unpleasant acts of prejudice to not perpetrate the same thing on others. I know it's wrong to expect them to be better people than the asshole public at large, but I must admit I do.
So when a member of one of those groups says something with "They are all..." the hair on the back of my neck stands up. It doesn't matter what group you're talking about. The only good way to finish that sentence is "human." They are all human. If you finish that sentence any other way you're turning them from individuals into a group to be dehumanized, demonized, and discriminated against. You're one of the assholes.
No, this wasn't about one incident. This was about a hundred million incidents. A hundred million assholes wondering why the world treats them poorly.
I discriminate against minority groups. I expect them to be more sympathetic toward others because they have experienced discrimination. I resent it more when a person who belongs to a religious minority is intolerant of another social minority (or vice versa) than I do when a member of the majority does the same thing. I expect people who've experience the unpleasant acts of prejudice to not perpetrate the same thing on others. I know it's wrong to expect them to be better people than the asshole public at large, but I must admit I do.
So when a member of one of those groups says something with "They are all..." the hair on the back of my neck stands up. It doesn't matter what group you're talking about. The only good way to finish that sentence is "human." They are all human. If you finish that sentence any other way you're turning them from individuals into a group to be dehumanized, demonized, and discriminated against. You're one of the assholes.
No, this wasn't about one incident. This was about a hundred million incidents. A hundred million assholes wondering why the world treats them poorly.
