2008 Woodie Awards
If Michael were a Monarch...
Prejudice would be understood...
Michael Tate
Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
I take a different approach to prejudice. I do not condemn prejudice.
If I were a monarch, no law would condemn those who are prejudiced. Prejudice, of course, is different than discrimination.
Discrimination, as I have heard defined, is the taking of action that serves to disadvantage people or individuals based on their identity or image.
Discrimination still occurs in our society, and we should tread on it and seek balance for those who harm others by using it. Take, for example, what went on it Jena, LA.
There was apparently some sort of a fight, and the African American kids were punished for doing what the Caucasian kids had gotten away with. Such discrimination leads to more prejudice.
What do I mean when I say prejudice? Simply put, it is the holding of a belief that that guides one's actions when trying to make decisions.
Acting on your prejudice is what perpetuates it. The trouble with trying to eliminate prejudice is that, because people tend to put a great deal of personal thought into their prejudices, seeing them as a necessary precaution to maintain their position, they feel very justified about their prejudices.
Therefore, they see no reason to change away from them.
A famous thinker named Abraham Maslow put together a pyramid of needs. I have not read too much about the inferences that he made about his "hierarchy of needs," but I do believe that we operate under all sorts of prejudices. Most of our strongest and toughest-to-change social prejudices are based on our attempts to maintain or attain the second tier of Maslow's hierarchy: safety needs.
If we want to eliminate prejudice, we must create a society where we try to eliminate the disadvantages that groups of people face.
If I were a monarch, my subjects would be taught not to think people inferior or backward for having prejudices. Instead, the first step of getting rid of prejudice would be to accept that people develop prejudices because they have been hurt or are afraid of being hurt.
People need time to heal from their prejudices. So, we need to give it to them. We should expect no less from ourselves
If I were a monarch, no law would condemn those who are prejudiced. Prejudice, of course, is different than discrimination.
Discrimination, as I have heard defined, is the taking of action that serves to disadvantage people or individuals based on their identity or image.
Discrimination still occurs in our society, and we should tread on it and seek balance for those who harm others by using it. Take, for example, what went on it Jena, LA.
There was apparently some sort of a fight, and the African American kids were punished for doing what the Caucasian kids had gotten away with. Such discrimination leads to more prejudice.
What do I mean when I say prejudice? Simply put, it is the holding of a belief that that guides one's actions when trying to make decisions.
Acting on your prejudice is what perpetuates it. The trouble with trying to eliminate prejudice is that, because people tend to put a great deal of personal thought into their prejudices, seeing them as a necessary precaution to maintain their position, they feel very justified about their prejudices.
Therefore, they see no reason to change away from them.
A famous thinker named Abraham Maslow put together a pyramid of needs. I have not read too much about the inferences that he made about his "hierarchy of needs," but I do believe that we operate under all sorts of prejudices. Most of our strongest and toughest-to-change social prejudices are based on our attempts to maintain or attain the second tier of Maslow's hierarchy: safety needs.
If we want to eliminate prejudice, we must create a society where we try to eliminate the disadvantages that groups of people face.
If I were a monarch, my subjects would be taught not to think people inferior or backward for having prejudices. Instead, the first step of getting rid of prejudice would be to accept that people develop prejudices because they have been hurt or are afraid of being hurt.
People need time to heal from their prejudices. So, we need to give it to them. We should expect no less from ourselves
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