Prejudice
"Society
and prejudicial attitudes seem to run hand in hand, though we usually
hear it as people stereotyping or discriminating. It seems that a lot
of people's opinions depend on where and how they grew up, as if
their environment alters their feelings, thinking and behavior.
As an
example, I grew up in very discriminative town especially towards
racial differences. When there was the first black teacher at my high
school. parents wouldn't even go up to talk to him and kids were
dropping out of the class he took. Then when he came out as being
bisexual, even more kids dropped and some parents had their children
switch classes or schools. All of this because of what they had been
taught, and now those kids are being taught the same thing.
For me,
my personal identity is also how I grew up, but I saw how people
around me were treating anyone who was different, so though I was
taught that "different" was bad, I didn't like seeing the
negative effect on the "victims". Just because someone is
different doesn't make them less of a human. And that personal
opinion has caused me to be different than how I grew up, I am very
accepting of others. Though for personal identity in others, I see
where it is a lot of how they are raised. If you are taught to fear
or judge people who are different than yourself, then it is going to
be hard to change that opinion.
Fear,
negativity and looking for something to judge others off of. That is
what is learned and taught generation to generation. These emotions
and behaviors just keep the prejudicial attitudes going strong. It
only takes one person in a large group to be an influence over
everyone else. If one person yells a racial slur, then chances are
others will start up and join as well.
It is
hard to change something that you've learned or have lived with your
entire life, but it is possible. To not fear and to be educated, each
person is different and there is no point in treating others
different than how you personally want to be treated."
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