“Don’t think for one minute that you are any less worthy of love and peace and harmony just because of all the hate spewed by human devils. Because that is what those haters are, you know, devils!” Scylar Tyberius, Sebastian the Great
Reflections: The Price Of Bigotry
Reflections: The Price Of Bigotry
“My request today is simple. Today. Tomorrow. Next week. Find somebody, anybody, that’s different than you. Somebody that has made you feel ill-will or even hateful. Somebody whose life decisions have made you uncomfortable. Somebody who practices a different religion than you do. Somebody who has been lost to addiction. Somebody with a criminal past. Somebody who dresses “below” you. Somebody with disabilities. Somebody who lives an alternative lifestyle. Somebody without a home.
Somebody that you, until now, would always avoid, always look down on, and always be disgusted by.
Reach your arm out and put it around them.
And then, tell them they’re all right. Tell them they have a friend. Tell them you love them. Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing
Have you ever experienced bigotry/discrimination? How did it make you feel? Call it whatever you wish, bigotry, discrimination or just hatred of others is poisonous and leads to conflict and chaos. Emma Goldman once shared that “it requires less mental effort to condemn than to think,” and that is true. Until we stop condemning and hating each other, bigotry would never end. When we cast aspersions over an entire group and judge them through a narrow lens, it diminishes us all and our claim to being reasonable, intelligent people. Bigotry is not intelligent behavior; it is often based on fear, lack of understanding, and assumptions about others and their way of life. If we stopped to consider our collective humanity and the fact that our actions have a tremendous impact on everyone in our path, including our loved ones, we might be a bit more mindful of such acts of hatred.
On Thursday evening, after a long day of blogging conference meet ups, I took the subway down to 14th Street in the hopes of catching a cab to the parking lot, near the Chelsea Piers, where I had left my car. My bags were very heavy and, as cab after available cab sped by, my heart sunk. I came to the realization that I would have to either wait for a crosstown bus that was nowhere in sight or walk to the garage before they closed their doors and doubled my fees. I walked. I walked and walked, never giving up hope of finding a cab to get me to the garage. My bags left welts on both shoulders and, by the time I got to the garage, my right shoulder was bruised and bleeding. I have the bruises on my shoulders as proof of that terrible evening. To me, they are a painful reminder that we have a long way to go in healing the hatred and misinformation we hold about each other around the globe.
Does the subject of Bigotry make you uncomfortable? WHY? If this post makes you uncomfortable, I suggest you pause and consider why. Wishing bigotry away, won’t make it go away. What are we feeding our hearts/minds about each other privately? What are we teaching our children about people who don’t look or live like us? Remaining silent won’t make it go away. You don’t have to demonstrate, you can start with what makes you most comfortable — speak out. Write. Challenge it in your home, your neighborhood, amongst your friends/family. Doing nothing = NOTHING!
Needless to say, the garage doubled my fees because I made it there five minutes after the appointed time. Initially, I was furious. Then a pained sadness settled in my spirit. Why would any cabbie assume that EVERY well dressed female of color wants to hurt them? Why would any of us assume that people who don’t look like us or hold our beliefs don’t deserve to live? Why would any of us assume that people who don’t look like us or hold our beliefs are out to get us? How did we get to this place of paranoia?
“Do you know what we call opinion in the absence of evidence? We call it prejudice.” Michael Crichton, State of Fear
Definition: Bigotry -The concept of Bigotry can have slightly different meanings in American and British English.
In British English it refers to a state of mind where a person is obstinately, irrationally, or unfairly intolerant of ideas, opinions, or beliefs that differ from their own, and intolerant of the people who hold them.[1][2]
In American English, the term can be used similarly; however, it can also be used to refer to intolerance towards a group of people in general based on their group characteristics such as race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.[3][4] via Wikipedia
What stops us from gaining clarity over bigotry? Bigotry is a sad, human quality that poisons us all. On Thursday evening, I joined a long line of folks who have had the pathetic, discriminatory experience of being snubbed by a slew of empty NYC yellow cabs because of what we look like. The Mayor of San Juan had a taste of it, and so have other folks; many of them minorities. Before you jump to their defense, let me be the first to say that there are lots of hardworking and fair cabbies who routinely pick up fares to places that make them uncomfortable. In many instances, nothing goes wrong. Unfortunately, there is a percentage that, like rotten, sour apples, gives the rest a bad name.
Unless you live under a rock, you know that we’ve all read/heard/seen new reports of bigoted behavior that led to the death of a long list of men and women. It is harrowing, unconscionable and tragic. When we see each other as less than human, we become invisible, and our longstanding stereotypes take hold over our common sense. All of us need to hit the pause button, set aside our prejudices and self-hatred, and start thinking of the humanity in each of us. WE might not agree on the same things but, we all bleed and we have people who love us deeply. Before lashing out at someone who doesn’t fit your vision of “human and good,” imagine how you’d feel if that hatred was directed at your family, your child, your parents, or even your beloved pet… Would you kick your child to the ground or refuse your loved one a ride?
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“Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.” George Gordon Byron
Reflections: The Price Of Bigotry
“If he were allowed contact with foreigners he would discover that they are creatures similar to himself and that most of what he has been told about them is lies. The sealed world in which he lives would be broken, and the fear, hatred, and self-righteousness on which his morale depends might evaporate. It is therefore realized on all sides that however often Persia, or Egypt, or Java, or Ceylon may change hands, the main frontiers must never be crossed by anything except bombs.” ― George Orwell, 1984
Do you believe in eliminating differences? Why would you want to live in a world with no color or diversity of beliefs and interests? When we start paying attention to how we allow petty hatreds and discriminatory practices to continue, we will find that the poison impacts us all. We can choose to build bridges of hatred and petty-mindedness or open our hearts and minds to respecting everyone’s right to be… When we surround ourselves with people who spew hate on a daily basis, that toxicity will affect us.
How can we become part of the solution? Communicate. Speak up. Reflect. How can you hate what you don’t know? Ask questions. Reach out and educate those around you. Open your heart and mind to the humanity in others. Heal and help.
To the cab drivers and all those other local drivers who speed through yellow lights to get away from X: What are you doing behind closed doors that makes you so frightened of people who don’t look like you? What poison are you feeding your family and friends? It’s time to re-evaluate your actions and think about what you’d love to leave as a legacy for your loved ones in this divisive world. Be the change!
Positive Motivation Tip: Ending Bigotry begins with us; it begins with our perceptions of ourselves, our perceptions of others, and the prejudices we use as excuses for our intolerance. Embrace and love yourself so you can learn to embrace others.
Related Posts
- Motivation Mondays: Forgiveness (mirthandmotivation)
- Motivation Mondays: Courage (mirthandmotivation)
- Motivation Mondays: Acceptance (mirthandmotivation)
- Motivation Mondays: CHANGE (mirthandmotivation)
- Reflections: Be The Change… (mirthandmotivation)
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos: Disclogo by Keith Tyler (Free Public Domain Photo) via Wikipedia. Do The Right Thing cap, and Poisonous Orange Mushrooms from my Personal Collection
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
