Ben+O's+Op-Ed+Article



Prejudice. Why does such a thing exist? It is publicly denounced in our society by just about everyone, yet we experience it on a daily basis. It is not always so prominent as blatant racism, sexism, or homophobia, but can be obscured, hidden in the actions and intolerances of people who satisfy it in a more inconspicuous manner. It is an attitude that nurtures hate. And, alas, it exists in all of us.

Prejudice is born out of ignorance. Human beings are naturally afraid of what they don’t understand. This fear leads to a feeling of incompatibility. So to a certain extent, prejudice is a natural human instinct. But in no way does this justify hate or intolerance. Prejudice is meant to be overcome. Once we realize that our fear is misjudged, we can break down that initial barrier of incompatibility.

But many people don’t. Why? Well prejudice, as we know it today, is not a natural instinct, it is something that we learn. This doesn’t mean that we have to be raised in an outrightly prejudice society either, it can develop without us even noticing it. For example, if a black female grows up in a society that is predominantly dominated by white males, she is more likely to feel inferior to this specific group of people, and therefore more inclined to distance herself from them. On the other hand, if a white male grows up in the same situation, he is more likely to feel superior to other races and genders, and therefore more likely to behave aloofly towards them. Prejudice, in some form or another, is ingrained in society.

Fortunately the U.S. is progressively striving to rid itself of prejudice, but it is not an easy task. In the case of American society, there exists many prominent, conflicting prejudices. Because being a white male has been viewed as the ideal race/gender combination in America for so long, very intense prejudices have been aroused. It is why people with accents are viewed as less intelligent, or why women are paid less for doing the exact same jobs as men. But it is also why a white male is much more quickly assumed to be racist or sexist. Races other than ‘white’ can be racist, and women can be sexist, and even though it isn’t usually the case, it is impractical to believe that it never happens.

If you classify anyone based on stereotypes about their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or culture, you are ignorant. To prove my point, I will go to the extreme. It is almost considered moral to classify any given member of the nazi party as one of the most foul creatures to ever walk this earth, worthy of nothing less than death. Oskar Schindler was a member of the nazi party. He is credited with saving 1,200 jewish people; men, women, and children, and risking his life to do so. Yes, this is an extreme example, and the vast majority of nazis were disgusting and evil, but it proves that prejudices, no matter how justified they may seem, can always be wrong.

So what is the solution? It’s impossible to prevent people from having different cultures or lifestyles, but this doesn’t mean that prejudice has to exist. People are different, and should embrace their uniqueness. These differences don’t make anyone better than anyone else, and they shouldn’t prevent people from accepting one another as equal. People shouldn’t be afraid to combine and alter things such as culture or ethnicity either, that’s how new cultures and ethnicities are made. The solution is a tolerant, culturally diverse society that doesn’t hold anyone on a pedestal because of their race or sex. And as the world progresses, so do these types of societies. Why? Because it is part of human nature. We are social creatures who are meant to travel and mix with one another. If society can overcome prejudice, then it will no longer exist, because people aren’t naturally prejudice. They are, for the most part, tolerant.