Flag Wavers and Ignorance. Do they mix?

[Hybrid Slave]

In my opinion...if you have to ask if something should offend you, it probably shouldn't.
Just say no to the snowflake way of thinking...

Well, I wasn't asking if it should offend me. The only part of me that usually ever gets offended is my sense of smell or taste . I was really just asking for some speculation about what thier message was supposed to be.

 

[Hybrid Slave]

Respectfully, a real question and not a troll: what do you feel is the difference between racism and prejudice?

Aking because I always equated them, but if that is wrong I want to learn why.

Thank you.

It is human nature to act with prejudice. Cognitive dissonance is the "first cousin" of prejudice and is the part of our psyche that allows us to learn and survive. Although this built in fail safe is stronger in some than in others, hence repeat criminals, drug abusers, etc.

Example, I had a bad experience once. Brain saves all the circumstance and info surrounding the experience, ie. description of other person involved, location time , etc. And hence forth, whenever similar circumstances arise in the future, all those psychological flags go up and our cognitive dissonance tells us "hey stupid, remember what happened the last time you came across one of these (white, black or whatever) guys at this time of night in this side of the country?"

The beautiful thing about humans (when we endeavor towards a better nature) is that we can override our cognitive dissonance if we choose (at our own discretion and risk, of course). Taking things on a case by case basis, we may find that "hey this (black/white/brown) guy isn't so bad, and this part of Mexico/Germany/Alabama is absolutely gorgeous".

But usually our default setting almost always takes the form of generalization, flat out profiling, until we consciously hit our psychological override button. This is not always easy to do because of the many "flags" people consciously fly for whatever their reasons. So in that respect we actual stereotype and profile our own damn selves. And the manner in which different individuals profile is also highly subjective.

But when we show prejudice we are actually just using the natural learning process of our brains. Prejudice is learned, but also taught. And as some of us may know, not all the things that we are taught are always true or even factual in every single situation.

I could not realistically expect anyone to apologize for their prejudice because I haven't walked in their shoes. All any of us can do is give each individual a fair shake. It doesn't come naturally though and like any other skill we must practice it and we must WANT TO.

Now racism... well, I'm one of those weird people (so I'm told) who believes that like the many spots, stripes and patterns that may come out of a mother dogs litter, so is the (one and only) human race. So I suppose that one could call me a "HUMAN racist". I suppose, that to gain a better understanding of that, one would have to become a genetics expert.

But, in conclusion to this, the issue is not racism, or prejudice or even so much what (highly subjective) symbols mean to different individuals, but rather it is (as another responder eluded to me) to the effect, what is it that we are hoping to accomplish (me; by bringing it up) or express when we fly "flags", be they bumper stickers, logos, etc., and why.

The most common answer I hear is "pride" in one thing or another. I could go deeper into that but I'm sure you're all tired of me already. But on that, I'll end by quoting as I did in the "Proud to Be An American" thread which I currently can no longer find (and I'm not a very religious person) "pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall".

We'd all do well to remember that anytime we want to express being proud of something we were BORN INTO BY DEFAULT and in which we had no real active roll other than our moms and dads being intimate on one particular side of a map.

 

[MikeE]

I'm no fan of the confederate flag. But on the upside, it helps d-bags to color-code themselves.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I have found that if I allow myself to overthink or react to another persons words or deeds ... Then I allow that person , that much control over me.

Sometimes it seems best just to shrug at someone's actions or words and carry on.
Andy

 

[Hop Sing]

Thank you, Hybrid Slave, for your most excellent explanation of the difference between prejudice and racism. I get it now. Nicely done!

 

[Bushman]

Most of the flag wavers couldn't name the three branches of government, or much else about the US, google it. One out of a thousand people in the US can name the 5 rights the first amendment grants. It's no wonder our political system has become such a joke, the "majority" are idiots and keep voting in crooks.