Stereotypes

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There are few things that make me angrier that prejudice. Boxing people up, labeling them by your own terms, and writing an entire group off is prejudice. Which is what makes stereotypes so disgusting.

You keep saying these Stereotypes keep coming back…It’s because stereotypes exist for a reason.

Without content let’s look at this line. Stereotypes exist for a reason. OK, so let’s look at some of the common stereotypes we have here in America. That feminists hate men, want to abort babies, and want to destroy Christianity. Look at an African American person, what stereotypes automatically come to mind. I bet you can even find a few people that fit those stereotypes exactly. What about conservative Christians?

Yes, stereotypes do exist for a reason. However rarely is the reason they exist because the majority fit within. Most often it is because it is easier to write off an entire group of people based on some outdated image.

“Oh, those Democrats just want to destroy marriage.”

“Look at that teenage mother, I bet she’s some crack head welfare queen.”

“He’s a Baptist pastor, I bet he expects me to stay home pregnant and barefoot.”

Look at those stereotypes. Would you ever defend them by “well, stereotypes exist for a reason”? Even if they do, is that reason enough to continue to spread that stereotype. Think about what someone has assumed about you. Are you overweight so therefore lazy? Are you a stay at home mom so therefore unintelligent? Are you young so therefore uninformed? Are you old so therefore feeble?

Stereotypes hurt. They hurt the people who fall under their trap, and they hurt the people who believe them by closing doors that might otherwise expand you as a person. Maybe that person you wrote off for being fill in the blank was the one you needed most of all. And you were too busy looking at what you assumed they were to see what they really were.

Now, the above quote was one a commenter wrote at my home school blog. Followed by an example of 1 girl who the writer says is socially inept and therefore an example of what all home schoolers are. Are we? Are all home schoolers anything other than just home scholers. Hell if we all can’t decide on a single method or style how in the hell can we all come together to meet your image of us. Yes, some fall into this or that part of the stereotype. And some fit it perfectly. So what?

The commenter is a father. Does that mean he’s unresponsive, emotionally detached from his kids, lazy, spends all his free time away from his family, never cleans up after himself, can’t cook, and demands dinner be ready on the table as soon as he walks through the door? But, that’s the stereotype! And stereotypes exist for a reason. Don’t they?

[tags]stereotypes, prejudice[/tags]