Tuesday, November 25, 2008

scapegoating divides us

by MM

Unfortunately, we are prejudice even when we try not to be. In a country of many backgrounds, and people with strong beliefs, scapegoating happens much too often. Issues like what we are facing right now leads to scapegoating another race that is not ours. We think of it and our past or how we are raise in believing can also lead to why we scapegoat. Who we blame can be a powerful force in shaping how we act.

Immigration is issue that we deal with now a days, and this is the scapegoating of Hispanics. An example that we all see is Joe Arpaio, maybe about more than half of the people he gets in raids are legal citizens. Why he acts that way I don't know. He just is and he probably has his reasons to do what the he is doing ( Although I don't agree with his methods). The Hispanics are looked at as if the are all horrible people and as if each one is an undocumented person. Some people talk behind their backs, or to their faces if they think they don't know the language. They blame all Latinos for ruining the culture and refusing to assimilate.


People blame African-Americans for some things as well. The past might have something to do with it. With the time passing, things changed. Jealous people will just blame them, or everyone for why they are not in a higher place, in jobs, in communities, in life. We also stereotype, which is a very big deal. In our stereotype we view each others race in different views. I know that what we believe is our own and we view everyone in a different way. To blame a whole culture or heritage for what we see on the news or outside our homes is again, back to what we were raised to think of the others around us. So they blame blacks for high crime or for the hip hop culture or for being too angry about past injustices. Yet, it's an unfair example of scapegoating and stereotyping.

Scapegoating and stereotyping go to everyone. When we stereotype, in most cases it the "colored person" is the one that is mostly blamed. Now it's also reversed. No race is able to avoid it. We all scapegoat each other for one thing or the other. The Anglo character blames the Hispanics for taking the jobs, African-Americans are blamed for crimes, and the Anglo people are blamed for racism against the other races. At last scapegoating,prejudiceness,and stereotyping all click together and will go on until something happens that will have a big impact on everyone.

Does this have a solution? I doubt it, but I keep my hope up. A little a time, one step a day, finally we will will have this to deal with everywhere, anywhere, all the time. Hopefully we can change, but that's me, a lone student among billions upon billions of people. Our part right now is to be with the solution, not the problem. It will never end, it will go on. That's not what I want, but its what I see. One day our generation will rule. Then we will see if we can change and break the cycle of scapegoating. Honestly I don't think we will ever be strong enough as a world, as humans to stop. I do however deep inside wish things will change.

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