- closed-minded people
- racism
- a lack of acceptance
- raising a nation of closed-minded racists
- sexism
- deliberate (and enjoyed) ignorance
Pick one or come up with a different one and talk about your experiences (or lack of, which is just as good of a story because the perspective is different) with it. But, since we aren't a bunch of weepy, whiny weasels and we actually want to DO something (or at least enter the conversation which is in fact DOING something), talk about what you think can be done to either:
a) raise awareness of the issue
b) change the perception ABOUT the issue
c) fix the issue
Because, if not us--then who?
The ignorant that intoxicates many, many people in today’s society is at an all time high. And no, not in a good way. In this situation, it’s better to be at an all time low, not high. UGH-- I can’t stand the ignorance. This is one topic that boils my blood. When people’s excuse is “oh… I didn’t know,” just gets me right to the bone. Whether it’s honest ignorance and they didn’t know-- or ESPECIALLY when they “know” but depending on age, sex, race, or religion, they think it’s a valuable excuse to act as if they “didn’t know” and get away with it like it’s a free pass. I see it on social media, I see it on TV, I see it in the world, and even in Oakcrest. There is NO reason to use your ignorance as an excuse in any situation, and especially not a situation that affects/ hurts others, that’s unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteIn order to get this issue to an all time low, we must educate. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge-- although most people misuse it as if someone is acting rude-- and teaching/ educating to help people learn reduces the ignorance because they will now know. You know how fast bad things circulate and infest social media and the news? Why don’t good/ positive/ educating things circulate that fast and that vast? All we need is to make blurbs, or a collage, or a document, or a tweet, or anything to spread awareness that teaches the rights and wrong of society from different view point, trying to avoid generalizations, and have them go viral. Then, people will read about it, people will hear about it, people will see it, and if it works, people will act upon it. The ignorance level in society will drop whether it’s drastically, or slightly. But either way, some change will occur-- positive change-- and that’s what we need in society right now, change. Don’t get me wrong this won’t solve the ignorance issue in its entirety, because there will always be a little bit of everything, but it’s a step that turns into a leap that turns into a jump. The bigger the jump, the better off society will be, not only for us, but for our children’s generations and so on that will be brought into this (as of right now without a positive change) awful world without a choice and will have to deal with and suffer as we do, and will keep doing if there isn’t a change.
Lack of acceptance and bullying is one of the major problems in young children and teenagers in our society. Everyone's moral are screwed up because some people think it is okay to bully and intentionally hurt another person. Especially in our day in age having social media and computers and cell phones at the touch of our finger tips make it easy for someone to bully and harass another person without knowing how you are effecting that person.
ReplyDeleteAlthough our town has gone through so much in such a little time period we are lucky enough to have the type of individuals and families who take time out of their day to make an organization like "Spread the Love" which is an amazing way in trying to raise awareness. Recently Oakcrest has been decorated with uplifting posters reminding students to spread love, be kind and to love yourself. The issue seems like something so big that one person cannot fix however with one person making an uplifting poster or as simple as complimenting someone can change someone's horrible day into a better one. Another amazing example on how to fix this problem is when some of the seniors last year took time out of their day to write on a lot of sticky notes with words or inspiration in the formation of the word love. For some people those might just be sweet words written on cheap small pieces of paper but for others it could be the inspiration to keep pushing themselves through the day. Things like that make me love going to Oakcrest. With that being said we need more of it around the school infecting everyone with joy and confidence. For one I believe the art work of the students should be plastered throughout every hallway rather than only in the 400 hallway. Also more spirited pictures should be hung on the boring white cinder block hallway walls to encourage students to join in on the school spirit. And honestly I would LOVE if the 204 Bunje stars that give the 204 babies confidence everyday were for everyone throughout the hallways. While picturing this it may sound childish or like a kindergarten hallway I feel like it would change students outlook on the jail appearance that the plain brick walls give some students. A splash of color wouldn't do the hallways any harm.
Out of society’s plethora of ills, the amount of children brought up in racist, closed-minded households has to be one of the worst. Ironically, today as I was scrolling down my instagram feed I unfortunately came across yet another confederate flag post. If you know me, you know I hate this ignorant notion. This time the user was an 8th grader, a girl who grew up in Estell Manor AKA “the sticks.” Immediately, I thought to myself, “Does this girl even know what this flag represents?” As far as the caption indicated, she thinks it means “Southern pride.” Although I was pissed off at the sight of this photo, in which the flag was used for the aesthetic of a cape, I decided to dismiss the naive girl. In actuality, it isn’t her fault that she was born into a family where the confederate flag was used for decoration. This was all she knew. This racist emblem was her family’s tradition. This encounter pinpoints the issue in our society; blatant, inherited ignorance. A child is not simply born racist, racism is taught.
ReplyDeleteAnother glimpse of this tragic inheritance takes focus when two people from different races date and their parents give them crap for it. Parents claim that, “It doesn’t look right” and many other shallow, untrue statements. In most cases, when children think of what their family taught them and how they were brought up, they’d like to think it was the right way. No one wants to turn against their own idea of right and wrong. This is why people become ignorant. People are so used to complying with their family’s racist ideals that they can’t see the bigger picture. Maybe if people thought twice about what happens outside of their four walls before hanging a confederate flag from a pole in the front yard, then the world would be a better place.
Curing this ill of society will take a substantial amount of time and awareness. We can start by giving students a better history education. Clearly, many people never learned the purpose of the confederate flag and about Jefferson Davis’s bitchass. Next, we need to address the issue. Many people feel uncomfortable talking about racism because they don’t want to offend anyone. The thing is, the more you talk about racism, the more aware you become. So while history classes sit there and talk about slavery and segregation like we left it in the 1960’s, talk about the continuity of the issue. Talk about white privilege and talk about affirmative action. The more we talk, the more we understand.
Racism is what is happening in the world currently. It’s the main factor and cause of the hashtag BlackLivesMatter. Now I am going to tell you what side I am on in this controversy, but that is only so that you know, and this is also not to say my opinion is correct and your opinion on this controversy is wrong. I am for #BlackLivesMatter. I am not saying that all lives do not matter, I just find it stupid for people to even say that because obviously all lives matter. But in the present a white folk’s life isn’t in jeopardy when he goes outside for a stroll. They don’t have to worry about being safe when it comes to the law (unless obviously they are doing something illegal). Racism has been associated with blacks since the dawn of America. It started off with slaves and then it seemed as if we were growing out of racism towards blacks, but lowkey that never happened. Even after the Civil Rights Movement blacks were still being discriminated. It’s shameful, honestly. The Golden Rule is ‘treat other the way you want to be treated,’ yet we discriminate others like it would be okay if we were in their shoes. Right now the hardest job in the world is being a black man.
ReplyDeleteRacism is something that needs to be put the rest. But with the people in today’s society, not all racism can be vanished. Therefore, the issue cannot be fixed. But what we can do is raise awareness. Take action to solve an issue that is holding the U.S back. We are the “Free world.” Or that’s what it may seem or we call ourselves, because to blacks to people of their race dying left and right by law enforcement seem “free?” Does video evidence of a black man dying every week seem like they can live in safety? Does discrimination over something they were born with seem fair? Does getting sentenced for a much longer term because you’re black compared to being seem equal? The answer to this is obvious, but let me answer it for you, NO.
How to raise awareness:
- Speak with others on the subject
- Create/make a team of protesters that have the same opinion as you (which will become a society)
- Make t-shirts with a powerful meaning (also bracelets, hats, etc. etc.)
- Non-violent protests (because violence will not get your anywhere)
- USE SOCIAL MEDIA (everyone has one, it’s the best way to spread your message)
- Be as professional as possible (because immaturity = not being taken seriously)
- Understand and comprehend the other opinion, but show how your’s is better/more meaningful
- KEY COMPONENT: Get people who originally opinionated with the other side switch to your side
Racism cannot be stopped. But by spreading awareness we can decrease how common it is in the U.S
Straight off the bat, closed-minded people are probably one of the worst aspects of society. A closed-minded person is one who deliberately refuses to see the other side of an argument and has a firm belief that their opinion is the one that is correct. And in my opinion, is the foundation of which the rest of the list (racists, sexists, etc.) derives from. They are, basically, the “deliberately ignorant.” When one cannot seem to accept new ideas and/or new people because of their already generated views then that is where the problem really starts. I have had the honor of growing up alongside some very open-minded individuals who have no qualms about hearing opposing views to their ideas. However, I obviously have seen narrow-minded people before, because, let’s face it, everyone has. The only difference is that I had never been in a situation where I’ve directly been in contact with a closed-minded person. At least I do not think so. And if I have, then the bright side is that it was not long enough for me to be able to get exasperated. But I definitely observed encounters before. For instance, a while back, I was at my cousins’ house and their mom had someone over. I do not exactly remember the debatable conversion that erupted between my aunt’s closed-minded friend and one of my cousins, but I do recall the air of frustration from both parties as well as my cousin’s unrelenting efforts to get her to understand where he was coming from. Yet, no matter how long it took, he could never get her to shake her confidence and gaze upon his side. Truth be told, I can only hope to never have to confront someone with such an apprehension of knowing that they might be wrong about what they believe, leading them to close off any ideas that directly contrast their stance. But, of course, that’s just an unrealistic dream.
ReplyDeleteWhen someone, from the get-go, has established their own firm and personal stance on an issue, it is very difficult and almost impossible to get them to acknowledge the other side. This is especially when all their life, they are “groomed” to feel some type of way about certain topics. Which is why a way to fix the issue of closed-mindedness is to incorporate discussion-based classes in schools starting at a young age. There is not doubt that while children are generally more accepting, they are also more prone to suggestion. So, exposing children to issues (that, of course, are age appropriate), having them formulate their own opinions and getting them to discuss their stance from an early age just might benefit the way they understand the world. The youth are our legacies and if we cannot identify where we are going wrong and how to stop it from affecting our children, then there is no future. History will just keep repeating itself.
In society I believe we have major issues such as closed-minded people, racism, sexism, and just plain ignorance but I think the worst problem is the lack of acceptance; and in better words, bullying. Today there are too many people that don’t accept others opinions, color, ideas, etc and I think that is equal to the problem we have with bullying. A huge component of this problem is social media and hiding behind a screen. Teenagers and even some adults don’t think words hurt as much as they do. No matter whatever the situation is, being mean is never, and will never be okay. I see bullying happen almost everyday and truthfully some people don’t even realize they are being mean and hurting others feelings which is a problem. Things have changed for the better but they need to continue to do so. The lack of acceptance of “different” in this world is at an all time low. We should respect and accept everyone, any color, size, shape, gender, etc.
ReplyDeleteOur community does a kick ass job of raising awareness of bullying, changing the perception, and fixing the issue all through clubs like Spread the Love and going out of the way to make other’s days’. Students at Oakcrest hang up signs all over the place to remind kids they are loved and there is help out there. Spread the Love has meetings and makes t-shirts. And people like you and me making bracelets of our loved ones that thought this life wasn’t for them. Which it is. They have a purpose and a meaning and how our community comes together to prove that is beautiful.
Racisim Is a huge thing to me!I was born in somers point , New Jersey to a Caucasian mother and a african American father who were both multiple other races but were identified as such. Living in a small town in New Jersey , I was always exposed to any other race than white and black. I moved to Mays Landing at a young age and quickly learned that there are many different races of people other than the few I thought. Growing up I had a few acquaintances that were African American or white or latino, but all of my close friends have been of all different races so it never occurred to me that other people actually think about Race before becoming someone's friend or knowing them. I have always tried to be open minded towards all races, although I have found it hard sometimes to connect or relate with people outside of my race. My mother fortunately did not carry on the closed minded attitude that most people have in her family. She raised me to be open to other races and we often spent days and even nights with friends of different races.
ReplyDeleteLiving in Mays Landing allowed me to have friends of all different races and religions. I am grateful that I learned from an early age that I am no different than anyone else just because my skin is an uneven skin tone. I've never experienced or been a part of a complete culture shock i'm not sure how I could.But my mother knew what it was and it changed her for the better. She definitely got used to interacting with only white people, but the lack of diversity always bothered her because it differed so much from how She wanted to grow up. My mother began to venture off and do her own thing and was happy to have interaction with people other than the “redneck” white people that were so predominate in her town.
I've always had and always will socialize and interact with anybody and everybody, no matter what their race. A few years ago My mom met my dad a African American man, and now She is the proud mother of a 8 and 17 year old bi-racial little girls as one 16 bi racial little boy. Since she's had me her first bi-racial daughter,she's always tried to be more sensitive to racial references and who/what she is exposed to. Because of her past experiences with racism, it sometimes makes me scared for my future and what I might have to experience due to other people’s ignorance.Most of my family lives in New Jersey and growing up here is not too bad but there are still people but I don’t want to expose myself or my siblings to that type of ignorance if I don’t have to. I am scared because I will never know what it’s like to be looked up or down upon because of my skin color, and of course I don’t want to feel like i'm less or more of a person because of my skin. I know that our country has come a long way in terms of race and being tolerant to one another. But unfortunately certain people and places still have a long way to go, this town included because to this day white talk crap in front of me like I'm not black and black talk crap about things in front of me like I'm not white and there so ignorant towards the situation it's sick.
I believe whole heartedly people lack acceptance because they're not quite sure how to accept themselves. The problem is everyone is always too busy trying to make everyone conform to their own ideas and beliefs. It's hard to take a person whose grown up in a catholic environment and say "hey tattoos are okay" because they hate tattoos...or most of them do. The person with tattoos doesn't hate you for not having them. It's all about the way people perceive world. The problem with different perceptions of the world is that people refuse to acknowledge anyone else's ability to develop their own opinions and ideas, not everyone is the same and everyone should at least accept that. To do this, people need to learn how to love themselves. I know it sounds crazy but I really think that if people were more accepting of themselves and their own flaws they would be more understanding with others. It's hard to judge someone else when you're more aware of your own flaws and love yourself anyway. Most people don't understand this concept but you need to accept the issues in order to completely truly love yourself. If people were able to forgive themselves for the things they can't change maybe they would be more easy going on those around them.
ReplyDeleteClosed-minded. People. Lord help me. Why can't people just be nice and understand where people are coming? I am defiantly being hypocritical because Trump supports, I can't understand how they want him to be president. Anyway, people who express their belief, views, or thoughts, but can not hear anyone else's opinion on the topic, is ridiculous. I truly feel bad for children who are raised to believe a certain race is bad or that gays go to hell or that you are better than everyone else. My heart just feels bad because they are fed with these outrageous beliefs and believe that nothing else is right. When I express my views with my dad, he thinks I am going down the wrong path or that my mom is raising me wrong because he believes Islam is the best religion and anyone who doesn't follow, will go to hell. He's not a terrorist. Other than that, he's a decent human being. People that think the way he does, it's sad. They are persuaded by others what's right. Defiantly research and discover your own view on things but be accepting. Society is split. Everyone is different. You can't change that but you can only hope it'll get better.
ReplyDeleteAcceptance. Why does our society think so little of this? Why does our society lack it? I do not understand. What really irks me is that there's a certain way, certain perspective on how someone should act, live their life, etc. Society creates this rule and when they observe anyone else going against it or just acting different than society's norm it creates total chaos. When someone differs from the norm it creates bullying, depression, things like that. Being different can really rock someone’s boat. It is not fair that society creates this level and standards. Who says any society should create standards. People are ridiculed for being unique and different in any way and it is downright wrong. For example, you want to wear an outfit that is “out of style” and different from what everyone else in your society wears. If you wear it you automatically know someone will say something about it. That is just not how it is supposed to be. Another example, college. College college college. Society expects, wants, and believes we all have to go to high school graduate then go straight to a four year college. Society doesn’t accept the kids who decided to go to a community college or even no college at all. Not going to college is like some big crazy idea in today's world.
ReplyDeleteChanging this issue is a really hard thing to do. WHat we need to do is create awareness of this pending issue. We need to show people deviating from the norms of society is okay. One way we can do that is maybe making signs and posting them everywhere. With things saying “it’s okay to be different” or “be yourself.” It sounds cliche but it is all true. We need to let kids, adults, everyone know that society shouldn't have a say in your life and prevent you from doing something you want to do.
Being cis, straight, and white in society is good about 100% of the time- I am never discriminated against because of my race, I benefit from white privilege (meaning I can walk down the street, sit in a car, do as I please without being harassed and/or shot), and I’m never the target of homophobic or transphobic slurs. However, if you factor in other things, such as my gender, beliefs, and even hair color, that percentage decreases considerably. Being a blonde girl who identifies as a feminist is bad because 1) I am a girl (aka inferior to males in basically all regards), 2) I am blonde (aka stupid, dumb, airhead, etc), and 3) I am a feminist (aka militant, angry, bitch, feminazi). The last two wouldn't be problems were it not for my gender- boys aren't called “dumb blondes” and boys who care about equality for all people aren't labeled as “crazy” or “psychotic”. So it would seem that sexism is the root of my problems.
ReplyDeleteSexism is the reason why some boys think they have the right to catcall in the hallways, to grab a girl’s wrist and refuse to let go, to scream in a girl’s face in the hallway because she refuses to give out her number to a complete stranger. I'd like to mention that all of the above things have happened to me, and in school: a learning environment where I'm meant to feel safe and secure. But oh, how silly of me!! I AM safe thanks to our foolproof, handy dandy school dress code !
Sexism is the reason why I had to prepare and rehearse my lines for mock trial over and over again even though I knew them backwards and sideways and in my sleep because I knew that if I made even the smallest mistake, I would be immediately dismissed by the judges and opposing counsel as a joke, a dumb blonde. This, assuming that I wasn't discredited the second I stepped into the courtroom.
Sexism is the reason why I can't express these frustrations without being told to calm down, the reason why the word “feminist” is often used as an insult.
You'd be surprised at how many people outside 204 believe that sexism is a thing of the past, something that died off a long time ago once women were granted the right to vote in 1920. Often, they don't realize or seem to notice the sexism around them because it's so ingrained in their everyday lives. Acknowledging the problem is the first step to making a change; that's why I've been trying to establish Gender Equality Movement Club (GEM) as an official club in which students and faculty can feel free to discuss social issues in a safe and understanding environment. Just by starting the conversation, change will become imminent.
I originally chose racism as the main problem in our society. But not just racism, our expectations that leads into it. Our expectations kill each other. We put everyone down because they don't meet a standard or have the nicest of things compared to ourselves or what we look at as the best aka Kim Kardashian. I'll never understand why people want to be her or look at her as a standard. I feel very strongly about this but if I were to pick another category that was common among our class I would chose how sexist our country is. I don't really talk about this topic much only because I know people know the facts behind this like the back of their hand and I'm lowkey scared to be like yeah!!!! And feel stupid. This past summer, Max tried to play field hockey which is a girls sport technically at Oakcrest but the state of New Jersey said he was not eligible to play. I find that wrong. This leads back to expectations too. We have a male standard and female standard that should not be crossed, according to our society. Females or participate in male sports are looked as a lesbian or a tom boy and things like that. Men that do cheer and want to play a girls sport like field hockey are automatically hazed by other guys. I played a boy sport for a long time. I can tell you right now I am not any where near a tom boy or any of that. I just had that interest. A lot of people would say things to me as if I fit in that category but I didn't at all. It would insult me that was a first impression of me to other people. I see the sports side of it more than anything because I love sports and I love all that gym stuff team gains and everything but I'm not a male and I feel bad for those who do have to go through all the mean things that come a long with their interests. A female and male have the same abilities. We separate ourselves from each other and I really believe if we have the ability to separate ourselves, we can fix it as a society. As generations go on and time, it is possible to change the majority belief. It's. A big enough topic that people feel strongly about that a change can be made and it all needs to start with one person.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of ills in our society, but one of the worst ones would be a lack of acceptance and respect for one another. It does not matter what gender, color, or race you are, because everyone is different and perfect in their own way. People have to realize that and stop judging others because they are not just like them. The world goes round because there are millions of different people contributing to it in their own unique, personal way.
ReplyDeleteAccepting and respecting people is not a hard thing to because if you do not have anything nice to say, do not saying anything at all. There is no need for you to disrespect someone to their face or behind their back. You never know what someone can be going through and saying something as minuscule as you think it is, can affect that person deeply. But it does not have to go that far as long as you are kind, respectful, and accepting.
The one good thing about Oakcrest is that we have people who care and love each other, which is evident in our Spread the Love Club, the banners hung up around the school, and now the “#ipledge” mission me and Jasmine Tran started. All of these little things bring awareness to loving, respecting, and caring for each other. As long as everyone continues to do the little things, such as accepting someone for their true-self, then we can live in a very joyous and upbeat world.
It's kind of been made aware about the lack of acceptance in our society. But although, we’ve said to have “known” this, so far nothing has really changed. As of today, racism became a main issue because of the “Black Lives Matter” Campaign. See, we as a society are already doing the damage among ourselves and it’s turning us against each other. We’ve all either been a victim or culprit of the act, however, the perspective is very much different. The culprit might not understand the wrong he is doing and the victim is always the one with the clearer picture.
ReplyDeleteNow, the hurt of judging and hating someone can cause harm and great tragedy. Before you know it, one can take their own life because they don’t feel accepted for who they are. It’s so unfair for that poor soul not to be able to live the life they deserved, only because of our filthy actions. Oakcrest has been through enough with losses from suicide already. The only way we can STOP this, is by being the change; let’s change our actions and attitudes. “Spread the love” not the hate.
Oh, I have to use Donald Trump as an example. The way he judges people looks is not how a presidention canidate should act! He's childish....Ok now Im done:)
DeleteMany people are unaccepted for stupid things like their appearance or their manners, but many of these people are just like us. I cannot count how many times I have walked through the cafeteria and saw kids sitting alone. This makes me feel bad, and the worst thing is that that is supposed to be a fun time of the day, it's lunch for god's sake. No one deserves to sit alone at lunch or in class or in life, and normally when there is one there are more.
ReplyDeleteI have even been victim of this many times. When I'm in a class or any situation that I do not know anyone else, I sit alone. I obviously don't want to sit alone but since I don't know anyone else what else am I supposed to do? Sometimes someone comes and talks to me and sometimes I am just left alone. But for me this is not an everyday thing, more like a once in awhile thing, but there are people who go through this all the time, every day.
All people need to do is start accepting the kid sitting alone, how bad could that person be. I promise that no matter how bad the person is that you let sit with you, he or she will feel ten times better than how bad you feel. It is such an easy gesture, make small talk with them, it won't kill you. Being friendly is a good communication skill too, and who knows, you may actually make a new friend just by sitting with someone new.
In our modern day society with many afflictions all around us the worst problem will have to be the ongoing of racism. Equality is something that has been talked about for many era and is still unsurprisingly popular to this day. Racism which is the characteristic and belief that one's race is better than another's. In doing so this brings us to sensitive topic of "color", which is dismissed or shunned by many I personally have been victimized and experienced racism when I was a young lad growing up in a well known town of Mayslanding on a walk down to my home where I resided with my average friend named Donte in front of my neighbors house and this man would always come out his house and say "Do not pass by my lawn he did this multiple of times we just kept on strolling along. Us being young and naive we didn't give it any thought or in fact know what racism was until we witnessed a "white" girl pass the same route my friend I took, and startled we didn't see the man come out and say not one single word my young friend instantly jumping into conclusion say "Ayo this man racist as ****" I grinned and nonchalantly preceded to go home but I asked myself why did the man in similar instances not utter a word to the girl. This is what I inferred that our problem is our perception that we have about different races and how we view a particular race shouldn't be based on the way you have seen some of them act which is dictating the whole undivided group.
ReplyDeleteThe main problem with society is that people are too judgmental of other people. When I was in 5th grade I wore the tightest jeans and the brightest shoes that I could find. At the time, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world, but now I don't know what I was thinking. In 5th grade, there were rumors going around that I was gay, just because of the clothes I wore and my Justin Bieber hair cut. People have a hard time accepting others that look different or dress differently. This problem starts as a rumor but can escalate quickly. It can escalate to physical bullying or the verbal bullying could get worse. Luckily for me it didn't get any worse, but for many people it does.
ReplyDeleteIn order to fix bullying, we need to start teaching kids at a young age to accept people for who they are. Kids need constant reminders because they forget easily. Teachers that teach first and second grade should start separating the kids in their classes and make them work with others outside their friend group. This will encourage children to work with people that they don't usually work with and to get out of their comfort zone. Hopefully this will lead to all the classmates becoming friends. This has to be done in every grade, so the students don't only fall into their “best friend group” and so their aren't kids left out of a friend group. I believe that teaching acceptance at a young age is the only way to get people to accept others.
Well let’s just think for a second??? What do I think is most wrong with the world I live in? I mean racism, sexism, close-minded people are all things that are bad in the world, but what’s the worst thing in the world? For me at least this answer is relatively easy to find because I’ve mentioned it in numerous previous blogs and in a couple occasional papers, to me the thing that makes this world so terrible is this false perception on what society actually is? Merriam-Webster’s definition of society is “people in general thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions, and values” but why do we view society as a “sentient being” that watches and monitors the current state of the country we live in. “Society” has taken the same role as the “Devil”, a being that we can blame for all of our problems. It honesty annoys me when people constantly blame “society” for their problems, because most of their problems are caused by themselves and therefore can be solved by themselves. We continuously forget that people should be held accountable for their actions, like how people can get 6 months in prison for rape and 6 years for murder, I personally don’t see that as people being held accountable for the actions they commit, but then again its “society’s” fault that the one guy committed rape or the guy that committed murder. I think we’ve created this being called “society” so that way we can all be victims and that ends up making anything we should be held responsible for not our fault.
ReplyDeleteHow will I raise awareness on this subject? Well, I’ll write about it, and perhaps try to enlighten those who are willing to be enlightened. I also will write a code that reflects the flaws I see within the current world, society should not be its own absolute.
I promise that by the time I die I will have done something that will bring about progress to this world that is my one and only goal in life. It would be selfish to not try to make this world better.
One of the touchiest subjects I believe to date is racism. The reason I would say that is because I've dealt with it a lot ever since I was young. I grew up not sure exactly what I was just knowing my skin color was just a little bit more tanner then the kids I was always around. Growing up more I realized that I was multitude of many races and in a sense I sort of embraced it but the problem was other people I knew weren't to fond of that. Really I would identify as Hispanic that mainly what I was but since I wasn't raised in a very Hispanic cultural household and I didn't really speak Spanish I would receive a lot of backlash from other Hispanics who sort of brushed me off. I remember my uncles in Puerto Rico whenever I met with them they would call me gringo bito which they were saying a whiter version of my father which was because I was whiter version of my father but also I considerably acted a little different from the cultural norm of a Hispanic. It doesn't stop there I've struggled more with racism from white people, the majority of the people I hung around in my life were mainly white people of all. By most of them I was always looked at as a second class citizen, because I'm mainly Hispanic I tend to grow a lot of hair on my body I would have some really mean things said about me and to me. "Your legs are to hairy you need to shave you animal," "why your eyebrows look bushy like that lol your mad ugly," "you look like Donkey Kong," these things really do hurt, even when I was younger I've had this stuff said to me all the time and still do I just cope with it better, and yes these were all said by white people. One underlining meaning though was yes they were jokes, (at least I think) they really, really hurt and this sort of ignorance is what's wrong with people. racism can go both ways with every race I've seen it at all sides of the spectrum the reason so is because people don't like what's different from them I'm sort of in the middle being so mixed with everything. Looking down on someone because of their race or group of races is extremely uncalled for and we can be honest because we've all have don't it before. One thing I'll tell you though is that we are humans created equal by God I don't believe in a particular race I believe human race overall. Unity is key in beating this ugly monster called racism that destroyed so many and has affected so many other lives. We could do so much together as people instead of looking down at someone because they're culture are they don't look like you. Divided we fall United we stand at least I think that's how u say it.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a society in which people get judged daily based on their looks, size, skin color. I feel strongly that people shouldn't be discriminated against. We were all created equal and that's how it should be. It is not right for any one person or group to be treated differently than anyone else. The thing that causes discrimination is peoples lack of understanding and self confidence. People have to try and make others feel less than them so that they feel better about themselves. We all need to show each other that we all love each other as equals. We aren't much different than each other so we shouldn't treat as if they are based on skin color, weight, or anything like that.
ReplyDeleteI decided to talk about “raising a nation of closed-minded racists”. While the other choices sounds easier to write about, I pick a topic that I have lack of knowledge or experience of. From reading the topic, it sounds like a leadership problem. A leader that lead our nation into greatness without easily offending and upsetting someone is all, but a dream. Closed-minded racists are just the worse. Not only they are stubborn and won’t accept changes, but they also look down on other races. That sounds a mixture of evil and stupidity. Because of the current issues in our society and with the upcoming election, this topic fits in perfectly. I believe both Trump and Clinton have somewhat of an answer to this topic and how it could be fix, but I don’t see it ending well. One of them will soon face this topic once one of them become president. It could end in really bad or surprisingly good.
ReplyDeleteI won’t guarantee my way of handling this would be the best, but it is something. In order to bring awareness, I say spread this topic in schools and mainly focus on the “raising a nation” part. While in school, students learn about leadership and what it takes to become. Teachers could be blown away on how students can face this topic. Instead of looking at this topic as “ how can I run a nation of stubborn racists”, view as “as the president of the United States, how would you tackle race issues like the ones we are currently experiencing?” Probably not the best question, but it's the only thing I can come up with. If I was the leader of this nation, I would have police officers get more training and must use the 7 levels of self-defense on situations so that it will lower unarmed incidents. I want the young generation to acknowledge racism and view it like a crime. My goal as a what if president is to make decreasing racism as one of my top priority and to united our great nation so that it would never face our current social issues in the future.
I’ve always believed that close minded people are the “ills” of society because closed minded thinking creates so many other problems in our society. Being closed minded and judgmental go hand in hand, therefore things such as racism and sexism and all the other kinds of isms are caused by closed minded people. People who are not open minded are often stuck in their ways because they will not take the opportunity to actually listen to other people’s views, in fear that their values will get challenged. Growing up in a household with close-minded parents but also having the opportunity to meet kids with open minds has allowed for me to see that being closed minded has a negative effect on your life and those around you. I believe that as of now there is not many things we can do to change not only how a person sees one topic, but how they see the entire world and everyone in it. My generation, from what I can tell, sees and experiences these ills in society and we will do whatever we can to raise the next generation to be better than the one before us and to be better than our generation, and to teach their children the same. Of course there will be people that will infect others with their hate and judgement but as a whole I believe as time goes on people will become more understanding and aware.
ReplyDeleteWhat’s wrong with society today, is so many people are close minded. People listen to other people talk and think of how they can reply, not understand what they’re saying. People think that only their opinion is right. If anyone differs and is actually eccentric then they’re wrong. This is where people go wrong. Everyone’s opinion matters. Everyone’s opinion is important. Opinions that differ from yours open your mind to different aspects of life. It waters the seed that eventually will sprout into a beautiful eccentric tree. When you shut your mind to everyone else it creates chaos. Eye for eye will not solve anything.
ReplyDeleteI get really mad whenever I talk to people who don’t even attempt to see where I’m coming from. I think my heart is very different from other people. I give people a million chances and I always give people the benefit of the doubt. A person’s intention’s could have been to play me, but I would still try to somehow defend them and tell someone that that wasn’t their intentions. I’m always open to hear everyone’s side of the story. To fix close minded people is simple. Everyone must open their minds. Everyone needs listen to others and really comprehend what they say. Once people do that our problem will be solved.
There are way to many things wrong with society but close minded people are only one of the problems. People are so quick to judge any situation. And the sad part is that it isn't hard to restrain yourself from being a judgemental asshole. Its not that hard to be friendly or to spread love instaed of hate. For some reason in today's society its like everyone is doing the complete opposite of keeping an open mind. People wont even hesitate to judge the people they claim to be "friends" with. Its horrible and it causes way to many people pain that could have been avoided. I don't know how to completely change a mind set of a society but I know that when people say you have to be the change you want to be in the world that its true. Most fail to see the big picture and how their words can end up playing out. We need to care about others and listen instead of jumping to conclusions. Life is already hard enough. If we all understood that keeping an open mind and being more accepting of others would make us so much better off, then this world would be a better place.
ReplyDeleteFirst, let me start off by saying that I cannot begin to understand why racism is such a big deal in the world. Why does one believe that a particular race is superior or inferior to another? Both of my parents, my sister, and I are Caucasian. My sister has the same mind set as me. As what makes someone less or more of a person based off the color they are? Most of my mom’s mother’s side is mixed with African American. We’ve all grown up to love each other with all that we can give, without the simple fact of appearance even crossing our mind.
ReplyDeleteOn August, 7 2012, my sister brought Gianna and Kylin, twin boy and girl, into this world by a black man. The day my life changed for not only the better but for forever. I now had two little bodies looking up to me. Literally. Besides all my mixed cousins that are grown up now and have their own views on racism, Gianna and Kylin are my main concern. They understand that they are darker then I but they don’t understand that people in this world judge kids like them because they are “darker”. It’s sad that one day they will experience such a horrible judgment.
Furthermore, I honestly do believe racism is going to be an ongoing issue that will not be stopped. There are too many people in the world that are close minded and don’t see anything outside of what is in their head. I can’t fathom that when me, you, or anyone walk out of our front door in the morning of everyday, we get judged for the color that we are. It’s sick to know people kill each other over this. Racism is such a huge deal that can begin to be solved; it just needs the right push. And I hope and pray that it gets’s that because no one deserves to be looked at or treated differently off of who they are.
Close minded people have to be the worst thing on the list. With close minded people, nothing can be solved: sexism, racism, etc. It perpetuates all of the world’s issues because with close-mindedness comes lack of ability to change.
ReplyDeleteI’ve never met a more close-minded group of individuals than middle age adults. My mom never wants to research things and fully believes her opinions were developed from no one else’s. My dad says the law is the law and things are always illegal for a reason even if the reasons interfere with our natural rights. My grandmom doesn’t like black people. My grandpop loved them but had no hope in them and never did even before he died. My aunts and uncles don’t think you can recover from baggage. My pastors don’t support homosexuality. My parents think eating meat is a right we shouldn’t take for granted which doesn’t even make any sense and they also believe prescription pills, even when given in overly proportioned doses, are healthier than pot. All of this is fueled by close-mindedness.
They will never be anything but sexist, racist, conservative extremists, law abiding robot-like citizens because they live joyfully in their close-mindedness. I guess, then, you could say that close-mindedness and enjoyed joyful bliss are equally evil and detrimental to humanity.
I could speak about all of these topics for hours maybe even days straight because they are all so important to me, to talk about these topics with others and get the facts out there to educate people on these important matters. Although all of these things i feel come back to one thing. Close minded people. People who don't care to open their minds to other possibilities or opinions are the reason those other things listed above cant be solved. Racism is also something that really gets to me because it has to do with how close minded people don't seem to understand the concept of equality and spreading love and seeing past someones appearance and more at who they are as a person.. I am Caucasian, African American, Puerto Rican, Czechoslovakian, Native Indian, Polish and German. My father is 100% Puerto Rican and my mother is mixed, her father was African American and Native Indian while her mother is the rest of the things i listed. She grew up with a lot of harsh words being tossed at her for being mixed and her father received more than just words on more than a few occasions. All because of the color of his skin. There were times we were refused service because of the color of his skin and it disgusted me. This also has to do with how close minded people are. Thinking they are better than someone else because of the pigment of their skin? Not wanting to think of anything else and not wanting to think about how others see things because to them their opinion is the only and correct opinion. Its ridiculous. Close minded people are the reason so much is going wrong and not getting fixed. Education is key, once people are educated and know how much can be offered to them and how much brighter life can be when one has an open mind then we can really get somewhere.
ReplyDeleteIn todays society there is a lack in acceptance towards individuals. Usually people think this only occurs in high schools but this happens to many people everyday. I even witness this myself at times. It's 2016 and some people still believe it was a wrong decision for Barack Obama to legalize gay marriage. Someones love life has absolutely nothing to do with those individuals who are against gay marriages. There's still that lack of acceptance in the U.S towards gay people and it needs to stop. They breathe the same air as us all. Everyone go out and be a friend to someone so that they don't feel left out but accepted and loved.
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