So Saturday night I sat next to a pregnant girl drinking Mountain Dew like it was about to be discontinued but could grant an easier labor and delivery if she sucked down enough it before it was gone. She was so busy spewing forth racist "jokes" and completely asinine "political" commentary I am surprised she was able to get three big glasses down; nevertheless she did. Wait...did I just judge her based on her beverage consumption? Oh, not really; it's just that it's a little difficult for me not to question your intelligence if you are sucking down Mountain Dew well into your pregnancy while you make insulting remarks toward a specific race or the future president...sorry.
Anyone that knows me even a little bit can tell you that I have zero tolerance for derogatory remarks with regard to a person's race, ethnicity, cultural practices, sexual-orientation, religion, class, etc. I am not going to travel off on some long tangent to that effect as I already did that once here. I am not going to claim that I am superior and free of any presuppositions of people, but I like to think that I try to separate myself from them as much as possible. Admittedly, the first thing that came to mind as I listened to this girl blathering racist nonsense was, "Fantastic; she is reproducing...the future of America is going to look like that." I know it's terrible to think that way, and I hope that it doesn't happen.
Unlike Dew's claims that most black people are the same (her ideas: lazy and jobless), I am going to believe that not all people of whatever her classification is are destined to be the same. While I think it's extremely difficult for a child spoon-fed racism that is chased down with Kool-Aid (insert other sugary beverage...Mountain Dew?) to come out of the household unscathed, free from those bigot-ridden thought processes, I don't think it's impossible. I have hope in the school systems, in the other adults that racist's baby will encounter, in the majority of our society that the child will grow up to be a more loving and accepting individual than his/her parent(s).
Anyway, the whole thing reminded me of a movie that was fairly entertaining so I offer you a clip mash-up here and suggest checking it out. I didn't mention it at the time because I was trying to be nice and not imply that Dew was an idiot directly to her face. I am sure that aside from the racism and bigotry that she is a lovely person and an otherwise good mama.
I don't expect rainbows and unicorns and 100% peace and love in the world, but I do expect people with any sort of education to know that you can not assume things based solely on a person's race, ethnicity, blah, blah, blah.
Anyway, it is time for me to get to work. Here's hoping for a smarter tomorrow, not one reminiscent of a scene from Idiocracy.
3 comments:
You see? This is why I insisted you blog somewhere other than MySpace - that old one: E Pluribus Unum one is great.
Maybe we are elitist, but really does anything scream class more than Mountain Dew? Only a pregnant "lady" drinking it.
I get so sick and tired of having to explain to people why racism is not okay. Chances are if they don't know it on their own by the time they have reached adulthood that they are just too stupid to figure it out.
Yeah, I know thinking that way is a segregation on its own, but the difference between you and I feeling that way about stupidity is that our feelings aren't hate-ridden, nor do we think every stupid person is the same. There are plenty of morons that aren't racist at all.
Love that movie, btw.
- Christian
You may not be able to change the world or the way that some people think, but you are always able to determine your own behavior. It's important to refuse to accept people's negativity or intolerance toward anyone or anything. If you think it is wrong, or you are offended speak up. I trust that's something you can do ;-)
While this Mountain Dew person may not change, at least you can say you tried and refused to tolerate it quietly.
Totally love the post. Chase went through Facebook and found far too many ppl writing things about Obama as their status. This like...
"wonders how Christians could Biblically vote for Obama and the things he stands for"
You should check out the post.
http://tinyurl.com/5qnjqg
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