I wasn't sure what to expect with the group difference forum. I guess we all expected to be a little uncomfortable, but I didn't expect to get angry. The discussions about race especially made me angry. What's crazy is I felt bad for being mad, which is dumb because everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But since we live in a society where racial issues are taboo, where if you have an opinion about black people, you're "racist", I feel like I'm not allowed to think badly about some of these articles we talked about.
I'm not racist, in any way, shape, or form. But I just found it absolutely ridiculous that people think that children need to be aware of racial and minority issues. People are conducting research about children being mean to other kids because they are minorities. And I have to wonder what other factors were involved. I know that in daycare, I was the one who got left out a lot and it was because I was quiet, and I'm white, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed. There are so many other reasons that kids, even if they are a different race, are left out by other kids. It could be personality differences, language barriers, the fact that all of the other kids like Pokemon and the one other kid likes Digimon. Just because a kid is left out and they happen to be another race doesn't automatically mean that it is BECAUSE they are another race.
Another thing, I don't think that children need to be educated on racial issues. That is not a burden that we need to put on kids. They don't need to be worrying about the things that grown-ups argue about. Does that make me a bad person? Maybe to some people, but I am entitled to think what I want. I grew up color-blind. My first best friend was black. Brian pointed out that some of us grew up color blind, but black people don't. Honestly, that is up to the parents. Parents are a HUGE factor in whether or not you grew up color blind. I'm sure that there are plenty of minority families that don't point out racial differences. To sit a child down and tell them that they have to behave a certain way towards another child because of their race, even if it's positive behavior, is laying the foundation for creating a barrier between races later on in life. Who wants to grow up thinking, "I have to be nice to them because they're different." That is the exact same kind of thinking we teach kids about acting towards others with special needs. It's insane.
I'm sorry if this post offends anyone.
It may be good for kids to grow up color-blind, but at what age do you think it is appropriate to point out that the structure of society, as designed by government, businesses, and so on, is racist? I just listened to a radio show that documented the effects of decades of overt government racism in housing policy.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/512/house-rules
Color-blindness denies the cultural or ethnic heritage of people. I don't want people to judge me based on the fact that I'm from Eastern Kentucky, but I sure don't want them to ignore it, either. Maybe you're not suggesting that color-blindness persist?