Prejudice

​Prejudice. It is a problem.

I am often reluctant to write about such things as I may think I’m ok, but really I don’t know what lurks inside. It is probably why it is best when asked how I am, I often encourage others to get a second opinion.

There is so much talk about it these days ie the Black Lives Matter movement. Something needs to be done but I agree with someone who posted “Lives Matter should not need to be prefaced by anything.” As Bram Fischer said, “The glaring injustice is there for all who are not blinded by prejudice to see.”

A common theme seems to be that no matter what the problem, more money is the solution. But my take is money will not change hearts. Change may be needed, and more money may help, but money alone is never the sole solution.

Wikipedia seems to sum it up best when it says, “Prejudice is an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived, usually unfavourable, evaluation of another person based on that person's political affiliation, sex, gender, beliefs, values, social class, age, disability, religion, sexuality, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, beauty, occupation, education, criminality, sport team affiliation or other personal characteristics.

To everything there seems to be an opposite. The opposite of cold is hot. The opposite of dry is wet. The opposite of prejudice is to me acceptance.

Prejudices are not confined to colour. Rich and poor can exhibit prejudice. Doctors can exhibit prejudice against cleaners. It seems just about anything I hold to I can have a prejudice. Some prejudice is in good natured fun. I know I have one towards the Broncos and Lions and Roar. Others follow different teams and the banter is mostly good natured. Some have a prejudice towards a political party. Views can be seen as just because they come from a political party rather than because they are good policy.

Prejudice can be inverted. A poor person can resent and show prejudice against someone who is rich. A cleaner can see nothing but flaws in someone who is a doctor. It seems to me that no matter what the prejudice is, it is always an unrealistic view and the exulting of oneself above another.

Although prejudice is mostly negative, it can be positive or as Miriam-Webster puts it, “Although prejudice, with its connotations of intolerance, implies a negative bias, the word can be used in positive constructions.” There is no doubt in my mind I have prejudices. I am prejudice against driving at high speeds and crashing into a tree. I am prejudice against self-harm or un-necessary risks. I guess it is for the same reason I will not poke something into a socket or pour boiling water on myself. I am prejudice against death or injury.

But for sure most prejudice I prefer to avoid if I can. Rich or poor, black or white or purple we are all in this together. Whether achievements are modest, or earth shattering, it does not matter to me. The best I can do is give it my best shot. I don’t want anyone making it any harder for me than it already is, and I in turn, cannot do that to another. I prefer someone to help me rather than make it harder for me.