Why does the American society choose to acknowledge stereotypes, biases, inequalities, and perception differences until someone is harmed because of them? Unjust tragedy strikes and suddenly there is a strong denial that differences amongst citizens even exist.
The most complicated, obvious example of this is racial & cultural perceptions, inequalities, biases and asperity.
On any given day, the popular content in America's society is comfortably filled with stereotypes and model obvious perception differences. Television shows like ABC Network's "Black-ish" and "Fresh Off The Boat" are crystal clear examples of how the mass portion of society is okay with acknowledging the different racial perceptions. These differences are even used on a comedic basis for entertainment and are perfectly accepted by the target culture as well as other cultures around the country. So again why do the masses know these cultural perceptions and inequalities exist, but turn a blind eye to them once the biases and inequalities cause tragedy?
Quick example. If you do not believe that biases, perceptions and inequalities exist in our everyday world then it would not exist as an issue. Obama and Hillary would not be a major part of America's presidential history. Black lives matter would not have been able to develop from a social media phrase to a social justice movement. If it's not there, it's not there. No one just cries wolf. There is an enormous amount of hardcore corroboration indicating the racial, social, and cultural inequality that lives among us all.
Slavery is illegal in America and for the most part non-existent. The mentality, biases, and asperity that came with slavery is still very much alive, but no longer dominant. The worst part about it still being alive is that it is denied.
We all know that the first step to fixing any problem is to acknowledge that it exists, how clichè. Seriously though, we as a country cannot, and will not for a very long time, get past step one.
And then the retaliation from those in denial almost always sound like:
"That could happen to anybody." "White people are unlawfully killed too!" "White people have been slaves too, the Holocaust happened." "It's not because he's black, he should have listened to the cops." Just like Philando Castile tried to listen, right?
True! Very true! However it is numbers, history, and most importantly the present that make the difference and prove that a difference does exist.
There are a few reasons why these differences still exist.
The generations currently inhibiting the Earth are the ones on the front line in the battlefield of equality; the ones who lived through and are historically surrounded by the most amount of sociopolitical uproar.
We are trying to create a future that is not infused with the same values the country was built upon. I do not study history, so I cannot identify when our culture started to be more accepting. I can tell you that today, even when there is no harm, we are a culture that is quick to judge and even eliminate behaviors just because "I don't like it."
Our society has slowed the progression on acceptance for any kind of differences ultimately because the past is trying to control the future.
What I mean by that is, people that will no longer be around in ten to 20 years are making decisions and performing actions that will have more long-term effects than they could even outlive. Most of the people who possess the largest amount of sociopolitical power in the country are selfish and stubborn to change.
The best example of this point is honestly Donald Trump's campaign and what he is trying to do to this country if he is elected president. I believe his campaign is a dangerously close resemblance to the concept of the social science fiction thriller movie, "The Purge."
I will say that age is not the only culprit of the existence of these biases and stereotypes, but it is certainly responsible. I will also say that I am aware that everyone is not the same, everyone is not racist.
Unfortunately, non-racist people hate to admit it, we all see color. You may not see it negatively or want to harm those different from you but you see color. Its honestly inevitable and everyone should accept that. The real victory does not come from claiming to be color blind, but to embrace differences or to just walk away.
Once people realize that physical harm/damage should be the main, if not the only, reason to rule a behavior as unjust, the country will become more united. Once people realize that anyone is capable of anything terrible or obnoxious the country will become more united. Most importantly the country will remain the same until its citizens learn to stop needing to have control over things that do not affect them. For example, how the men control abortion laws when they are not even capable of pregnancy or the straight peoples' rule over the rights of all other sexual orientations.
America is certainly a mixing pot, and it becomes more diverse every single day. This is not something to shame at all, it's what makes this country special. I believe it is a privilege to live among such a vast amount of behaviors and habits. Instead of embracing differences or just leaving them alone, America as a whole seems to believe "elimination" is always the answer. Rather than being empathetic, we are mostly selfish and no close minded person changes until they are put through some kind of hell themselves. Lady Gaga's song, "Until It Happens to You" is an example of the presence of the dominantly obstinate culture we live in. It would be okay to say all lives matter, if they actually did...
I wish to one day be able to live in a world, or at least a country, where "human" is the primary perception of one another.
