Outlaw status in question

[agentleman]

Sitting, chilling and listening to Spearhead. I like to think even these days that I am still in sympathy with the underdog and the unfairly discriminated against but with every bad event (being mugged) and every paranoid thought every time I catch the eye of someone not caucasian, I have to question my "right-on" credentials, I have very few

Comments

[cha5e]

Dom, it's not that unusual to feel paranoia especially towards a source of fear. Fear is not racism. Racism can be caused by fear; however, they are two independent issues. Fear is not hatred. I myself experience this same, if you recall I was mugged by two black kids after walking Karen home one night. This is over a year since the event and I still get the familiar cold sweat when I see black kids on bikes whilst walking alone late at night. The fear has begun to subside, but not subsumed completely beneath the surface. I do have a few black friends with whom I'm in regular contact, but I know what you mean by this. I questioned myself long and hard as to whether I'd become a racist and followed the attitudes of some of the elder members of my family. I came to the conclusion I stated above, fear is not racism. For instance if I had been mugged by a pair of scallies I'd probably feel the same resulting anxiety and tension if I spotted scallies on bikes as I walked alone late at night. You as a psychologist know the learned fear responses as well as I do, and how it's caused and not a rational or considered reaction being as it is amygdala and hippocampus centred.