My father, The Racist

[carnivalnights]

You know, can I just ask why in hell you would move to a multicultural city like Toronto if you are a racist? Or why move to Canada at all, for that matter? Why continue living in a city that is increasing multicultural? Why not move? Why complain at all, actually? Every country is becoming more multicultural as the years go on. You may as well get

Comments

[zahrimsthoughts]

You can't change people. The older they are the harder it is. You can encourage new thinking and raise awareness but you will not chnage people who are already set in their ways. And everyone finds it easier to blame someone else for 'whatever' then to think it might in anyway be with them. Such are people.

But thats not to say things dont change, attitudes are getting better with every generation, my dad makes mindless racist comments occasionally but if you ask him outright he has nothing against any race in particular. His parents you see were racist to the extent that in their younger days when immigrants were coming over moreso than they are now they were seen as taking all the local jobs and houses. So that rubbed off on my dad. Having said that I'm not racist, & Jade is certaintly not and I will hope never be so. We can teach awarness, this is our gift.

My biggest faux par is using the term 'gay' to laugh at silly things and I cringe every time I do it, mind you I think I've been watching too much Will & Grace lately heh. The world is changing. Just not as quick as it should. x

[carnivalnights]

Well, I don't fully agree with that. Human beings have the intelligence and the ability to reason, which most animals do not and most human beings like to think they have most intelligence than an animal (which I find is rarely the case, but you know). If you have half a brain, you can talk yourself out of a bad habit. This is the exact same thing smokers have to do, alcoholics, drug addicts. It's hard, it's a lot of work, but it can be done. And I will never stop believing that. People have to roll with the punches. People who refuse to move into the current times always have trouble living their lives, and I find that really ignorant. As you live, you should be learning and moving and evolving. Not standing in one place.

I definitely agree that upcoming generations have the ability to change this way of thinking. However, I think parents are still a huge part of the problem. If people do not believe they can change their attitude about, for example, racism, then what their parents teach them is extremely important. If your parents are racists, there is a good chance you will be too. (Though there are cases, like mine, where you go in the opposite direction. Thankfully.) And those kids might teach their kids those values, and so on. It's a vicious cycle and it not completely dependent on upcoming generations but also the ones before. So this change, from racism to acceptance, will take changes in thinking whether older generations want to or not. You know? Teachin awareness is always great, and I do believe some people, despite their parents, can hear this and educate themselves and eventually change their ways of thinking too.

I cringe every time I say 'retarded.' But the thing is, 'retarded' to me never meant someone with a disability. Who knows how that came about because that is not the origin of the word at all. Even if I mean retarded as meaning idiot, I do not relate it at all to someone with a disability... if that makes any sense. I know what you're saying. Words are funny things, and it is hard to be politically correct because people keep changing the meanings of words. So not everyone who has these slips is actually at fault.
♥

[zahrimsthoughts]

Aaah one of the things I love so much about you is your faith in people. I guess esp cos of recent events I think the majority of people really are ignorant and are happy in their misguided beliefs, whatever they are. *hugs* x

[carnivalnights]

Oh, it's not faith in humanity. I have very little of that. But I truly believe people are more capable than they lead on. I think eveyone is capable of reworking their beliefs and opinions with a little work and effort. It's just too bad 95% of the population chooses not to.

I know how jaded you can become after experiences like the recent one you've had. And I totally understand it. I guess all we can do is get back up on our feet and try, try again.

xx