<div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;color:black;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">1118 words</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Prejudice and
bigotry </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">by C. S. Boyd</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">It happened when
I was in the fifth or sixth grade. My class was getting ready for parent's day.
Each of us was assigned a person to draw a picture of for display. I was
assigned Percy Byssh Shellyey--one of the major English romantic poets widely
regarded as one of the greatest lyric and philosophic poets in the English
language.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">I am (or was)
something of a pencil artist. For me, this was a matter of sitting down and
doing it. The picture I drew looked exactly like a 14 x 16 version of the
picture in our text books. On parents day, I watched parents fond over the
pictures done by the children of the prominent families in our community. Their
pictures were nothing more than a circle for the face with bushy eyebrows over
circles for eyes, something to represent a nose and a line for a mouth. My
picture and that of my best friend whose picture, while a little out of
proportion, but still resembling the subject she had been assigned, got no
recognition at all. No one, not even one parent came to see what we had done.
One kid made fun of my picture saying it didn't even look like a girl. One
other student that heard pointed out to him that it wasn't a girl. Percy was a
man. This shut him up, but still, I stared at the cluster of adults gathered
around the nonidentifiable posters praising the work of thes!</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">e children from
well to do families.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">We hear much
today about racial prejudice and bigotry directed toward people of color. We
hear the term "white privilege" a lot. Perhaps a more accurate
term would be "ecano privilege." My father (a tall, hardworking white
man with a third grade education) worked from six in the morning until six at
night for a dollar a day to provide for his family. He was a pumper for a major
oil company. Obviously, since the parents of me and my friend were not a
doctor, lawyer, or highly paid college graduate, There was no way that the
product of such a low class member of society could do anything well. We must
have cheated some way. Whatever we were up to must be no good. The upper middle
and wealthy class are clearly the only ones capable of doing anything
worthwhile. Whatever the children of the privileged class do is ok. This
includes luting, vandalizing, and destruction of other people's property, as
well as the defacing and destruction of public property. These children of the
up! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>XXXXXXXX</u></b></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">per class can do
no wrong, or if they do wrong, it is to be forgiven and no penalty prescribed.
Would those public servants living in their ivory towers protected by private
security feel the same way if the lawless mob was marching down their street
threatening life and property? </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">I didn’t know it was upper class people who were
most prominent in those marches, or demonstrations.</font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">This morning I
heard a news bite about an organization that has denounced their founder after
learning he was racist. Was he racist because he hated other races or because
that was the general belief of his day? Would he be racist today? We have no
way of knowing, but based on the type of organization he created, I would guess
that the answer would be no. If we are going to denounce the accomplishments of
every one that doesn't share our modern enlightenment, there will be no one
that can stand. We must remove all honors for everyone. Turn our backs on every
advancement in health, business and technology since, if we look closely, we
will find that every one of these icons of the past had some unacceptable flaw.
The only one that can stand is Jesus the Christ. He was the only perfect man
who ever walked this planet of ours, and he taught us to love everyone, and
treat others as we ourselves would want to be treated. Oops. Is that a flaw? He
is prescribing tolerance and accep!<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>XXXXXXXXXXX</u></b></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">tance of others,
and those today that rail against those that have a different look, belief, or
way of doing things to theirs are shouted down and labeled as bigots. They
refuse to hear or let anyone else hear what those who have a different view
have to say. Sounds like a form of prejudice to me. Alas, none can stand. We
are all guilty. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Everyone isflawed, bjut some are more flawed than
others. </font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">What do these statues<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">stand for today. </font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3">I wouldn’twant</font></span></b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"> to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">take
down the </font><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><font size="3">statue of </font><u><font size="3">Wshington or
Jefferson because on balance they<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">were
pretty good. But I would want to balance it with a complete story of who they
were.</font></u></b></span></font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">There is a
growing movement in this country that would have us believe that the upper
class should take charge and manage all the wealth. This group feels people of
modest means are incapable of managing their own affairs or doing any better
than their hard working parents. Our country was founded on the concept that
all people are created equal and that everyone has the right to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness. Whatever they perceive happiness to be. Some
today perceive happiness as being paid to do little or nothing. these people
hear the siren song that says give us the power and we will take care of you.
Some think happiness is taking whatever they want, and destroying the work and
property of others. This is not what our founding fathers had in mind. As I
used to hear when I was growing up, my right to swing my arm ends where your
nose begins. there are those that would remove this restriction so they can
lute, vandalize, and</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">destroy property
with impunity.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">I am<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></font><font size="3">conflused about the message.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Are you calling all rich people bigots, </font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">or are you talking about attitudes that define
predjudice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Are you saying people should be judged by the way
their values stand up today as opposed to when they were livingh, or had lived
in another centry?</font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Others would
rather have the freedom to try to achieve better and even if fail, have the
chance to try again rather than settle for what the controlling class would be
willing to mete out. They invite the rule of law to remain for the sake and
safety of all.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">I am in the
latter group. Despite my humble beginnings, I am the first in my family to have
a college degree and to rise to a middle class income. I took advantage
of opportunities provided that have been available to all if they only know <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>(knew) </u></b></font><font size="3">about them and choose to
use them to raise their station in life. It is my feeling that this is a better
way than the other. </font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Do you think that at time you were getting your
education<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">your reality of what was
available to you was the same as it was for someone else.</font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Another brand of
Prejudice is to not bother to make these people deemed as useless aware of the
opportunities that have been made available. Often these lower class members of
society have been brainwashed into believing they cannot succeed for a variety
of reasons and pass this lie on to their children. I had to wait until I
started losing my vision and came in contact with some people who do believe
the equality for all before I was able to achieve my success.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">That’s the point I was trying to make.</font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font></div>