Reaching For Beliefs

A reoccurring theme in human is critiquing without justification. People like to judge others when they don't have a perfect life. This creates of vicious cycle of people telling others what needs to be done, what is the right way of carrying out an act and what would be considered disgraceful.  This theme is present when concerning various cultures. People tend to be close towards accepting another's culture because the way they were brought up, which is seen as cultural relativism.  Judging another culture is seen vividly in the book Things Fall Apart; Okonkwo and his people found it difficult - for most only temporarily - to accept the fact that a different culture has different beliefs. They could not understand that there was only one God. Likewise, in reality, many people find it difficult to accept another cultures, especially if religion is involved. Many years ago, Catholics could not  accept that the Protestants had a different belief. And today, a majority of people reject the ideas of the Westboro Baptist Church. Many, including myself, believe that going as far as to disrespect the American flag is outrageous. However, according to the cultural relativism, their actions are acceptable and justifiable to them. No two ideas are going to be justifiable to the same cultures. On the other hand, using the same idea of cultural relativism, people shouldn't judge another because their ideas are not as perfect as they should believe. Using an example, in my belief, I think that it is okay if a person is gay, lesbian or just curious; love has no boundaries. This idea is normal to me and seems correct because using this idea, everyone has the chance to express themselves and love who they wish. This idea is not flawed. Only to me though. Someone else can hear the same belief and think that is I'd a disgrace because believing that one is anything but heterosexual is only a figment of ones imagination. A belief will never be one hundred percent correct because there is always going to be somebody else that will not agree with what is being said. Therefore, we as the human race should just accept this fact and just be willing to discover a new belief. This does not mean to practice the new belief; it simply means accepting that belief exists without feeling the need to degrade the belief.  

Opinions Create Segregation

Human’s judgment can be the difference between persecuting an innocent person and living peacefully among continuously victimized civilians. Americans now days hear the history of slavery and we typically rejoice at that fact that America has made it to the point where we can proudly call our country free. However, while Americans are free in terms of a law being passed in the Constitution, every day Americans are enslaved by their peer’s judgment. Just like Trueblood in The Invisible Man, people of a minority race get judged and looked down on by the dominate race in current day. Ralph Ellison showed that after the white fold knew what Trueblood had done to his daughter, they flocked to Trueblood’s family and gave them money as well as a better way of living than the way that they had previously been living. Minority races still receive attention from other races, though not always in the same intensity which Trueblood received. Now days, minority races get glorified for their thick or kinky hair. Eyes follow minorities, mesmerized by their dark skin. However, the attention that received from the dominate race is not always positive. Some minority groups are feared while they’re walking down the street, even though they do not give a reason to be distrusted.  The reality television show What Would You Do? has proven that if you place a white person in a situation that calls for them to pretend to steal a bike, not many people will stop them and tell the white person that stealing is bad. But when they tired the same experiment with a black person, almost every passing witness stopped to question the black person. Whether people notice it or not, we typically make racial assumptions about minority races. In my life, I see these assumptions happen frequently. Many times, I will be shopping with my mother – who is black – and we will get treated differently. Employees have treated me with preteen customer service while I browse in their shop. However, though my mother will be standing next to me, the same employee will treat her with suspicion as if she is planning on pocketing the items that are in front of her. Even though that sales clerk did not know my mother’s characteristics she treated her differently than how I was treated after seeing the difference in our skin tones. People need to realize that no matter what the color of our skin is, we are all human. We all look alike on the inside, so we should not treat anyone like they are beneath anyone else for a reason that was beyond their control. If a person must judge another being, then let that reason be based on character and not physical traits. Though, segregation is no longer a law, it is still very alive in the hearts of people.