It is what it is...

So today I am bugged. I was reading a friends blog and every other sentence in the post I was reading was. "I am not racist or anything" over and over this person wrote this as she was telling her story. (I am guessing she was trying to convince herself) She was telling this story about going out to a restaurant and how this Latino Family was there and messed up her day. (I am sure it had nothing to do with her attitude) But instead of talking about the situation and what was going on, she proceeded to through out every Latino stereotype that there is, followed by. "I am not racist or anything."

The definition for racism is:
The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

I learned an incredible lesson in my Contemporary Ethics class. A professor came in from the University of Utah. There are about 30 of us in the class. She had each of us stand up and say a stereotype about the Latino culture and then go stand in a circle. After everyone was standing in the circle she joined us. Then she said the person standing to her right has two choices one they can turn to the professor and look at her as this wonderfully, humorous, well educated women or two they can go around the circle the long way and have to over come each one of the stereotypes one by one before they get to know this wonderful, humorous, well educated person. The sad thing is usually people can't ever get through all of the stereotypes to get to know the person.

That was such a good lesson to me and I hope it is something my blogging friend can learn from as well. I know I have been guilty of throwing out the occasional stereotype. (Workout Barbie) I will make no excuse for it and I certainly didn't follow every other sentence with "I am not really racist" (I just have problems with people who show up at the gym in perfect hair, makeup and outfit. It's a personal issue I need to get over. I am sure my barbie friend has a name, I just need to get past the hair and the makeup and find it out.)

So to sum it all up, I am guessing I would not have been nearly as bothered had this person not continually written "I am not racist or anything" as she proceeded to bash the Latino culture. I wanted to write a comment about it on her blog but felt safer writing it here.

Would any of you say something to her???

Thanks for letting me swat that bug!!!