Elementary Pictures

Since i've grown older, I thought i'd open up that inevitable box, of the dreaded yearbook albums, and the silly look this way and say cheese pictures, you paid tons for!

Well, when I think back to my childhood of those days, and I see the pictures, it's two very different memories, I remember having a great time with the kids, and it was pretty much like there was no inequality, I tend to think we were all white, as I was white.

When I see the pictures though, I was a minority of the white group, coupled with asian, japs, blacks, hispanics, and all sorts of others. It's shocking, truly shocking that's now that I see it I see them as Black kids, or hispanic kids, or Indian kids.

What is the point in our lives, in which we notice we're all different, from a focal point, that i'm not black, or an i'm not white point of view, or why does he talk differently from me.

I remember clearly playing duck duck goose, and when I see the picture, I never remember anything of that, I was quite a geniuine pure child , the world was perfect for me.

What is it, or what is the point when everything changes, it just seems like there was this moment I can't remember when I got my personal bias' along with the rest of you, even though you won't admit it, it doesn't make you a bad person just a person.

When did the world become a dark place we're we began hating or judging each other, is there some website I can read up on this?

Try "grokking" the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Mathew..

I cant say ive ever thought about this. However my elementary school was 99% white ( same with mid and high school ). I remember there where always 2 or 3 black children. But they where never thought of any differently.

Actually if i remember correctly quite the opposite was true, the minorities where always treated better than non-minorities by the student body in general. And i don't mean the staff of the schools.

Basically they where always viewed as "cooler" for some unknown reason.

Its strange how in different parts of the country ( USA ) social structures and viewpoints differ. Each group of towns/cities/states has unique viewpoints. Hehe i guess it makes it more clear as why sectionalism arises in different areas as opposed to nationalism which only arises during times of conflict or celebration.

but hey, divide and conquer is the motto

SnF

reply to post by phi1618


Well I went to a Private School in my junior high and early high school, yep with one or two black kids, and a dozen hispanics, rest were pure white breads.

I don't think it really phased me till then though.

It's just a little self disgusting that, I do, i'll be honestly I have a bias towards black mexicans, americans, canadians, french, everyone now.

Good or bad. It's there, and it's weird how it wasn't always like that.

God I miss the good ole days, i'd kill to have the mindset of a four or five year old, where the best **** thing that can happen to you is you get a bubble blower!

hehe well you could always hit yourself on the head real hard

that should put you right back in the 5th grade.

I recall a family of Asians (all attended our elementary school), I didn't know they were different until we had to do a project on our ancestry. I knew they looked different, but I didnt know why lol. Quebec was dealing with french vs English issues and no one even noticed as the immigrant population exploded.

I didn't even see a black person until highschool, I think there was even only 3 in attendance (of a school of 2000ish). If so, I didn't notice. I only noticed the one girl because she was stuff in common with a group I hung around with, otherwise, I never gave it much thought. I think Canadians are different that way. No one notices the minorities.

The only one major difference was how the Natives were treated in the 70s. Even by teaching staff.

Later when I married and moved to the US, I still didnt see colour. My husband sure did though. He should have been the poster child for the KKK grrr. I guess he was raised in Cleveland when bussing was commonplace and he had issues with it.

I guess we (us, us Canadians) are less likely to stereotype. I think if you arent raised to notice the difference then it makes all the difference in the world when you are an adult.

Anyhoo it is different now. Gangs of Arabs vs Asians, Natives vs whiteees or a hundred other examples of what goes on in schools now.

I joke that my son is a racist because he only has E. Indian pals or Asians. We are as lily as you can get.

[edit on 9-7-2009 by suzque66]

[edit on 9-7-2009 by suzque66]

i think the time when we start realizing differences in color is when we lose our child innocence....just a personal opinion...great post by the way...

And that childhood innocence isn't "lost", it's just covered over, but it's still close, closer to our innermost being than we realize. All we need do is look within and that person is still right there.. innocent, and vulnerable, and pure.

reply to post by OmegaPoint


wow, you reminded me of a NLP course I saw online.

Yeah, so I guess by our own insecurities we cover it up with bias' of others, it's that what your thinking of?

Well, funny you said that.

A friend's (and neighbor) father (the were of Hungarian descent) always made comments about blacks (we only saw them on tv), horrible comments that I didn't know what they meant. You can just imagine what the comments were, not the N-word though, other nasty things.

Anyhoo, this man was adored by his children, feared as the father-figure bla bla. I didn't have a daddy but I always found him just plain scary and obnoxious.

Anyhoo, as an adult, uhhg I think back and know for sure...he was a horrible human being. No prize of a dad that everyone let on, if you ask me. If I ran into him now I would surely tell him off for being an ignorant, arrogant dirt-bag who wasn't even born in Canada himself but acted like he owned the joint type. If there was an Archie Bunker in real life, it was this guy. He only tainted and spoiled his children's brains. Yeah, I would tell him that what I witnessed him say as a child is disgusting and he is no hero to pass judgement on anyone.

reply to post by suzque66


For sure! My boss hates black people (he's indian) and it's weird, because he's extremely self concious about if anyone makes fun of indian people.

We're all afraid of being made fun of each other.

I wonder just how I can break out of this bias, i seem to be captivated in, I don't even think about it.

My main problem is I treat black people or other ethnic groups higher up then my own, when it shoudl be equal. Maybe it's a pity bias, or fear of being called, racist, but i'm racist and bias if I treat them any better or worse right?

reply to post by Republican08


Close, but it starts with ourselves, then get's projected onto others.

Recover it or uncover it, within ourselves, and our view towards everyone else changes, and we become again like a little child in that regard.

I live in Canada, where part of our identity as Canadians, is that we don't have one, and our culture has become one which is by its very nature multicultural.

That said I used to go around priding myself on how accepting I was of people who are different, whether of a different colour, or condition, but I'm starting to come to realize that that was my own distorted way of making myself better than somehow, as in look at me, how accepting I am of people who are different. But in a way that's almost worse than treating the fat or ugly or dark skinned or whatever person with disdain. As if they somehow NEED my acceptance! How pathetic, how ARROGANT!

reply to post by Republican08


I guess it is a perspective you are raised with. I don't treat anyone better or worse for nationality, color, creed or any other reason.

My anscestors aided in the underground railroad that hid and fed hundreds of black Americans fleeing from slavery plantations and unjust conditions. So I know my conscience is clean.

When I did work at a school though, I noticed many of the so-called professionals treated Native students (young) like they were little terrorists. One teacher who I almost scrapped with lol even had to gall to tell me that a certain Native lad was a liar because he shuffled his feet as she spoke to him about an incident and looked to the left often. I told her to save her non-psychology degree talk and shove it. All kids putter about and shuffle when being lectured by an adult. It was a common occurance and I found myself often keeping my eye on the boy so improper judgement didn't happen again.

reply to post by OmegaPoint


I understand that point of view ill tell you!

I'm a full blood canadian too, but living in Texas now, i'm a calgarian, flames!! woohoo!

I just keep finding more bias' as I try to fix the current ones, the self righteous POV is despicable, and you even notice it to which makes it worse! lol.

reply to post by suzque66


Actually if he was looking to the left he was probably telling the truth, and shuffling the feet only made him nervous about it. So all in all your instincts were right.

Your concious shouldn't be clean even though your ancestors were helpers, did you help anyone!

It troubles me too, not pointing you out, just all the child sex slaves and real slaves being sold and abused around the world, makes me want to break necks left and right, because we're still preoccupied with somethin that doesn't exist, we don't see what still exists!

reply to post by Republican08


But I would like to applaud you, and me, for having the courage to do this hard work of self evaluation, and to make the effort to enter onto a new path and a new journey of humility, which is to know one's self as you truly are, and which recognizes the innate shared human-ness with all people, no matter what they look like or where they are coming from.

Here's an idea - research this - Namaste

www.google.ca... &as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=active

And think inwardly this word in relation to others, and inwardly do the short bow with hands pressed together.

Namaste! (I honour the place in you, which shares the same ground of being as the place in me.)

Rob

[edit on 9-7-2009 by OmegaPoint]

Actually if he was looking to the left he was probably telling the truth, and shuffling the feet only made him nervous about it. So all in all your instincts were right.

Yes, well, she was a ECE, early childhood education student, meanwhile I had finished psychology at university. I put little faith in trying to decipher a kid's brainwaves. Especially a boy with ADHD, but he was misunderstood and didn't cause half of the trouble he was accused of.

and no, I wasn't the one aiding anyone hiding out from the trade/use of slaves but I have no guilt by association that anyone in my known family either used, abused or confined another human being. I would think differently if I did have that in my family. I would be ashamed., so in that regard yes, I am guilt free and of clear conscience.

*fixed that stupid spelling mistake LOL

[edit on 9-7-2009 by suzque66]

Originally posted by suzque66
I would be ashamed., so in that retard yes, I am guilt free and of clear conscience.

Freudian slip..?

Originally posted by OmegaPoint

Originally posted by suzque66
I would be ashamed., so in that retard yes, I am guilt free and of clear conscience.

Freudian slip..?

haha good catch. Boy am I tired lolol. I will fix that. thanks.