The news agencies have spent the last two weeks discussing President Barack Obama’s historic presidency and how it will impact our nation’s future. By taking office, Obama not only has the duty of remediating eight years of failed economic policies, a disastrous war, and numerous other issues left by his predecessor, but is also seeing out an era where the people holding power were defined less by their abilities and more by their race. Electing a person to office solely because he or she is black is no less racist than electing a white person, but our past is disgraced by years of ethnocentrism that has, until now, kept anyone other than rich, white men out of presidency.
As profound as the sight of a black man in office may be, intolerance is still a powerful force in our society. In popular media and even on our own campus, racism, sexism, and other prejudices are common. Prejudice may be illegal, but it exists in our minds and wherever the arm of the law cannot, or chooses not to, reach. When was the last time you laughed at the expense of another person? Even though we may think that we are accepting, it takes careful consideration to understand how we can affect another person. Within our own comfort zones, we may feel swayed by peers or by a lack of diversity to believe that our words are not as dangerous as they may be. Only by taking into account the complexity of culture among all people can you really determine the meaning and impact of your opinions. It can even be as simple as placing yourself in the position of a targeted group—imagining the pain that you are inflicting can help you realize the importance of avoiding it.
Recently seeing Milk helped me realize how powerful issues such as homosexuality can be, especially in the realm of politics, which will always be a tinderbox. But prejudice is not a partisan issue; when people’s lives are at stake, it becomes a human issue. Milk does an excellent job showing how prejudice can affect people on a personal and emotional level. However, movies and television can also have the opposite effect. Where derogatory terms are used as humor
(a style that comedians and movies have adapted, especially with respect to homosexuality), the meaning and impact of the words risks getting mixed up in the fun. Slavery was once considered common practice, even human nature, by many people.
Understanding how our opinions affect those around us is essential to creating relationships within a community. And no matter how hard you try, you will always be a part of your school, neighborhood, nation, or world. It is especially disgraceful to know that in a place of “higher education,” someone can feel like they are being discriminated against for being him or herself. We must try our hardest to keep our minds open to those around us. I hope that the recent election will help people realize how important this consideration is.
Andrew Tracy
MECL ’11
