Children are the purest form of humanity; they are innocence incarnate. Blissfully unaware of their differences, they play and talk and make friends. We would be wise to take notes from children, for inherent in them is the secret that many grown-ups seem to have misplaced. Gender, ethnicity, sexuality, race, religion and socioeconomic class do not affect a child’s view of another. To a child, it is the individual soul that matters.
It would be foolish to claim perfect understanding of exactly why social issues like racism, sexism and more exist. It seems that power structures and the fear of differences are just two of many causes. Purely evil people do not exist, and they do not sit in a dark conference room plotting how to make the world a more horrible place. People are unique— they are individuals and they are products of the social environment in which they grew up.
Parents and our surrounding culture shape little kids who are, initially, relatively free from intolerance and sourceless hate. Children are impressionable; they learn from others what they come to believe is right and wrong. Just as they inherit the views and beliefs of the older generation, they also inherit their prejudices and bigotry. We are all unfortunate victims of our own social structures, but we should aspire toward the light at the end of the tunnel. Just as we can teach young individuals intolerance, we can also teach them to love and respect others.
Bigots, and all those who are intolerant, tend only to understand the groups they hate through generalizations and stereotypes. It is improper to attempt to show them the folly of their ways by using the same tactic against the social group they can be identified with. Rather, we should respectfully teach them of the impressive variety and diversity among all groups and individuals. If someone is to commit an act of atrocity toward another, let us not judge what they did based on the color of their skin, their gender or any form of identification, but rather judge the specific person and blame no other factors.
The rise of ISIS has led to an unfortunate and sudden worsening of Islamophobia, a culturally dangerous hatred that once peaked immediately post-9/11. To stereotype means to forget that we are all individuals. The actions of a few should not account for an entire group of people.
Stereotyping and grouping can cause distrust, racism and can even lead to tragic events. ISIS does not represent all Muslim people; the individuals in ISIS only represent themselves. In the same way, Craig Stephen Hicks, charged with murder in the Chapel Hill shooting, does not represent all white atheists, but only himself. It is hard to imagine a child having such animosity toward three strangers. We must change the environment in which people grow up so that we can continue to pursue social justice and equality.
On April 2 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, an African American man was shot by an officer who meant to use a Taser gun. While on the ground, the cops mocked and harassed the man as he died. In Los Angeles, cops used excessive numbers and force to subdue an unarmed homeless man and ended up fatally shooting him. While an unfortunate number of these cases occur, including Eric Garner in New York City and Michael Brown in Ferguson, it is important not to stereotype either party.
Black, white, cop and homeless are all just descriptive labels. If anyone commits a wrong, then that person should face justice, but in no way does the action of any of these individuals correspond to the actions of the rest of the group.
In the same way, it is unfair to say all Christians stand in opposition to gay people. It is also an erroneous generalization to say all white people are racist toward black people or vice versa, or that all men wish to assert some self-appointed dominance over women. No matter what the issue is, to use these generalizations demeans the efforts that people, from all backgrounds, expend to effect social change.
Variety exists among all people, but despite this, we are all human beings. We all have feelings, experiences and goals. We all want to feel safe and loved, just like children.
Social justice campaigns have been gaining more and more momentum, especially in the past year. Maybe instead of looking up for leadership, we should look down. Children can be our new role models. If we learn to look past our differences and care about the individuals underneath, then we may learn to truly respect and love one another.
