Yesterday I watched a brilliant film addressing discrimination, and especially racism. I highly recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to watch "Blue Eyed" by Jane Elliot do so as soon as possible. It will change the way you look at other people, and the way you look at yourself. It has really opened my eyes, and I will never again close them to this issue.
Just some quotes and thoughts:
"Doing nothing is just another to show approval for the way things are."
"The problem can't be slapped onto 'the system'. 'The system' is not some big, mysterious, far away thing. We are the system. If the system is the problem, we are the problem."
"The key to solving racism is responsibility. You are responsible for your own action or inaction."
"Even just being 'aware' is complicit."
We make the decision to continue or discontinue the mindsets/actions of the past and present in our own lives. If you change yourself, and pass it onto your family members, your children, soon we will have a generation of people who will not perpetuate the racism we see today. The change isn't going to be all of a sudden, but gradual.
As a person born into privilege, I am one of those who must use that power to address these problems.
Changing mindsets is hard work. How many of us are willing to pay the price? How courageous are we willing to be? Are we content enough with the way things are?
No comments:
Post a Comment