Thursday 6 December 2012

Rant: Bigotry

Bigotry, this will be an analytical rant, about attitudes of bigotry.
for anyone who doesn't know what bigotry is...

Bigotry is the state of mind of a bigot, defined by Merriam-Webster as "a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially: one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance".
Bigotry may be based on real or perceived characteristics, including agedisability, dissension from popular opinions, economic status, ethnicitygender identity,languagenationality, political alignment, raceregionreligious or spiritual belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Bigotry is sometimes developed into an ideology or world view.


We have seen many cases, deaths caused by bigotry, for example, in India there was 50 million women disappeared, genocide in women is happening(I think it's not only India though, it was in the news because is such a huge number), in Uganda bans and execute homosexuals (like many countries does), even in the past specially in middle age by the Inquisition (the jewish people and scientists).
It may not look like it, but it's a very serious problem, lives is being taken because of a bunch of bigots, people who don't accept anyone who is different, see as being different as wrong, even when in the end we're all the same, we were born with blood going through your veins, with brain, free will,bones and meat, yes, humans, the bigots themselves are the ones leaving their humanity, killing humans, taking life.
Of course, is not only life taken, but also how they are treating other people.

I'll go by characteristic by characteristic that have been perceived in order like the text above in pink...

Age
Well, it's not really serious, I think what it means, like that kids sometimes can be more right than adults, because of this...adults think they always have to be right, or adults think that children or people under the age of an adult shouldn't have a say on something, or those who treat old people like trash.
This is common.

Disability
This one is very common, many people don't have jobs for this reasons, not only with physical abilities, but also mental disorder(anxiety, personality disorders, sleep disorders,etc), intellectual disorders, developmental disability, etc. though no one usually dies because of this.

Dissension from Popular Opinions
It's common, but it's not serious, it's  around tastes, interests, quality, scepticism, science that doesn't basis in a opinion of their own, follow the crowd.

Economic status
Well this is everywhere, so it's not new, the rich get more richer and more rights, the poor more poor, etc.

Ethnicity
It's common, it can go to a serious degree, just by coming from a different culture, heritage, traditions, beliefs, etc, no respect over different cultures.

Gender Identity
Nowadays is quite serious, besides the stereotypes of consider girly traits and boyish traits, sexism, androgynous, queer, hermaphrodite, transexuals, there is the problem that most people consider as cisgender (that is, belonging to either the man or woman gender corresponding to their assigned sex of male or female(rather by the appearance of a genitalia or chromosomes (XX=female, XY=male) or hormones), which is far more complex than this, there is cases that is a gender different woman and man but other, because it can vary in only one living being, it does not only applies to humans but also to animals, plants (yes, plants has genders too), very deep down we don't really have a gender in the end.
 In this case, bigotry in this matter is based on ignorance and lack of knowledge, because science is more ahead, if you are updated, then you're not behind.

Language
It's not common but neither unusual, it's a bit serious, it's just that people can be very rude because of it, for example there is some spanishes that are intolerant to portuguese language even though both are latin languages and very similar, some asians and some other countries are kinda intolerant to english (for me it's laziness everyone knows universal languages are english, french, german and spanish, though english is the most common and more used).

Nationality
It's still alive but not as strong as some decades and centuries ago, it can be very serious depending on the circumstances, for example, some  people from Islam, Iraqi in USA were killed because were believed that were spies or something even though they weren't, there is the case of Collateral Murder recently revealed for example.

Political Alignment 
that's isn't new, but isn't serious, only in some countries it can be, legal and what should be illegal.

Race
It may not be very obvious or very visible, but still serious, deaths and injustice specially for  those with dark skin.

Region
It's much less serious and exaggerated than than nationality, language and ethnicity.

Religious
It's still very strong, but not as like it was decades ago, for example, when they try to convert people, banishing books (Harry Potter series :( ), homophobia, wars between religions, huge fights, you know... by fanatics mostly.

Sex/Sexual Orientation
This is related to between conservatives (religious view) and scientists (biological view) for procreation and others for the pleasure (there is scientists on this side)...and also the sexual orientation that's when it gets extremely serious, it's terrible, the ones against and specially fiercely that takes to death, ban, when they don't understand that in the end on a related note from what I wrote in gender identity, it's loving a human being.




It's not only in these categories that there is bigotry, by someone being different from normal, in personality (geek, nerds, weird), it's not only in death and banning that bigotry is present, but also bullying.
In a sense bigotry is discrimination.
so yes bigotry it's a serious problem, very grave problem, time to take it seriously, not on a dramatic degree.

Soon I will put in portuguese (probably tomorrow or next week)

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