"Look at her- she is so butch!"
"Bet he bought that car with drug money..."
How do you respond when your friends or family members say things like this? Do you agree, laugh it off, sit their in silence, or shrug and walk away? Guess what! No matter if you whole-heartedly agree or just sit there quietly you have just participated in an "ism." Allan Johnson calls this staying on the "path of least resistance" in his book Privilege, Power, and Difference (2006). This path is the easy road. The smile or nod instead of speaking up and telling those people why it's wrong to judge people like that and how they are continuing the spiral of oppression in our society.
This week I'm asking you to speak up. Get off the Path. Respond to this blog! Tell me what you think!
What do you do when these situations arise?
What will you do to make a change?
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Johnson, A. G. (2006). Privilege, Power, And Difference - Second Edition. New York, San Fransisco.
Get off the path! This may be easier said than done. It is nice to speak up about these "isms", but it may not be easy for everyone. People are subject to ridicule from their peers and family members if they should decide to fight these types of comments. This does not forgive laughing or ignoring hateful remarks, but I can see why some people believe they can not "speak up". My suggestion is to educate yourselves. When you are going to fight against these isms, people are very quick to shoot you down. But with education about these issues behind you, it is easier to have a conversation about why it is wrong. The only way to change our society is to change the way we think about and look at these kinds of issues.
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