At 72, I have grown up immersed in a climate of blatant prejudices, and the related verbal slurs. I have also been exposed first hand to the social movements that have arisen to strike out against the prejudices harbored against race, gender, sexual preference, ethnicity, physical disability, age, and others. While not personally engaged in these movements, I have always felt they were just.
However, I have learned that in addition, I’ve also been “unconsciously” conditioned not to recognize the more subtle prejudices that now have a social light shined upon them. I am not knowingly prejudice because I feel no animosity toward these groups I mentioned. I grew up with, and still have “black” friends, “gay” fellow band members, and a “ Chinese woman” doctor. These are people I value as part of my life. I ‘think’ benignly at times with these adjectives in association with them, never voicing such. There’s no thought or intent of it being a form of prejudice. It is simply what I understand I see when I look.
I know the terms that I consider derogatory descriptors, find them highly objectionable, and don’t use them, out of respect and decency. But in recent years, exposed to the PC environment, these terms are now prejudicial. It is a very confusing time for this old man. Difficult to be learning that these terms are now considered to be provocative, that I’m apparently hopelessly preconditioned to be insensitive, even prejudiced. There are terms and acronyms today, related to sex and gender, completely unfamiliar to me.
As I said, this is confusing to this old man. I am trying to learn, but with my health and age essentially isolating me from daily social interaction for the past 8 years – it is hard to know what constitutes evolving PC thinking. Difficult to realize you’re out of step.
I’m a stranger in my world
socially sidetracked
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rob kistner © 2019