I'm the bigot that has to shut my mouth when they talk about "Martin Luther Coon" day

[farminator3000]

73. i don't really see an 'agenda' in the OP

i have a couple of suggestions-

the trick is being BOTH more open AND closed-minded-

closed to prejudice, basically, and open to the idea that how someone looks doesn't define who they are.

it isn't just the south- i'm from the 'north' and there are bigoted people here,too. i've grown dreadlocks before (i'm white), and i've heard and seen the same things described in the OP. some of the worst bigots i know personally are transplanted canadians.

here is a pic of obama with his mother for starters: (you might notice she is not black)
http://www.salon.com/2011/04/21/barack_obama_ann_dunham_biography/

i think the important thing is to remember that black people and LGBT people are just that, PEOPLE, and if you can see them for who they are and what they go through on a daily basis, you can appreciate them more as human beings.

instead of automatically thinking thief or freak.

i don't mean this to sound judgmental - democrats are not immune to the below- (bay of pigs, vietnam...)

Groupthink
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or deviant decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences. Loyalty to the group requires individuals to avoid raising controversial issues or alternative solutions, and there is loss of individual creativity, uniqueness and independent thinking

***

What is Groupthink?

Groupthink, a term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis (1972), occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of “mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment” (p. 9). Groups affected by groupthink ignore alternatives and tend to take irrational actions that dehumanize other groups. A group is especially vulnerable to groupthink when its members are similar in background, when the group is insulated from outside opinions, and when there are no clear rules for decision making
http://www.psysr.org/about/pubs_resources/groupthink%20overview.htm