General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I live in an ungated suburban complex of townhomes. [View all]sikorsky
(96 posts)I'm not sure I can even make these comments without being wrongly labeled a racist or worse, but please don't confuse the messenger with the message.
There's obviously no justification for this shooting if reports are accurate, so what I will be saying here isn't meant in any way to excuse it but rather to demonstrate how events can create the kinds of mindsets that lead to this
and similar tragedies. I doubt anyone here thinks opinions and prejudices arise by themselves without some impetus from others...after all, how many children are born hating -anything-?
Things happen and those things influence what and how people think about others. People tend to viscerally react to external stimuli, it's just human nature.
There was a lot of attention to this particular event
http://www.newson6.com/story/17171733/female-victim-in-home-invasion-dies-at-tulsa-hospital-police-name-suspect
When these things make it into the 'news', the take-away for some is they can be the next victim and their sociological attitudes and perspectives are thus influenced according to that (unfortunately real) possibility.
Yes, it's stereotypical, but do stereotypes exist for no reason? I don't think so, I'm a gay man whose appearance, mannerisms, behavior and indeed my "lifestyle" aren't even close to those often associated (especially by homophobes - the stereotype) with those attributed to gay adult males.
But I certainly know many who DO fit that "mold", so I can see where the prejudice comes from as well as how irrational it is and I have to admit that in this area, the behavior of some of
my gay friends often comes under the heading of "with friends like this..."
To me and to many others, excessive PDAs (to denote one aspect of public behavior) are off-putting regardless of the genders involved, not that I would ever condone harm to anyone for it but the
sad truth is that they sure don't do us any favors politically.
Doesn't it explain how some people are afraid of certain others who happen to be dressed and acting in some particular way? After all, isn't racism (like homophobia) simply embracing stereotypes as fact and a rationale for discrimination? I can't think of any way to stop them except
by just disappearing any perceived excuses for them.