Pride& Prejudice
"People don’t think they just rearrange their biases"(Anonymous)
I normally don’t chat but I remember I happened to chat once with an American who was in one of those rooms. I started like this: A (me) B (American)
A: ASL?
B: 19, Chicago U?
A: 31 Iran
The word Iran sent through him a BIG shock. The next words were all the **** words that you can imagine.
Hey, I am just an Iranian, not a monster and the next word was
You goat F******s and all that.
Unfourtunatly, I did the same. That was my first reaction, I
mean I didn’t want to but, what would you have done if someone started calling names without even knowing you? Just because you are an Iranian and live in a country which is thought to support terrorists? Why can’t they differentiate between us and them? (The government)
Now that I think of it, I wish I had spoken to the teenager rather than ending the conversation like that. I don’t know but, the knowledge of geography is almost absent among Americans or at least a lot of them according to a National Geography statistic. I was thinking about the whys and I couldn’t help thinking that one of the reasons might be this: This is just an example:
If an average American knows where Iran is and if they get to know that we are people with feelings and emotions like them, they would definitely react against Anti Iran policies but, it seems that a lot of them are “brainwashed”. when some Americans think Iran and Iraq are the same country and even don’t know where Iran is, so we aren’t in their heads therefore: "out of sight, out of mind".(read if you don’t know me, you don’t care about me)
See? Against those who believe love toward humans doesn’t know nationalities (Ehsasat e bashardoustaneh) a lot of people who live in “first” world countries think: we are the same but they feel superior inwardly toward “third” world countries though they are clever enough to hide THE feeling.
Ain’t I a bit cynical ,suspicious, and pessimistic?
I think I am.
I normally don’t chat but I remember I happened to chat once with an American who was in one of those rooms. I started like this: A (me) B (American)
A: ASL?
B: 19, Chicago U?
A: 31 Iran
The word Iran sent through him a BIG shock. The next words were all the **** words that you can imagine.
Hey, I am just an Iranian, not a monster and the next word was
You goat F******s and all that.
Unfourtunatly, I did the same. That was my first reaction, I
mean I didn’t want to but, what would you have done if someone started calling names without even knowing you? Just because you are an Iranian and live in a country which is thought to support terrorists? Why can’t they differentiate between us and them? (The government)
Now that I think of it, I wish I had spoken to the teenager rather than ending the conversation like that. I don’t know but, the knowledge of geography is almost absent among Americans or at least a lot of them according to a National Geography statistic. I was thinking about the whys and I couldn’t help thinking that one of the reasons might be this: This is just an example:
If an average American knows where Iran is and if they get to know that we are people with feelings and emotions like them, they would definitely react against Anti Iran policies but, it seems that a lot of them are “brainwashed”. when some Americans think Iran and Iraq are the same country and even don’t know where Iran is, so we aren’t in their heads therefore: "out of sight, out of mind".(read if you don’t know me, you don’t care about me)
See? Against those who believe love toward humans doesn’t know nationalities (Ehsasat e bashardoustaneh) a lot of people who live in “first” world countries think: we are the same but they feel superior inwardly toward “third” world countries though they are clever enough to hide THE feeling.
Ain’t I a bit cynical ,suspicious, and pessimistic?
I think I am.
posted by Frank at
4:48 AM
8 Comments:
Hi Frank
U know what, I know how U felt when u read those nasty words coming to you. I have my share of hearing BS too and I always let it go. I'm sure U heard that saying that it goes:
[Javaabeh ablahaan khaamooshist]
That's how I deal with it.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of ignorant Americans out there who don't know anything about Iran and our culture.
And by the same token, there are Iranians who don't know anything about Americans. So somehow it goes hand to hand and we can’t do much about it. They have a very strong propaganda system…
Cheers :)
It is difficult to not have any prejudice for one reason or another towards others. If somebody can manage to be completely unbiased towards any new person they meet, hail to them.
I guess the most we can do is realize we have that prejudice, but give everyone a chance anyway. . .
Dr. naz - Well said!
Dear Farzad and Dr. Naz(me):
In refer to my previous posts [Stressed out Iranians]
That’s why I DO believe that to be civilized has nothing to do living in a “first “world country or a “third” one.
Frank - Well said!
When R U thinking about leaving Iran anyway?
Teachers are getting paid pretty well in Canada, U know.
Great entry!
Hi Frank
thanks for your visit to my blog
and thanks for the video with the baby laughing,my son adores it.
my blog is about my life with my son who's got a very rare genetic disorder.I post a picture a day and a few words,it's my way of avoiding shrinks...
thanks for linking me but although i live in mexico my blog is in french(I used to live in France)
yes I guess "me" is right it's difficult not to have any prejudice,but we can give everyone a chance,and ourselves too
take care
I went through three of your posts. You really have an active mind ...
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