Lies and discrimination
Lani Bender
If prejudice doesn’t apply to you, I’d like to ask you to raise your hand. Hey you, with your hand up, you’re a liar. It is easy to convince ourselves that we are tolerant and all accepting. These are, however, the ideals, not the norm. No matter what our race, gender, age, religion or sexual orientation may be, the majority of us have some kind of notion influenced by prejudice, whether it is preconceived or based on experience.
If I profess that I am free of prejudice and discrimination, what happens if I act out of these beliefs? Do I justify my actions, saying my preconceived notions warranted them? Try explaining that to Kathleen Beardy, the 11-year-old First Nations girl who hanged herself a couple of blocks from where I live in Winnipeg’s North End. A week before Kathleen took her life, she and her siblings witnessed the police take away her parents. She saw her dad being handcuffed, punched and violently restrained.
The media response on behalf of the police gave little attention to the complaints issued by the Beardys. Rather, the police reassured Winnipeggers that there is no racism in our police force. No racism. Really!
Don’t get me wrong, I have met good quality police officers, but to say that the entire force is free from this type of discrimination is complete balderdash. Realistically, the only way this would be possible is if the police force had a different definition for racism. If one’s views of discrimination are skewed, how easy is it to start seeing “rights” as privileges for those deemed unworthy?
Discrimination rears its ugly and seductive head in many ways. How consistently do you think women get off on speeding tickets more readily than men, police brutality is directed towards people of Aboriginal decent, some people are overlooked for hiring because of the colour of their skin, or people of esteemed backgrounds expect better treatment than someone living on social assistance? Whether you are on the receiving end of the benefits or on the misfortunate side of bias, discrimination and prejudice affect us all.
If we are going to fight prejudice, racism and discrimination, we need to start by acknowledging its existence in our own lives. Being honest that we are guilty is far less offensive than lying about our guilt. The more open we are about prejudice, the easier it will be to identify when it’s a problem. When we take responsibility for our discrimination, we also acknowledge the value of those who have been mistreated due to its presence. We must fight discrimination by confessing our lies of personal perfection. After all, the longer we stay liars, the bigger the problem is going to become.
Lani Bender is a Winnipeg writer.
