There is hope for this world yet

[fpb]

The internet cafe where I go in the long wait for a phone line of my very own has a regular clientele of teen-agers who spend hours playing videogames. I am used to hearing them discuss their strategies and results aloud and with occasionally salty language.

Of course this language is mostly of the modern street variety, anything from "gay" to "motherf..."

Except that just now, a very small black lad right near me has used the literate, Popeian insult "dunce".

Comments

[fpb.livejournal.com]

If you imply that someone has criminal tendencies - and yes, as far as I am concerned racist behaviour is always criminal - do not be surprised if he is offended. You read selective meaning in an item that was a mere description. For your information, I expect education and learning in NO male teen-ager in London, black, brown, white, or green. The widespread street culture in which they all take part places very little emphasis on any spiritual or intellectual value, and two terms as a schoolteacher assistant have left me with a very poor view of the prospects for the majority of young males in England. Whatever their origin.

[guttaperk.livejournal.com]

If you had been reading and comprehending what I had written, instead of responding primarily to your preconceived notions, you would have a different view.

You, in your own head, went from "stereotypy" to "racim" to "crime", with no particular help from me. This despite my careful clarification that stereotypy was a universal function of the workings of the human brain, and not something I was accusing you of unusual participation in. It's as if I asked you if you'd borrowed a pencil, and you became enraged and told me I'd accused you of rape and mugging, and angrily denied criminality. Yikes.

Pointless, really. Amusing at one level- I bring up the possibility of your preconceived notions, and the nascent discussion is completely derailed by your (other) preconceived notions.

Thanks for responding, and for your current attempt at politeness. If you wish to have actual open discussion on this topic at any time, I'm willing- just say the word.

In all fairness, this whole thing is testimony to the difficulty of the subject; but I feel strongly that such overcoming difficulty is both quite pragmatically possible, and ethically necessary.

cheers

adrian.