Just Crashed
I watched Crash for the second time today, and it did a great job (again) at really stirring up feelings about people and how they think. The fact that everything in the movie COULD happen yet, what makes it a movie is that all the people and events are intertwined. It really has me thinking, what do I think about race and do I really take people for WHO they are.
A friend of mine said, J, I never see you approach people outside of your race. (This coming from a person that won't date within his race). I said, that's just my preference, just like you have your preferences. I continued to say that ultimately, I take everyone I meet for who they are. If I have a conversation with someone, no matter what the race, if they appeal to me, I will pursue them. So for me, it just comes down to who they are. Though, as far as approaching someone attractive, I will most likely choose someone within my race, since that is my preference. He replied, yes, but you only surround yourself with one group of people, how can you expect to meet any others? He had a point, but only to a certain extent. He was talking about my affiliations with the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Black Students Union at school. AND of course most of my closest friends from school are black as well, so I could see where he was coming from, but it doesn't make him right.
I can find people of any race attractive, but I will agree with him that I don't associate myself in as many different groups as I should, or at least like I used to. See, I went to a small high school. It was diverse enough, and about 20% Black, (only 2 black males though, me and 1 other - nice ratio ;-). But being in such a small school, everyone new each other, and there weren't cliques based on race, as is more apparent in college. So I guess he could see that change in me, from associating with everyone, to "cliquing" with my own. I don't think I changed though, at least not to the extent he thinks I did, it was mostly just a change of environment that forced me to associate with my own.
Here is a story. Last summer (04) in England, at my cousin's b-day party, I met this beautiful Indian girl. We talked for a long time, etc, etc. And if she didn't look great enough, she was in Medical School and an actress. See, I saw she was attractive, talked to her, and things went from there. That's how I operate. Yes some races are higher on my list (preference wise), but that doesn't mean others aren't on my list. That is a matter of preference, and not a matter of disregard. See, it comes down to the battle between stereotypes and individuality - a long conversation I'm not going to get into right now. I'm against sterotypes, though I am guilty of them from time to time. If I were to totally disregard someone (not consider them at all) because of their race, then that is ignorance. So the moral of this story (my side of the argument) is - don't confuse preference with disregard. I guess I'll have to talk more about Crash another night. That's a great movie.
Comments on this are appreciated - yes, that means you.
~JL
A friend of mine said, J, I never see you approach people outside of your race. (This coming from a person that won't date within his race). I said, that's just my preference, just like you have your preferences. I continued to say that ultimately, I take everyone I meet for who they are. If I have a conversation with someone, no matter what the race, if they appeal to me, I will pursue them. So for me, it just comes down to who they are. Though, as far as approaching someone attractive, I will most likely choose someone within my race, since that is my preference. He replied, yes, but you only surround yourself with one group of people, how can you expect to meet any others? He had a point, but only to a certain extent. He was talking about my affiliations with the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Black Students Union at school. AND of course most of my closest friends from school are black as well, so I could see where he was coming from, but it doesn't make him right.
I can find people of any race attractive, but I will agree with him that I don't associate myself in as many different groups as I should, or at least like I used to. See, I went to a small high school. It was diverse enough, and about 20% Black, (only 2 black males though, me and 1 other - nice ratio ;-). But being in such a small school, everyone new each other, and there weren't cliques based on race, as is more apparent in college. So I guess he could see that change in me, from associating with everyone, to "cliquing" with my own. I don't think I changed though, at least not to the extent he thinks I did, it was mostly just a change of environment that forced me to associate with my own.
Here is a story. Last summer (04) in England, at my cousin's b-day party, I met this beautiful Indian girl. We talked for a long time, etc, etc. And if she didn't look great enough, she was in Medical School and an actress. See, I saw she was attractive, talked to her, and things went from there. That's how I operate. Yes some races are higher on my list (preference wise), but that doesn't mean others aren't on my list. That is a matter of preference, and not a matter of disregard. See, it comes down to the battle between stereotypes and individuality - a long conversation I'm not going to get into right now. I'm against sterotypes, though I am guilty of them from time to time. If I were to totally disregard someone (not consider them at all) because of their race, then that is ignorance. So the moral of this story (my side of the argument) is - don't confuse preference with disregard. I guess I'll have to talk more about Crash another night. That's a great movie.
Comments on this are appreciated - yes, that means you.
~JL
posted by JC at 12:01 AM
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