This is clip from the show What Would You Do? The set up is a gay or lesbian couple who take their children out to eat and the waiter is verbally abusive to them. The show captures people's reactions to the waiter and whether or not they choose to do something about it.
I think it's important to ask ourselves, what would we would do in a similar situation? Are we willing to stand up for people, even if we may not agree with their choice of lifestyle? Or are we more likely to be bystanders to the situation unfolding before us? I think it's also interesting to see which people choose to speak up and which ones to not.
Monday, November 1, 2010
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I think this video is a good eye-opener; it makes me question how I would act if I were in that situation. I really like what the last guy said. He stood up to the rude waiter and defended the couple, not because it was the heroic thing to do, but because it was the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteEquality isn't about having everyone treated exactly the same and placed on the same playing field. Equality is about acknowledging people's differences and making them feel included and accepted.
For example,let's say Professor Morgan brings in a basket of fruit one day to class. He gives each student a slice of watermelon. This seems fair- everyone is being treated exactly the same; everyone gets a slice of watermelon. My argument is that this is NOT equality though. I happen to be allergic to watermelon. His assumption that giving everyone a slice of watermelon is "equal" and "fair" would make me feel discriminated against.
I think it was wrong for whites to think poorly of blacks because of the difference in skin color. Similarly, I think it's wrong for people to judge others because of their sexual orientation. It really frustrates me how some individuals will look upon gays and lesbians with disgust.
The most noble and humane thing we can do, in my opinion, is stand up for one other. Accept people for who they are. Defend them. Practice equality by being open-minded and seeing the world from another's perspective.
I agree with the last man who spoke as well: I think any kind of discrimination or profiling can get taken way too far, and can end up in circumstances as horrific as the Holocaust if we’re not careful. It’s not easy, but I think it’s very important to stand up for what you know is right. Like this man said, if everyone did that, we wouldn’t be having a lot of current problems. I think every individual can be very influential. Had that situation not been fabricated, I think the waiter would be much less likely to say anything like that again. We should use the power of peer pressure to police such discriminatory comments, and make America a more tolerant, accepting nation.
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