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What you don't know might help you
I’ve never related to baseball much. However, I was recently
thumbing through a news magazine and hit upon a tidbit of information
that got me thinking about our national pastime and how it relates
to the change of attitudes in our country.
When Jackie Robinson, a slave’s grandson, shattered the color
barrier of Major League Baseball in 1947, a number of players threatened
to strike in protest to his race.
At the time, of course, this politically incorrect gesture was actually
correctly political. No one, including Mr. Robinson, was shocked
by the dissent on the part of players, and even spectators, for
having to associate with or endure watching a colored man play ball.
Those who didn’t particularly hate the thought of a black
player could sympathize with those who did. Some even said it would
ruin the wholesomeness of the game.
Well, almost 47 years later, baseball is still dominated by “whites,”
but the concept of a black man having to fight racial discrimination
to play professional baseball is almost unfathomable. The same owners
and managers who balked at an interracial team in the ‘40s
and ‘50s would be in multimillion dollar bidding wars over
some African Americans today.
Although this phenomenon of change may invoke a desire to join hands
and sing “Ebony and Ivory,” it’s not the passage
of time, baseball, or even racism that most intrigues me about this
evolution of attitudes toward certain individuals or concepts.
The stubborn American tendency to hobble social change is the basis
for civil injustice, the problems it causes and the problems it
will continue to cause in our culture.
There are three simple steps to speeding up the process of social
change: Exposure, realization of falsehoods and truths, and acceptance.
Exposure to, or education of, almost anything feared or hated has
positive results, even in cases which have no obvious positive outcomes.
To be exposed to other cultures, orientations, ideologies, religions
and races is to become aware of reality, plain and simple. The most
difficult thing about exposure is the fear and shock it often invokes.
In 1964, the parents of Little Rock, Arkansas schoolchildren were
terrified and hateful over a little 60-pound black girl attending
an all-white school. Similarly, the conservative faction of the
‘50s was horrified at the music of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis,
fearing for the degradation of society. Both established groups,
usually non-reactionary, had to face fearful and unfamiliar situations.
That scary, required class you just knew you’d hate –
but really enjoyed – is another prime example.
However, it’s not a certainty that such exposure will automatically
change individual’s minds. There is still a Flat Earth Society
for the occasional ignoramus. Metaphorically speaking, however,
we can all greatly reduce our ignorance by taking enlightening cruises
that encircle the globe.
Realization of falsehoods and truths hopefully occurs sometime during
or after exposure. This is when the baseball bigot decides, “Wow,
that Robinson fellow can really play; maybe he won’t ruin
the game after all.”
For years I was afraid of and mad at gay people. After working with
some gay students in a restaurant, I realized my fear was based
on lack of exposure. Thus, my fear subsided. Probably every person
on this campus has met someone they just knew they’d hate
for reasons of unfamiliarity – a roommate or lab partner of
a different nationality, background, etc. – but would end
up really liking and understanding that person’s differences.
This brings me to the most important stage in social change: acceptance.
In order to bring beneficial social change full circle, new ideas
and ideologies, differing viewpoints on religion, sex education,
politics and even the Aggie Bonfire should only be regarded as different
from your own, and accepted as such.
Only when acceptance has been made will different peoples be able
to get along. However, as with all social theories, this one of
exposure, realization and acceptance is not without flaw.
Acceptance doesn’t always, nor necessarily should, follow
realization.
Jeffrey Dahmer’s roommate or lab partner, for instance, would’ve
been wise in rejecting little Jeffy’s desire for spleen sandwiches.
Unless he actually tried one, of course.
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