THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 31, 1996 TAG: 9605310046
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E14 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Listen Up!
SOURCE: Vorando Mack and Karen Baranki
LENGTH: 38 lines
DEAR KAREN AND VORANDO: I have a family member who has a habit of calling people of other races derogatory names. I find it rude and unfair. He doesn't know them, but finds it humorous to call them racist and nasty names. He has his own stereotypes for them and thinks that they are all correct but he won't talk to (the people) or meet them when he insults them.
I know he's going to get himself in trouble because he grows bolder and bolder with it every day. What can I do to stop him and how can I help him see wrong in what he believes? - Relative of Ignorance
Dear R.O.I.: A behavior such as his is either taught or produced by ignorance.
You can try to help him understand that what he is doing is simply not intelligent. For anyone to make assumptions of any group of people because of their ethnicity is foolish and obtuse.
To help your family member, try to educate him on how unjust his mannerism is. Challenge him. Dare him to approach and meet someone of another race or ethnicity and really get to know that person and their culture.
If he backs down from your challenge, you both will see that he is either a coward or is ignorant, or is a combination of the two. However, if he accepts your challenge, it shows promise. MEMO: Vorando Mack is a senior at Norview High School and Karen Baranski
is a senior at Green Run High School. Their column appears biweekly in
Teenology. You can ask questions by calling INFOLINE at 640-5555 and
entering category 8335, or write to them at Listen Up!, 4565 Virginia
Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, Va. 23462. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Vorando Mack and Karen Baranski by CNB