Sorry if I've Offended

Feeling better. But this week has prompted a good deal of thought (nothing better to do when you're sick). It seems like almost every day since I've gotten here that I have found myself having to defend (or being offended by comments about) my/others' race, religion, or gender. It's not that outward prejudice is rampant. Most of the stuff is a little more under the radar screen.

For example, in my Constitutional History class, someone argued that blacks wouldn't have been better off with "40 acres and a mule" after the Civil War because they were so uneducated they "could hardly communicate with eachother or anyone else." So, let me get this straight: blacks couldn't figure out how to farm. They had only been the life-force of the plantation system for a couple hundred years! If he was referring to illiteracy, most poor white farmers were illiterate as well.

The sub-text of the comment seems clear enough to me. But I find that when I try to call people on these sorts of statements, they don't see anything wrong with them. And it happens in conversations about race, religion, and gender all the time. To paraphrase Jennifer Aniston's post-divorce description of Brad Pitt, it's like some people are missing a sensitivity-chip.

On the other hand, I do believe it is possible to be over-sensitive. Apparently, some animal rights groups and others are up in arms about the new Curious George movie. I get the impression that they have the same objections to the movie as to the books. Basically, they claim it has imperialist undertones, and that since zoos are inherently cruel, a story about a monkey who (kind of) lives in one sends a bad message. Okay, I may not be painting the fairest portrait of their claims, so if you want to read what they say, check out this SF Chronicle article. I just think sometimes people get a little too worked up.