TestOfTide
Banned
After reading the whole article it is great to hear that Derek has learned enough about the world and his peers to disavow the movement he helped create. It's a very familiar story and one I and I'm sure many others have seen happen in person.
Almost every single racist I cross paths with has the same story. They were raised being isolated from anyone 'different' from them. Due to this upbringing their young minds are shaped and molded (brainwashed) to believe the sensational BS they have heard their entire lives. None of them have any actual interactions with the groups they think they hate and once they do if we are lucky they start to understand that their belief system is built on bullshit.
I keep the same principles in mind when I meet racist people that the college did. "Maybe we can change their mind". Sure, sometimes it's difficult to 'play nice' with people who think you and you family are sub-human but you only stiffen their resolve if you ostracize them. Be inclusive, discuss things rationally, try to make yourself understand why they think the way they do. I don't have to agree to understand why they have the mindset.
This approach doesn't always work and honestly isn't successful most of the time but the only way these types change their views is through positive interaction with a variety of people.
You're right that with many shame and humiliation won't help, but the only way to make it easier for the ignorant and misinformed to learn is to both educate them while also shaming and humiliating the outright bigoted.
My best examples for the two approaches would be my Mom and my former employer:
- My mom was VERY misinformed and ignorant, but over time she has turned back into being a lot more socially liberal and receptive to more moderate views. It took me years to accomplish this but it was well worth being able to have productive political talks with my own mother.
- My former employer was straight up bigoted. As I tried to educate him and encourage him to do actual research, he simply became more and more stubborn in his support of Trump. Eventually I just flipped the switch and just talked to him like he was shit and demeaned his political views and the result is that while he isn't changing his bigoted views, he is less and less comfortable openly expressing his bigotry.