Prejudice

Prejudice is found between gender, religion, cultural, geographical background, and race. People have discriminated against others based upon these attributes. Besides, prejudice is largely a function of ignorance. Today, there are so many different people in this world that stereotypes are almost always incorrect, as many people choose not to be followers, but to be individuals. Asians, African-Americans, Hispanics, Caucasians, and all other ethnic groups need to look past each other's physical characteristics and start looking inside a person to see who they truly are. After all, personalities do not lie on the outside of one's body, but in one's mind. I believe that society needs to raise today's children to accept all people, no matter what they do or do not believe in or what color skin they may have.

In order to reduce prejudice and discrimination, it is considered that education for children is very important. For example, exchange student program that includes not only the one between different countries but also the one between different communities within the same area. If children are raised around people who are not the same as they are in school or community, then they will most likely not think anything different of people who do not look the same as them or believe what they believe. If humanity raises their children to believe all people are equal from the beginning, then prejudice will slowly disintegrate over time. The world needs to focus on not judging people before they know them for who they are.

Prejudice was the main factor that led to the holocaust. For some, resisting these forms of oppression was survival. Considering the dehumanizing the Nazis had forced upon the Jews, people took whatever courage and strength they had to get through this period of time. I believe luck also had a part to play in survival. Even though now prejudice is mostly name calling, 60 years ago it could mean death. Whether one is resisting the Nazis or just resisting prejudice in general, one must never give up what they truly think and believe. If the collection of the Jews occurred when I was in Europe, I would have resisted to a point. I would not want to put myself in grave danger. I would have hide in people’s attics, but if caught I would not flee. That would be worse than going to a concentration camp. For I would rather take my chance in a “death camp” then run away from the Gestapo.

I believe that if I were in a concentration camp I would not have held very much resistance in fear of death. I would have acted very selfishly only looking out for myself because there was no other way to survive, but I would have to live with the guilt