Why does racism, xenophobia and intolerance get so much space in the media and so little condemnation by politicians and society? Is it because racism strikes a chord inside of us or is it because we are taught from a very early age to leave if alone? We can make the following argument as well: Do we give too much attention in the media and blogs like Migrant Tales to politicians who make their racist views public? Would turning our backs on them make the problem go away? It’s pretty clear that silence is a poor response to a social ill like racism. History has taught us that if you don’t openly challenge intolerance, it will grow and not only live another day but many. There is another important question we should be asking: If we are taught that racism is bad, why do we have so few tools to challenge it? Jennifer Harvey, an associate professor of religion at Drake University in the United States, offers us some insight. You can read her blog entry, “For Whites (Like Me): On White Kids,” here. Harvey writes: So, if it’s your 4-year-old starting to notice darker skin (which happens when we raise […]
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