No Visible Finish Line

A Sikh was shot at in Seattle yesterday with the shooter yelling "get out of our country, go back to where you're from." This possible hate crime is yet another example of the inherent racism our society still faces. Similar to Staples piece, this man was profiled possibly for his religion and looks, unnecessarily associating him with terrorism. The man was minding his own business attending his car when the suspect confronted him. Staples was "suffering a bout of insomnia" when his "first victim" fled from his sights. In both cases Staples and the Sikh man were the true victims, yet Staples's irony mocks how people hold stereotypes. Staples fulfills society's view on him calling himself the oppressor when in reality he is the true victim in the scenario. People's inability to see past Staples' looks force him to the victim of prejudice and stereotypes.

Society forces people like Staples to change their own image rather than fixing their own flaw. For example, Staples begins to "whistle melodies" from classical songs to make him seem as if he is less dangerous and almost childish. This also relates to the grocery shop video we watched in first semester where the African American narrator had to resist from reinforcing stereotypes and just keep her mouth shut during the injustice.

However, for society to truly advance from this almost primitive like mindset, those with the flaws must be corrected rather than the victims. After being founded on total acceptance of others, the US continues to be far from achieving that belief.