Originally Posted by susandrea
a) Keep in mind that it wasn't all that long ago that blacks could not mingle with whites, women were not allowed to vote, and gays were either jailed or sent to asylums.
b) It IS possible to change society, but only if enough people demand it be changed and stay changed.
:D
a) Yes....precisely.
b) Comes to mind the example of the erstwhile Yugoslavia; during the communist era ethnic resentments were held in check by the force of the steel fist in the iron glove; but when communism failed the lid came off and hostilities dating back to the middle ages came to the boil with the well-known result.
My point is this: real effective change only comes about from a process of education leading to understanding, not from an imposition of "values" from above....this I believe is a potentially dangerous tactic.
In the UK and Europe we have all this (I think) nonsense about the suppression of, for example, nursery-rhymes such as "Baa-baa black sheep"....the board on which the teacher chalks up stuff can't be referred-to as the "blackboard"....people are discouraged from wearing emblems of their faith such as crucifix or crescent-moon necklaces...one could go on.
I agree with you that society can be changed, and should be...just offering a gentle caveat here as to how it may be best achieved?
J.
