Judgments’ Eye

by BL in History, November 9, 2009

An essay on how prevailent judging others by outside looks still is in today’s society.

Unquestionably, another time when physical characteristics became wrongly linked with personality is demonstrated in “I have a Dream”. This speech by Martin Luther King Jr. talks about how the African American population wants to have equal civil rights with the white society. The first reason of how this shows linking physical characteristics with personality or behavior is that the African Americans are limited in travel from “one ghetto to a larger one”. This tells us that they are not welcome in normal society, most likely because they are considered “unclean” just because of their skin color. A second reason is that the have either no rights, or in some places, very little rights to votes. This is because the white majority thinks that the African American minority will pollute the voting system with “unjust” votes. Once again, linking the dark skinned physical characteristic with personality and behavior.

In final analysis, it seems that no matter what goes on, we believe what we see. From watching oppressed women in the Middle East to civil rights in North America, it appears we see and judge from the media’s eye. However, we all have a decision, to fall into stereotyping or to ignore it all and truly find out for ourselves. Only then will we know that what we think we see is not always what we get.

Works Cited

Crane, Mary, Barbara Fullerton and Amanda Joseph, authors. Sightlines 10. Toronto: Prentice Hall, 2000.

Kehret, Peg. “I’m Not My Brother; I’m Me.” 55-56.