White Guy's Rant on Racism and Discrimination

Hi, I'm white and daring to talk to you about discrimination. But wait, don't click off the article yet! I think my opinion is fair and balanced- but not in a Fox News kinda way!

            At any rate, as far as racial discrimination I personally have not experienced it, but definitely have witnessed it in a general sense. As a white male it does pain me to admit that I have been in the company of other white men who have felt it appropriate to trade racial slurs about certain collective groups, or even specific people. Of course, this was done in the absence of anyone of color. Sadly, at a few jobs that I had when younger, these were often members of management who thought this way and expressed these thoughts with who was promoted into supervisory positions. I might add, it takes wisdom and tact (that I surely did not posses when younger) to be able to discuss the inherent wrong with racial preferences and stereotypes with co-workers. For instance at that time, I would not have been capable of properly articulating the fact that most views held regarding race are fabricated and that race itself is a social construct (Vietze, Jones, Dovidio, Sommers-Flanagan, & Sommers-Flanagan, 2017).

            Finally, on a personal level, growing up with cerebral palsy I have had a few incidents where I have been on the receiving end of discriminatory practices. For instance, during a job interview that required a physical, after disclosing I had cerebral palsy, I was made to go back and retake the physical, despite having passed the first attempt. This led me to cease disclosing my disability for many years thereafter. It was awkward and too difficult to explain easily. Moreover, even if was not treated differently in a negative way, I was overly helped along due to a perception of inability, which I’d argue, is almost as bad. Due to these experiences I can at least begin to see the reason why those that have the ability to not disclose something that might be...umm shall we say 'unaccepted' by the masses (such as sexual preference), choose not to do so. Naturally, this does little for those who cannot hide who they are, such as with race. However, in either case no one should be forced to deny their true selves but for the ignorance of another.   

References

Falender, C. A., Shafranske, E. P., & Falicov, C. J. (2014). Reflective practice: Culture in self and other. In C. A. Falender, E. P. Shafranske, & C. J. Falicov (Eds.), Multiculturalism and diversity in clinical supervision: A competency-based approach. (pp. 273–281). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. 

Vietze, D. L., Jones, J. M., Dovidio, J. F., Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2017). Ethics and Cultural Diversity in Mental Health & Wellness. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Red Dead Redemption 2

I have been playing video games all the way back to the Atari 2600. This does two things; it dates me, but it also hopefully demonstrates I have had a myriad of experiences in the gaming world, and more importantly experiencing the worlds more the more modern day games have crafted.  

I’ve fought on the ice in Blades of Steel, cheered when Magus joined my band of heroes in Chrono Trigger and laughed at the corny dialogue supplied by every character while evading zombies in the first Resident Evil. I also got to traverse the wild west with John Marston, a character which I grew to admire and respect. Getting to know Marston and his family made me all the more skeptical when Rockstar Games stated the Red Dead Redemption 2 would be a prequel focusing on some stranger, Arthur Morgan. But now I am  true believer, fully convinced that Arthur is one of the greatest protogonists, not only in the history of gaming, but storytelling, PERIOD. - Disagree and come at me if you will. 

And here are a few reasons why…

The Man – He's More Than He Appears to Be 

One of the main assumptions most of the characters in RDR2 make (including Arthur himself) is that he’s not extremely blessed with intelligence and nothing more than a trigger man. Contrary to this, Arthur displays throughout the game that he cares deeply about those around him and has a very clear delineation of right and wrong. Arthur's biggest issue isn't that he's dim; its that he learns too late that there are many things in this world more important than loyalty. Arthur’s depth as a character is more well known to the player than most of those that surround him in Rockstar’s marvelously crafted world.

The Myth - Why is Arthur so Damn Likable?

Arthur’s appeal comes from the fact that he asks the same questions that we ask ourselves. Each of us, deep down wonders if we good enough, or even good at all. Truthfully his demons likely look familiar to many of us. He contemplates these things even as he faces down his own mortality. In many ways, Arthur is all of us, and I’m not afraid to admit, Arthur is ME.

The Legend – What is Arthur’s Legacy?

Within Arthur’s journey redemption is obviously a theme, but so is that of karma. Arthur’s story is one that demonstrates quite clearly that despite an ugly past, we must focus our attention on the present in order to be able to have peace in our future.