[elias]

Bigotry, Ignorance and Fear

By Adrian Savage

Ignorance and fear, the two pillars of bigotry, are powerful allies. Each supports the other. Some people act in discriminatory and biased ways through ignorance, fear and low self-esteem. They seek validation of a sense of importance by imagining some superiority to others.

Bigoted people ignore the reality that there’s greater diversity within any grouping (men, women, black, white) than there is between these groupings. This rooted tendency to respond to uncertainty by imposing some personal security blanket on the world is what produces discrimination. What we can’t suppress, we fear.

Discrimination is totally illogical. You can’t show a rational reason to support it. Sadly, those who practice discrimination don’t use logic. They play on emotions, especially fear in the face of anything different.

They also praise belief above thought. Thought takes mental effort. It leaves you open to discovering you’re wrong about something. In contrast, belief is easy on the mind. You just do it. Belief says “this is the way it is,” regardless of any evidence to the contrary.

Thought is rational and (potentially) objective. Belief is emotional and always subjective. Thanks to an epidemic of sentimentality, emotions are “in.” They are “authentic.”

Sure, they’re authentic—provided they’re actually felt, not pretended for the sake of effect. But that doesn’t make what you feel true. Authentic means real, not correct. Lies are real. Ask anyone whose been tricked by a liar if the lies were real. Or the pain and loss they caused.

I’m constantly amazed at what people manage to believe. Still more amazing is the tenacity they show in clinging to those beliefs in the face of any evidence.

Knowledgeable people can be wrong—we’re all human and mistakes happen—but at least they have the chance to see where their errors exist and put things right. “True believers” cannot even admit the possibility of error. Once they do, their whole belief structure collapses.

The key to removing discrimination is the banishment of bigotry and fear. And the only way to do this is to remove ignorance wherever it’s found.

(Adrian Savage is a a retired business executive who lives in Tucson, Arizona.)

Bigotry, Ignorance and Fear

By Adrian Savage

Ignorance and fear, the two pillars of bigotry, are powerful allies. Each supports the other. Some people act in discriminatory and biased ways through ignorance, fear and low self-esteem. They seek validation of a sense of importance by imagining some superiority to others.

Bigoted people ignore the reality that there’s greater diversity within any grouping (men, women, black, white) than there is between these groupings. This rooted tendency to respond to uncertainty by imposing some personal security blanket on the world is what produces discrimination. What we can’t suppress, we fear.

Discrimination is totally illogical. You can’t show a rational reason to support it. Sadly, those who practice discrimination don’t use logic. They play on emotions, especially fear in the face of anything different.

They also praise belief above thought. Thought takes mental effort. It leaves you open to discovering you’re wrong about something. In contrast, belief is easy on the mind. You just do it. Belief says “this is the way it is,” regardless of any evidence to the contrary.

Thought is rational and (potentially) objective. Belief is emotional and always subjective. Thanks to an epidemic of sentimentality, emotions are “in.” They are “authentic.”

Sure, they’re authentic—provided they’re actually felt, not pretended for the sake of effect. But that doesn’t make what you feel true. Authentic means real, not correct. Lies are real. Ask anyone whose been tricked by a liar if the lies were real. Or the pain and loss they caused.

I’m constantly amazed at what people manage to believe. Still more amazing is the tenacity they show in clinging to those beliefs in the face of any evidence.

Knowledgeable people can be wrong—we’re all human and mistakes happen—but at least they have the chance to see where their errors exist and put things right. “True believers” cannot even admit the possibility of error. Once they do, their whole belief structure collapses.

The key to removing discrimination is the banishment of bigotry and fear. And the only way to do this is to remove ignorance wherever it’s found.

(Adrian Savage is a a retired business executive who lives in Tucson, Arizona.)

The time for Ethiopia as a cover is long gone and now it is a ethnic Kilil in Ethiopia - hence bigotry doesn't apply.

In a Name and Shame campaign, starting today any one in this forum who uses ethnic slurs or maligns any people (from certain economic class, religion, region, nationality, ethnic origin, and color) will be listed below as a bigot without further warning. It starts today.

List of Bigots

1. Halafi Mengedi (warning)
2. Yoha (warning)
3. Akele-Guzai (suspended for 1 month)
4. Hawzen (warning)

Criminal shabo and one of its sympathizers leading in the bigotry department. 2012, the moment of truth. I love it.

Awash ! ወይኒ የላቡን ነገርማ ተይው your organization do much crimes than Shaebia , I hope you are not asking for proof . "Mafen"

I wonder what happens to BWENDEMU the Weyane mouthpiece , I haven't heard from him lately .

... Tigrians become Beggars in both Asmara and Addis , If this Idiot calls that a pride so be it. I feel bad that because of Tigrians both Ethiopians and Eritreans are suffering .

What could be more bigotry than this? Shame on you.

Telling a fact or true statement is not bigotry.
Now one can say that the more south you go in Africa the blacker the people get, the bigger their lips be and the kinkier their hair be. Not that I am saying being very dark skin or having big lips or having kinky hair is bad, but that fact would be considered as bigotry by some people.
Now, yoha also stated a fact about the tigreyans who were in Eritrea. He said that majority of them were beggars, gardeners, [deleted], guards and the women were mostly prostitutes or maids (he did not say that about the tigreyan women, but I added that because those were also facts). Again not that I am saying being a gardener, a guard a [deleted] or maid or a prostitute is a bad thing, if that is one wants to do. But it is not fair for some one to be called racist, bigot because he told the truth.
Now elias or any other ethiopian who never lived in Eritrea during the old times can not be the mouth piece on what we the Eritreans seen and encountered with our own eyes and thus should not be permitted to tell us calling what we saw is bigotry just like I would not be the judge on what the tigreyans are doing in ethiopia nowadays. All I know is what you ethiopians are telling us about them. So if I say all the tigreyans are beggars and prostitutes in Addis nowadays...I could be considered as a bigot for I do not have a first hand look at it.
But as they say old habits are hard to break some say, so...I am just saying.

Awash ! ወይኒ የላቡን ነገርማ ተይው your organization do much crimes than Shaebia , I hope you are not asking for proof . "Mafen"

shabo,
Admitting you're a criminal against the Eri ppl is a good start!!!

When will U (two legged [deleted]) lead by example, if U´re so WISE and admit your govts. criminality then instead of lecturing yoha? THAT would be a good start!

Edu, if you call me belay or belaynesh that is considered a bigot.

I don't understand why the word ፈሶ ኢዝ ኤ ቢገ ት?

Awash ! ወይኒ የላቡን ነገርማ ተይው your organization do much crimes than Shaebia , I hope you are not asking for proof . "Mafen"

shabo,
Admitting you're a criminal against the Eri ppl is a good start!!!

Awash ወይኒ !
Sure i never said Shaebia is an Angel , what i am saying is how come you don't say the same about weyane " kondaf"