Too many students refuse to talk or, at times, even glance at anyone outside of their “clique.” Is it easier to lump people into groups rather than think of them as a bunch of separate individuals? The fact is that each one of us is different. We may have the same habits, or enjoy the same kind of attire and activities, but to stereotype an individual because of a few similarities is wrong. It’s bad enough that students put themselves and others on a social scale, but they even go as far as to label different groups of students as hicks, stoners, smokers, slackers, skaters, jocks or nerds. Why must the student body use labels to describe a person or the group they belong to? Just because fellow classmates dress the same as other people does not mean that they can be labeled as the same type of person. Some may eventually get tired of these assumptions and be offended. It’s an old cliché, but don’t judge a book by its cover. It is not often that I find myself embarrassed of my peers and fellow classmates at Flathead. However, FHS students who ignore or condemn others because of their looks sink to the same kind of low that past generations did with racial segregation. Anyone can see that this stereotyping is plaguing our country. What’s next? It’s not like we’re going to pull bed sheets over our heads and break out the matches, but the oppression of others has to start somewhere, doesn’t it? A suggestion to those who choose to stereotype others: When you label another, you not only cause unneeded conflict, but risk alienating yourself from your peers. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves for treating others in a fashion that simply ignores or labels them and gives them the cold shoulder. We should grow up and be able to accept people for who they are. |
