David,
Marietta, GA
People interpret the world using the only tools at their disposal, almost always defaulting to the answer that requires the least amount of intellectual effort. As someone that people assume to, “be like them”, I get to hear various racial, ethnic, and cultural biases, freely given with no provocation from me. My favorite, of course is when someone offers up an antisemitic remark. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it usually catches me off guard and I can’t think of an appropriate response. This silence is ,of course, the wrong response because it is interpreted as agreement with the statement. Those times I’ve had the courage to confront the person, they just stammer and attempt to back pedal. I’m certain they did not change their world view