"This, good?"

[Capitaine Vengeur 263]

As today's lesson about stupidity of prejudice, I'd like to report this funny anecdote I have just heard about Léopold Sédar Senghor, first President of independent Senegal, and one of the most illustrious Black poets and cultural thinkers in French language.

 

As a member of the French Academy, Senghor was invited to a congress in France, where he was to pronounce a very awaited speech. Before that, his neighbour at table happened to be an old-fashioned senile MP who didn't know him, but who, surprised at seeing a Black man there, thought him the average African savage. Showing Senghor's plate, he asked him: "This, good?". "Yes. This, good." Senghor replied. The old jerk insisted: "This, good food?". Senghor again patiently replied: "Yes. This, good food."

 

Then Senghor was summoned for his speech. There, he pronounced a most impressive piece of anthology, a blazing proof of his sharp spirit and extensive culture, beginning in Latin and ending in Greek... Under a thunder of applause, he came back to his table, sat next to the dumbfounded idiot, and asked him with a large smile: "This, good talk?"

[JediMaster 451]

Yeah, it really amazes me how people can make snap judgements. Now some will take it too far, and say we shouldn't be judging the guy caught robbing your house either, which is just stupid.

 

Give people the benefit of the doubt. No matter their appearance, they could be smart, dumb, good, bad, whatever. However, once they show who they are, don't make apologies for them like "it's all they know" or "they had a bad childhood" or whatever. Some of the best people in the world were raised and lived their entire lives in misery. Some of the worst people were born and raised in lives of privilege.

[von Baur 54]

My father grew up in The Depression.His father left his mother and him at an early age. They moved from town to town, staying one step ahead of the bill collectors. He said he had eight different schools in seven years. He could have used it as an excuse for all sorts of bad behavior. Instead he used it as motivation never to let his children experience that kind of life. We never did.

 

 

These people who say, "I had a rough childhood" can kiss my fourth point of contact (there's one for all you parachutists out there).

[Snailman 517]

My father grew up in The Depression.His father left his mother and him at an early age. They moved from town to town, staying one step ahead of the bill collectors. He said he had eight different schools in seven years. He could have used it as an excuse for all sorts of bad behavior. Instead he used it as motivation never to let his children experience that kind of life. We never did.

 

These people who say, "I had a rough childhood" can kiss my fourth point of contact (there's one for all you parachutists out there).

 

Absolutely agreed...!!! my grandparents lived after WWI  and after our national tragedy. They were 12 sisters and brothers... Shoes? Only in winter and only for the biggest ones. Medicine? What is that? Even my mother walked 8km every day to elementary school in the late 50's. My fathers grandparents survived three wars, and two types of labour camps (1914-18, 1919-20, 1939-44, 1945-59).

The life punished them all for something they never did. And still they died as honest people. Some of them, 6000km away from their homeland.

As a personal code of honor, I stick to these examples. And, perhaps it's just the "noble blood"... but I don't believe in genetics. I believe in personality and exemplary parenthood.

[JediMaster 451]

Exactly. Some abilities you are born with (mostly the athletic ones), but the ability to be civil or not is not one of them.

 

It is learned, but it is also a choice. You choose how to respond to your life.