I recently wrote an assignment for communication studies and I raged a little in it about my father. The topic given was about how the interpretation of words could lead to misunderstandings and we need to either agree or disagree with this statement. I agreed, but I wrote that misunderstandings can stem from outside influence that may lead to the word/s being interpreted a certain way. These influences can be lack of knowledge, refusal to learn new knowledge, mis -and disinformation, and stereotypes and bias becoming bigotry like racism, sexism, homophobia, islamophobia, etc. I wrote about an argument I had with my father many years ago, before I was kicked out about 2 years ago. It was over BLM (Black Lives Matter). In this argument, my father's reaction to this movement was negative, spitting out misinformation, completely ignoring my explanations as he refused to challenge his cognitive filters and so on. I was shocked at his violent reaction to three words, and how he could interpret them with such malice and with such misunderstanding. How his cognitive dissonance rung so deep. I realised that my father had always been a racist... and freely in his circles, and freely in his and my mother's family because they grew up during Apartheid (and they are white), and it was acceptable to be such. And it disgusted me that they had allowed disinformation and bias to evolve into this bigotry. This is the age of technology, where, with THEIR PRIVILEGE, could unlearn such vile notions with a click of a button. But my mother would so often say, "I stay out of politics" whilst casually calling a coloured woman "mate". It makes me furious. No one deserves to be treated so horrendously. I look around, and I am horrified. The lynching? African Americans found hanging from trees? Like what the actual fuck. I am disgusted by the sheer stupidity, apathetic and sick minds of these people - they are not human - people that support this AND COMMIT THESE CRIMES.
PS. For those who aren't familiar with the term 'coloured person', it is a large group of people in South Africa that was heavily impacted during Apartheid and they, themselves, use this term and in no way is it a slur or derogatory word. They are neither black or white, and therefore, use the term to define themselves and their culture. It should be respected as such. Do not come at me and label me racist. You are being racist by stripping that description of their self away from them. Thank you. The term 'mate' though, can be seen as derogatory as many coloured woman whom work as a cleaner (maid) were, and possibly are, referred to as that to establish racial superiority (usually used from a white person against a coloured person).
