Journal 5: Public Discourse (Brent Staples)

As much as I don’t want to think that I would feel the same way as the women Staples encounters on the streets at night, I really honestly would feel scared to. I could picture myself constantly peering over my shoulders and walking so fast it would probably seem as though I was running. In Staple’s paper he makes it seem as though women on the street at night are only scared of a tall black man walking by himself, having a beard, billowing hair, and both hands shoved into the pockets of his bulky military jacket. However, if I was walking on a street at night, I would be scared or at least uncomfortable of any man behind me walking by him, white or black. I thought it was a little extreme for someone to call security guards on Staples when he was rushing his article in to his editor. I mean wouldn’t the guards at least ask him what he was doing, that just seems like it shouldn’t be allowed for someone to accuse you for doing something, but not let you explain or at least try to plead your innocence. Also, that was weird to me that no one even recognized him at his own workplace. I find it as sad that America is still dealing with these stereotypes today. I think this paper is proof that discrimination is still alive and a problem in America today, even though some people want to believe that discrimination is no longer a problem and will deny it still exists. I found it kind of humorous that this six foot two black guy was such a softy; I guess I find it humorous that any big tall guy would be such a softy. That is another stereotype that is alive in America today; men are the dominant strong sex. Besides that little part that I found humorous in Staple’s paper, what I got out of reading this paper is that discrimination is still alive today. Also, I think that especially dealing with this specific instance of discrimination it is becoming more and more evident in America due to the high rate of terrorism and crime now-a-days, especially in urban areas. A good way to try and help fight against the discrimination that Staples is expressing through his paper, would be to walk in groups when you go out at night, and to make assumptions of people based on their physical appearance.