5 Ways to Handle a Racist Family Member

5 Ways to Handle a Racist Family Member It’s no secret that family gatherings can cause stress and lead to conflict, especially if some family members have racial views that youre staunchly against. What’s the best way to proceed when a loved one seems not only small-minded but outright racist? Don’t suffer in silence through one family gathering after another. You can take several steps to stop the Archie Bunker of the family in his tracks. These strategies include setting boundaries and calling attention to the racist behavior. Be Direct Confrontations are never easy. That said, if you don’t want to listen to your parents or siblings rattle off racial stereotypes every Thanksgiving, the direct approach is necessary. How will your family members understand that you find their behavior offensive unless you tell them? The moment your sister makes a racial joke or uses a racial stereotype, tell her that you’d appreciate it if she didn’t make such jokes or racial generalizations in front of you. If you believe that calling out your relative in front of others will make her more defensive, ask to speak to her privately and then make your feelings known. If your family member uses a racial slur in front of you, request that she doesn’t use such epithets in your presence. Do so in a calm, firm voice. Make your request short and then move on. Don’t attack your family member’s character. Just let her know that her comments make you uncomfortable. Get Help What if this family member intimidates you if he’s an elder or an in-law and you aren’t comfortable calling attention to the behavior you find inappropriate? Find a relative you feel more comfortable with and request that he accompany you as you confront the family member you believe is offensive. Tell the insensitive family member that you love and appreciate him but find his views on race hurtful. Alternatively, if your grandfather has made remarks you consider racially insensitive, you might want to ask your parent to speak with him about his behavior. If your father-in-law is the party in question, ask your spouse to confront him about his language and attitudes concerning race. If no one else in your family will serve as an ally, consider taking a less direct approach to confronting your relative. Write a brief letter or email informing him that you find his comments hurtful and asking him to refrain from such remarks in the future. Don’t Argue Whatever you do, don’t get into a debate with your relative. Agree to disagree with this family member about race rather than listening to her argument about why her racial stereotypes are valid and you’re too politically correct. Stick to the following script: â€Å"I find your comments hurtful. Please don’t make these remarks in front of me again.† Arguing with the relative will likely be a waste of time. The family member will be on the defensive and you will be on the offensive. Meanwhile, you will have convinced her of little or nothing about racial sensitivity. Focus on your feelings about the relative’s comments rather than on the validity of her beliefs. Set Consequences Depending on your situation, you might have to set guidelines with your relative. Say, for example, that you have children. Do you want your children to hear the comments by your family member? If not, let your relatives know that if they make bigoted remarks in your children’s presence you will leave the family gathering at once. If your relatives routinely make such comments, let them know that you will skip family gatherings with them altogether. This is an especially important move if you’re in an interracial relationship or have multiracial children who will feel targeted by your family members’ comments. Try Outside Influences You probably wont open your relatives’ eyes about race by arguing with them about the issue, but you can take steps to influence them that they might go along with. Organize a family trip to a museum with a social justice focus. Have a movie night at your house and screen films addressing issues of racial inequity or showing minority groups in a positive light. Start a family book club and select anti-racist literature.

Free Essays on Robert Frost A Tree At My Window

such as â€Å"between you and me† (4). Frost gives this tree a personality so the speaker can have something to relate to himself. The speaker, now reaffirmed by the security of his friend the tree, allows himself to drift off into sleep. This image is conveyed in the line, â€Å"vague dream-head lifted out of the ground†(5). The next couple of lines symbolize the speaker in a state where reality and dreams become intertwined. While in this dream state the speaker’s senses are incredibly amplified. Touch, taste, feeling, the sound of â€Å"light tongues talking aloud could be profound† (7-8), are all intensified. In the previous two stanzas, Frost’s attitude towards the speaker is positive. As the third stanza begins, the speaker’s voice becomes sad and negative. It seems as though the speaker is having a nightmare as he and the trees are â€Å"taken and tossed†(9). The speaker is â€Å"swept† (11) so far away in his dream that he must have the tree to help anchor him and bring him back to reality. Frost’s attitude towards the speaker changes in the last stanza. This part of the poem really throws off the reader. The speaker’s focus changes from his dream and his connection with the tree to how their paths crossed. Fate brought â€Å"our heads together†(13) and â€Å"her imagination†(14) made us one. The last two lines are the most interesting. The speaker is commenting on the tree â€Å"concerned with the outer†(15), and himself think... Free Essays on Robert Frost A Tree At My Window Free Essays on Robert Frost A Tree At My Window In Robert Frost’s poem, â€Å"Tree at my window,† the author uses imagery to characterize the relationship between the speaker of the poem and the tree outside his window. The tree represents the speaker in both of his conscience and subconscious states. Frost uses phrases such as â€Å"my sash is lowered† and â€Å"curtain drawn† (line 2-3) to convey that the speaker has let his guard down and given into sleep. The speaker develops a trust and common understanding with this tree with words such as â€Å"between you and me† (4). Frost gives this tree a personality so the speaker can have something to relate to himself. The speaker, now reaffirmed by the security of his friend the tree, allows himself to drift off into sleep. This image is conveyed in the line, â€Å"vague dream-head lifted out of the ground†(5). The next couple of lines symbolize the speaker in a state where reality and dreams become intertwined. While in this dream state the speaker’s senses are incredibly amplified. Touch, taste, feeling, the sound of â€Å"light tongues talking aloud could be profound† (7-8), are all intensified. In the previous two stanzas, Frost’s attitude towards the speaker is positive. As the third stanza begins, the speaker’s voice becomes sad and negative. It seems as though the speaker is having a nightmare as he and the trees are â€Å"taken and tossed†(9). The speaker is â€Å"swept† (11) so far away in his dream that he must have the tree to help anchor him and bring him back to reality. Frost’s attitude towards the speaker changes in the last stanza. This part of the poem really throws off the reader. The speaker’s focus changes from his dream and his connection with the tree to how their paths crossed. Fate brought â€Å"our heads together†(13) and â€Å"her imagination†(14) made us one. The last two lines are the most interesting. The speaker is commenting on the tree â€Å"concerned with the outer†(15), and himself think...

Why do people read and write blogs Research Paper

Why do people read and write blogs - Research Paper Example This essay considers the ways that blogs constitute a legitimate form of journalism and in the process investigated why people read and write blogs. While ‘published’ works constitute the backbone of journalism, one considers that oftentimes it is not possible to distinguish between the blog format and the professional format. Indeed, one of the significant insights into the importance and power of blogs is that many individuals in the established media have co-opted the blog format. One prominent example of this is with the technology website Tech Crunch. This site is significant as it explores entrepreneurship and innovation in the United States; as such, it investigates the backbone of American economic progress. Rather than adopting a more stolid and traditional form of journalism this site has a blog-like aesthetic, as writers such as Alexia Tsotsis explore technology through more direct and free form means of expression (Tsotsis, 2012). A prominent aspect of blogs is the way that they have been able to be leveraged by individuals for monetary purposes. Prior to blogging individuals had to push their work through well established channels as a means of gaining attention or compensation. The advent of blogging has allowed independent writers with unique ideas the ability to publish their work and gain compensation through advertisements (Dobhal, 2012). This has opened the door for voices that were previously marginalized to emerge and make significant contributions to the national discourse. While many individuals have used blogs as a means of gaining compensation for their work, a number of writers have implemented blogging as a means of making political statements. Recently, this became heavily apparent as bloggers made essential contributions to the Arab Spring revolts in the Middle East. Many dictators in the Middle East have