Stereotyping

Stereotyping Shirley Whitley PH103 Informal Logic Tanya Martin November 12, 2012 Stereotyping 1 My pit-bull name is Blade he is a bully pit-bull, He is low to the ground, very muscle built. His color is like a cow with beige and white. I raised Blade from 6 weeks old, really 4 weeks old. Blade mom would not let him nurse any longer. I had to go and buy formula to give him in a baby bottle. I did this for about 6 weeks old. Blade was a good behaved pit-bull; I raised him around my grandchildren’s, and in other words he actually grew up with them, listen very well. Aggression was not in him, now he was territory, when it came to the family all I can say an excellent dog to be around. I had no problem from neighbor or friends, they talk about how good he would listen being a pit-bull. At 9 months old I took Blade for a walk. Looking at Blade you knew he was a pit-bull. People would be walking down the street and see blade walking with me they would move to the other side of the street, just because he was a pit-bull. The reputation of a pit-bull is they are aggressive, they will attack and they are mean. That is simply not true; I feel it is all how a pit-bull is raised. I have been dealing with pit-bulls for a long time, never had one to turn on me or anybody that I know. I have train, scolded and they were still my best friend. As we walk to the store a woman and her child was facing us then it dawn on her that is a pit-bull. The mother grabs her child and ran up the hill. My pit-bull stop! I told her not to be afraid he will not bite you. Her son wanted to touch Blade I guess kids do not see the danger that a parent see. The mother was afraid; I assured her that he could pat Blade that it will be alright, so she let her son pat Blade on the head. Blade got carry away and started kissing the little boy in the mouth. Then he started playing with my pit. For once the fear was gone about the pit-bull when it came to that mother and her child. Stereotyping 2 The stereotyping is there is fear of seeing a pit-bull or being around a pit. Just because the child mother has heard that pit bulls will attack you. She was not going to let her son touch my dog (Blade). When she seen Blade was friendly, she was impressed. The son was also happy he has met a new friend. I assure her anytime she want to bring her son over to my house to play with blade, she can. Ms. Padilla was not that blessed they shot her dog. The officer stereotypes her dog that ended up tragedy. He stereotyped a breed of dogs. Ms. Padilla said if the officer had not stereotyped her dog that was a pit-bull dog, he would not have gotten shot. I would classify this as hasty generalization as the argument. I am an African American, I believe in my African heritage. I love looking afro centric. My locks are thick nice long and sleek. I groom them every other day, the styles are so unbelievable. I usually wear them up in a bun, so many styles I can put my locks in and feel good about myself. I get compliments all the time about my locks styles. Well this particular day I went into a convenient store in which I always go in to get me some coffee. I was in sweat baggy pants, black hooded sweat shirt with my locks hanging down. I notice the clerk kept staring at me making the coffee. I got the coffee; proceed to find me a sweet cake. The store was kind of full, I’m standing there to wait my turn, by the time I got to the counter the clerk was popping sweat, acting very nervous it did not even come to me it was the way I was dress and on top of all that I had dread locks’. I get to the counter it is the clerk and myself, I turn my head to the left and there is the police. I felt so uncomfortable; I pull my hood off my head. Pull my dreads back so my face could be seen. I paid for my coffee and cake, Stereotyping 3 And then I walk out the store. The police asked me for identifications, I gave it to him, he check it out and I was clear. It was right after the Trayvon Martin case in Florida. Just because I had a hooded on dread locks and baggy sweatpants and hooded sweatshirt on, the clerk assumed I was there to rob her. The stereotype was the hooded sweat baggy pants and dreads locks I was a robber. This is called Ad hominen the characteristics of that person. According to Inzlicht people who felt they were discriminated against whether based on gender, age, race or religion. All experienced significant impacts even after they were removed from the situation. These lingering effects hurt people in a very real way leaving them at a disadvantage (Kemick, 2010). After all what happen to me I was able to keep my ability to focus and exercise m self-control, because I did nothing wrong. Christmas time the family and I went to Georgia for Christmas. We were so excited to be spending Christmas with other family members. Remind you we are coming from North Carolina. As I approach Columbia South Carolina the traffic were moving right along. We got lost, I found 285 west again. Everybody was panicking; I calmed everyone down by singing Christmas songs. We are almost there, flowing with the traffic, moving right along. I am looking at the cars it appears to me that we are the only ones with North Carolina tags. All of sudden I see a blue light, the singing stop!! The Christmas spirit is gone… I pull over the officer walk up to my car. He, went through the routine ask me for identification. As I was getting my documents, the officers said where you going and where are you coming from' He did not give me a chance to finish one question, before he was asking me Stereotyping 4 can he search my car. I said search my car, huh. I knew what it was. Since I was from another state I was target from the start. Then he was saying I was speeding, it just did not make since to me, why he just did not ask me that from the start. I gave him the documents he ask for then he said wait right here. He checks everything we were in the clear. Since they could not find anything else wrong, he gave me a speeding ticket in which I do not feel I deserved that ticket. He just singled me out because I had out of town tags and he stereotyped me feeling people out of town might have drugs traveling from one state to another. They searched the car could not find anything so, why did he ask to search the car' When I think about it now everybody was flowing with the traffic .That is what they do when go out of state to another place the will single you out and stereotype you. Just be careful because this is what they do. This is called Red herring fallacy. It is committed by someone who tries to avoid the issue by introducing another irrelevant issue. References Safi, A. (2008, Jan 21). Pit bull shot by deputy. St.Joseph News - Press. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/380105926'accountid=32521 Mosser, K. (2011). An introduction to logic. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Stereotyping Has Lasting Negative Impact: Prejudice has lingering effects, study shows : www.usnews.com