It is basically human nature for a person to look at another person and make initial assumptions right off the bat. I know it's terrible to say, but sometimes, I will look at a guy that I have never said a word to in my life, maybe never even seen this guy before, and I will start asking myself, 'Hey, I wonder if he is a good athlete.' Then I might watch he walk a few steps and decide whether or not he is a jerk or he is a pretty nice guy. I am admitting to it, and I am sure that everyone else does it as well. It is immature and childish in the sense that we make assumptions through observations without any evidence. It's almost like I were to say that I think all oranges taste bad, when in reality, I have never really had an orange. This may seem irrelevant, but it is another example of, what we will call, a pre-assumption.
In his story, C.P. Ellis describes his transition from being the president and well-known member of a Klu-Klux-Klan in Durham, North Carolina, to becoming a man he recognizes that we- meaning all blacks, whites, Jews, Arabs, Catholics, etc.- are all human beings. No matter your race, your religion, how well you do in school, or what kind of cars you like, we are all humans with thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, and, most importantly, our rights to the pursuit of happiness in this world. He gave a very good explanation of why people join things like the Klan in the first place, or at least it was his reason, which was very feasible. He said, "I can understand why people join extreme right-wing or left wing groups. They're in the same boat I was. Shut out. Deep down inside, we want to be part of this great society. Nobody listens, so we join these groups" (Ellis 66). The question here is, 'is this why all people joined the Klan?' If so, then clearly there was a bigger problem in America other than Civil Rights. Was the depression the possible cause for under-priviledged whites to gain rage against the colored people and start to blame their own problems on them?
However, that same shoe can be put on the other foot. Vine Deloria explains to us that American Indians had prejudices against white people just as white people had on all other races. Let me rephrase that...Many white people had on all other races- not necessarily all other races, but possibly a few.
So the overlying question to this whole situation is, 'Where do these things originize?' or 'What makes people make these assumptions of other people?'
I really like that you start by looking at your own assumptions. That connects beautifully with Ellis' realization that the people he had hated were more like him than he thought. Seeing that takes a certain amount of courage, though--the courage to challenge assumptions. I'm also intrigued by the idea that "there was a bigger problem in America." That seems like an important idea to look at.
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