Cops are murderers. Journalists are liars. Muslims are terrorists. Feminists hate men. Men are masculine. Lesbians are not femme. Those who commit suicide are weak.
Stated above are all phrases that are all too commonplace in a society that is supposed to be far more tolerant than those of eras past.
It’s 2018
It’s the 2000’s
It’s the 90s
It’s the 80s
It’s the 70s
It’s the 60s
“People are changing, people are better,” yet how are we at the same point now that we were then?
The answer is that nothing ever changes for the better in a society where the aforementioned phrases are still in existence.
In reality we are discouraged from changing for the better, and are discouraged from breaking these negative stereotypes by the same people that proudly exclaim that the current era is more tolerant than the rest.
Instead of encouraging those who seek a future career as a police officer or journalist, we deter them by spewing out negative stereotypes made by people who were terrible at their job.
Do not think that you are the only one fed up with the way things currently are in those fields.
Younger and current generations are also tired of reading sensationalized and biased headlines and learning yet another person has become the victim of police brutality.
Be an encouraging voice to those generations, let them be aware of the negatives stereotypes but in a way that they understand that the mistakes of others do not define them.
Let these individuals know that they have the ability to improve the current negative state of that particular field.
When positively encouraged, those interested in being a police officer will strive for better training procedures, defend and contribute to the welfare of their community and promote the fact they enforce and educate others on the law, but they are not law.
Aspiring journalists will reports the news as it occurs with an objective view, now that they understand that they don’t have to please their audience by catering to their beliefs or views.
However, negative stereotypes not only exist in certain career fields but in mainstream society as a whole.
Due to the actions of one particular group, all muslims are cast off with the negative label, terrorist, when in actuality, majority of muslims don’t agree with the actions of the group that prompted society to labels all believers of Islam as a terrorist.
We should not resent the existence of others for an event that they had no control over in a country where all religion is supposed to be allowed and practiced.
Mainstream society is not only callous to those from other nationalities but those who considered or enacted suicide.
Those who have toyed with the idea of suicide are not weak, it’s just that there are not enough resources available to combat this situation.
Instead of balking at those who should be implementing for more resources associated with mental health and thoughts of suicide, we balk at those who have facilitated the idea of suicide.
All current societal stereotypes are asinine and antiquated.
One example of a current societal stereotype dictates that all men are expected to be masculine and lesbians are expected to be “butch.”
As ridiculous as these stereotypes, we, society as whole, still cater to them.
Now is the time to dispute these outdated constructs.
Men are allowed to enjoy a nice, soothing bubble bath or marathon romantic comedies starring Sandra Bullock.
Women are allowed to love lipstick just as much as they love labias.
