Carpe Diem

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My name is Wansena Spearman and I am a wife and mother of two beautiful daughters. As a Psychology Major, I am constantly challenged to reflect upon my values and cultural identity in relation to those biases and prejudice that I have developed about another race or culture. This is no easy task and requires complete honesty. However,through soul searching and reflection I have come to understand not only self but the soul of another. Subsequently, In using this blog as a platform to gain knowledge about different cultures, my goal is to pose topics that allow each individual to inform the readers about something we may not know about his or her race or culture. The blog is not intended for individuals to criticize or demoralize another individual’s race or cultural values but will focus on gaining insight by uncovering prejudice in order to discover understanding

Saturday, January 3, 2009





Image Bashing









We are all familiar with the power of images. They play a large role in our perception of the world around us by contributing to the way we think, feel, act and interact with people daily. Images have the power to entice, persuade and dissuade in addition to stimulating emotions of fear, dismay or anxiety. The list is never ending, and we often dismiss the power of images; never questioning—our inner selves—to make sure that our first reaction is the best one.


What would you do?

What is your first reaction when you realize that you are on a flight with several Muslims? Do you automatically go into panic mode by assuming that he or she is a terrorist? Do you blatantly study their actions; looking for any odd behavior that may be “strange” to you? For nine passengers yesterday on an AirTran flight, being Muslim and having casual conversation about airplane safety was obviously a crime. Although the conversation was between a husband and his wife (who were traveling with their young children on vacation) other passengers were also removed due to their religious practice and race.
With the Images of 911 being etched in the minds of Americans, many of us continue to harbor unresolved resentment towards a group of individuals merely for his or her religious belief. Though all of the passengers were detained, questioned and released by the FBI, AirTran refused to accommodate the passengers with a new flight.
http://muslimmatters.org/2009/01/02/nine-muslim-passengers-removed-from-airtran-flight/



After discovering this article, I was completely outraged by the ignorance that continues to saturate today’s society. Although we want change, circumstance as this one illustrates a lack of acceptance for those who do not fit into the “norms”.





In moving towards a better you, issues as this one should matter. Each of us can play a role by starting with self. What roles do Images play in your beliefs about a culture, religion, race etc..?




You can start by being honest with you!



"milestone in the comprehensive system of a self-knowing – self-analytic vehicle that empowers a person to pilot his or her own self-growth and success in life”
http://www.imagepsychology.com/
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2 comments:

  1. Michael HorvathJanuary 3, 2009 at 6:42 AM

    I think that the first step is to accept that we all have prejudice and bias to some degree. Many years ago I thought there was no way I could have any myself. Experiences taught me otherwise. To say that we do not is just denial, and denial is something we cannot always see within ourselves. By accepting my own "stuff", I am better able to see when it rears it's ugly head and to address it. This serves me by helping me to become a better man.

    ReplyDelete
  2. loverFebruary 9, 2009 at 4:58 AM

    great really true

    ReplyDelete

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