Stereotyping is a lazy excuse for critical thinking and problem solving...

A group of people feel uncomfortable in certain public bathrooms, and suddenly we need laws that let those people use any bathroom that makes them feel comfortable. This in turn, makes other groups of people uncomfortable and so they speak up and we then call those people names like intolerant and bigot and prejudice. Nothing has really been gained except the two groups are further divided and now everyone is uncomfortable in public bathrooms.

A mentally disturbed young man is welcomed into a church for bible study. For whatever reason, he kills the people who just showed him hospitality and human kindness. No one understands. It doesn’t make sense. Then we find out that this young man had a picture of a Confederate Flag and we decide that every person who has a Confederate Flag is a racist and just looking at this flag on a courthouse lawn may cause these previously sane people to lose their minds and also go on a killing spree. We have the flags removed, and in so doing insult the heritage of another group. Again the two groups are now further divided and people no longer feel comfortable.

            Another mentally disturbed person uses a firearm to do commit horrible, horrible acts. No one understands. It doesn’t make sense. Immediately we decide that guns are evil and must be banned. If a few people are disturbed then anyone holding a gun must also be disturbed. One group now feels a little safer, while the gun group starts buying guns like crazy before their rights are removed and they feel less safe. The two groups are now...can you guess?...further divided and nobody is comfortable with the new laws. 

A bad policeman’s true colors are shown and people start saying all policemen are bad. A black kid kills a cop and now all black kids are probably cop killers. Some Illegal Aliens have committed crimes so we decide that all are dangerous criminals. I shouldn't even need to say it. Further divided, nobody comfortable, and so on and so on.

              You cannot tell me that in the year 2016, we cannot use our intelligence, our creativity, and especially our compassion and find better solutions than just the reactionary stereotyping that has become so customary of late. We keep proving over and over again that the only really thing that is accomplished is that we are further and further divided. I don’t have the answers, but I do believe we are better than this.