User:DA Scar
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[edit] Cryola Box Theory
The Crayola Box Theory is a means of explaining the innate racism in individuals. This theory utilizes childhood experiences and links it up with actions as an adult. It seeks to explore the inner workings of the human mind, using everyday experiences that the average plebian can comprehend.
What is the Theory? The theory is based on the fact that children, upon opening their first box of crayola coloring pencils, often show a bias towards certain colors in the palette. This preference is unexplained and irrational, but the child will often strongly resist attempts to use such colors in their drawings, doodles or school work. The antagonism felt towards such colors, seems harmless at first, as it is unthinkable to punish a child for refusing to color pictures with the Brown color pencil or the Yellow color pencil. However, such biases, when allowed to remain unchecked, develop into the early stages of racist thought and behavior. The child (who we shall call Smith for convenience sake),who feels that certain colors are unsuitable and inferior, may translate those feelings towards individuals of certain skin tones. Smith may, for example, discriminate towards an African American male in his class, or an Asian female in his class, simply because Smith has developed an intense disliking towards the colors that correlate to his classmates' respective skin tones. Eventually, Smith's bias causes him to focus on the negative qualities of people with such skin tones. Smith, in an effort to antagonize people of certain ethnic groups, stereotype all members of a certain race to hold the negative traits that he has observed in a single member of his class. At this point, Smith has so ingrained the idea of the inferiority of certain cultures, that it is near impossible to eradicate Smith's racist notions. It is possible to coerce Smith into remaining silent about his attitudes towards other races, even have him agree that racism is wrong. However, his racist notions, no matter the extenet to which they are suppressed, will still rise in occasions that require instinctual responses.
What Does This Theory Mean for Society? This theory seeks to understand the average racist, and its conclusion, is that most racism is unfounded and is based on harmless childhood biases that cannot be erased. Society should not victimize racists, as they are helpless against "immoral" notions that have been melded into part of their character. One cannot anymore change a man's sexual preference than remove his racist notions, as both are bonded to the center of the man's identity. Victimizing racists perpetuates a vicious cycle, as racists target minorities as the root of their problems. Thus, in a twisted way, they believe that eradicating those that they hold a bias against will cause their bias to disappear (as there will be noone left to be biased against). Instead, society should accept racists much as they accept homosexuals or any other minority group, and help racists feel comfortable in the culture that surrounds them. Racists are often misunderstood and believed to be vicious criminals, when most are peace loving, good citizens, and very neighborly. Racists often try to bottle up their feelings and their thoughts, as society discriminates against them. Instead society should allow them to "come out of the closet" and to embrace their notions and ideas. Society should treat them much like the average homosexual, with an air of acceptance and a perspective that allows the racist to feel like an unique individual.
