-..Norman
Kunc & Emma Van der Klift
..We have many biases...
..And we've worked very hard to get them
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(90 minutes)  |
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In You
Can’t Say You Can’t Play, Vivian Gussin-Paley writes: "It’s the habit
of exclusion that grows strong; the identity of those being excluded is
irrelevant.”
When I read that sentence,
I put the book down and began thinking about the implications of that sentence.
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Exclusion is the generic simplistic solution we use to try to solve complex societal problems. It gives us the illusion of competence and power in the face of anxiety. |
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A high school teacher summed it up perfectly. “We don’t give detentions because we think they work; we give detentions because we don’t know what else to do!” |
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When we wonder about what is possible, what we think is necessary is often revealed as merely a habit. |
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In the vast majority
of cases, the sole purpose of exclusion is administrative convenience.
We exclude, not because it’s right, but because it’s easy. |
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Exclusion inherently
involves scapegoating. Over time, it has been witches, communists,
African-Americans, immigrants, homosexuals, and disabled people.
The perceived threat is always social chaos; the perceived remedy is exclusion.
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Available in VHS Order Video |
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