Mark Cuban:
“I also try not to be a hypocrite. I know I'm prejudiced. I know I'm bigoted in a lot of different ways... I've said this before. If I see a black kid in a hoodie at night on the same side of the street, I'm probably going to walk to other side of the street. If I see a white guy with a shaved head and lots of tattoos, I'm going back to the other side of the street. If I see anybody that looks threatening, and I try not to, but part of me takes into account race and gender and image. I'm prejudiced. Other than for safety issues, I try to always catch my prejudices and be very self-aware.”
Some are criticizing Cuban claiming that all he is doing is trying to rationalize his bigotry to make it seem more socially acceptable, while others have come out in support of his comments claiming that if people refuse to recognize their own bigotry, that doesn't make them non-bigoted, it makes them liars.
This is an important conversation to have in our society as the United States, for all its talk of equality and freedom, often struggles with, to paraphrase Dr. King, living up to the true nature of its creed. Are we, as a society and or even as individuals, destined to be, at least in some ways, racist? Or does this mentality offer an easy out for those who are simply unapologetic about their own racism while seeking affirmation that others share their archaic world view?
Thoughts?