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 %PERCEIVED HARM VIOLENCE OFFENSE PREJUDICE COLLUDE+950928
   %EMBARRASS VIOLENCE COERCION MOTIVATION PERCEIVE+950928
     %FRIEND ENEMY TRUST RISK RESPECT REJECT ACCEPT 950928

     Whether  or  not we perceive that another person  has
harmed  us depends heavily upon  our pre-existing sense of
how friendly,  trustworthy,  reliable and respectable  the
other person is.  Much depends upon our prejudice.

     If  we are looking for an excuse for  believing  that
another  person has harmed us---we can usually succeed  in
the effort.  If we  are  looking for grounds for believing
that another person is friendly, trustworthy, reliable and
respectable---we  can  usually  succeed  in  the   effort.
Whether  or not we perceive that another person has harmed
us depends greatly upon our prejudice.

     When  people  claim  that they have  been  harmed  by
another  person we need to take care to consider carefully
whether  the  claim  has  been  motivated  and  guided  by
prejudices---rather  than  by  real harm  which transcends
prejudicial perceptions.   This is especially important in
the face of shared prejudices within a group of people who
support  each  other's  perceptions of  harm  even in  the
absence of real harm.

     Minority  people who are lacking in self  esteem  and
political  power  are often perceived to  harm  prejudiced
people   due  to  their  embarrassing  minority  presence.
Minority  are perceived to harm prejudiced people just  by
being  a  minority  challenge to the  collusive  games  of
mutual  self deception  of  those  prejudiced  people  who
resent  the minority presence.    A  minority  presence is
often  embarrassing  and/or offensive,  quite  apart  from
anything which minority people do.   Their offense is that
they  are who they are;  not that they  have done anything
which  is harmful.   The  minority offense is  failing  to
conform to the majority expectations and perceptions which
are  governed by collusive games of mutual self deception.
Minority people who with integrity are  open   and  honest
about their experiences and perceptions---are embarrassing
and  offensive  to  prejudiced  colluders;   and  so   are
perceived  to  have committed harmful  acts.    Prejudiced
people can easily  generate  a consensus  which  makes the
harm seem to be very real to them.

     In  light  of the above it is important when  dealing
with relationships between members of a minority group and
members of a majority group that due process be guaranteed
to  members  of  the  minority  group---else personal  and
communal  integrity will be violated to  the loss  of  all
groups.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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