People Like You

Abandoning Stereotypes to Recover Another’s Humanity

This post is not political. It is a piece on how we treat each other.

About twenty-five years ago, a friend and I believed we should start an organization called Taking Back America. We intended to fuse faith and politics into a positive, mobilizing force. We were in the process of planning an event with some nationally recognized political speakers and faith-based musical artists.

With a few political speakers already committed, I contacted a particular artist management company to line up a musician we loved. I spoke to several people at this company and told them what we were doing and why we were doing it. I sent them our information. They said they would get back to me within a couple of weeks. 

But they never did.

Frustrated, as this was the last piece of the puzzle needed to begin promoting the event, I called the agency back to find out what was taking so long. My contact transferred me directly to the agency director.

The director told me that he did not believe the musician agreed with what we were doing or how we were doing it. Perplexed, I continued to press him because I could not understand what he was saying. I could not imagine any other way to fix our country than to bring faith and politics together. Even more, I could not imagine why anyone would disagree with our initiative.

However, the director continued to restate the same mantra without explanation- faith and politics do not belong together. 

He was frustrated at my lack of understanding and continued questioning. But I was curious and earnestly seeking another perspective I had never considered. To my dismay, he refused to go beyond the safety of his one-liner and dialogue with me. 

Frustrated at my lack of understanding of a position that seemed so self-evident to him, he went in for the kill.

“People like you will never get it," he yelled.

I hung up.

The director only saw me as a stereotype, a caricature. To him, I was unable to learn anything new, to consider another perspective, or even change my mind. What he did not know was that I was a young man eager to learn. I wanted to engage with perspectives I had never previously considered. And I desired opportunities with people different than me who could me grow and expand my thinking.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen that day.

Question

1. Have you ever judged another person as a “lost cause?” What opportunity might have been missed with that person?

Peace,

Brandon