man, Quigley, is almost killed for defending the rights of Aborigine Indians in Australia. He sees that they are clearly victims of prejudice, and decides to help them overcome their oppression. However, this causes him to be an outcast of society because he doesnt choose to look the other way like other members of town. If a person chooses not to act against, or speak out against prejudice, then they might as well be fighting in support of it. It will do no good to allow this oppression to continue. Not only does it hurt the minority group, but also it damages the town as a whole by making barriers between people. Another possible explanation for the prejudice that people possess is that they are uneducated and ignorant when it comes to things that are different than they are. Most people fear what they do not understand; thus they make up their own stereotypes and prejudices against these people without making an effort to learn about them. This quote from the poem We Wear the Mask shows the oppression that people feel when they are discriminated against, and how they are forced to hide who they really are so that they can be excepted by society. Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while We wear the mask. (We Wear the Mask, Dunbar, p.84) One other aspect to the ignorance people possess when it comes to prejudice is hate crimes. Hate crimes, especially in American society, is a growing problem. Crimes of this nature have risen from 4,458 in 1991 to 7,947 in 1995. Of these crimes 60.7% of them are anti-black, and are committed primarily by white people who do not understand, or care to learn, the black culture. (Hate Crime Statistics [online]) It is this kind of ignorance that leads to the spread of prejudice in todays society. The misconceptions that people have about others, as a result of their ignorance, is an aspect that heavily contributes to discrimination and prejud...
