Discrimination--Not So Easy to Get Rid Of

The “Newsweek” article I referenced yesterday raised another point in my mind. “See Baby Discriminate” was an interesting title—but it failed to raise the issue that racial, class, tribal and religious discrimination is a very ancient—and once indispensable—survival mechanism.
Discriminate and live—fail to discriminate and die. There were situations in ancient times—and still are in some parts of the world today—where discrimination was and is vital to life. This is true, in very real part, because humans lack the ability to read minds—to be absolutely sure what a stranger or even someone we know is really thinking.
Ever look at your wife, your boss or a stranger in a dark alley and wonder, “What are his or her intentions?” You don’t really ever know. (Until perhaps he puts a gun in your face and demands your wallet—in which case you become quite sure. Or possibly your mate finally tells you there was a small incident with the car, or your boss closes his office door, pulls out an envelope and says, “Joe, it’s been great having you on staff here … .)
We rely, more than we know, on what Poker players call “tells”. A “tell” tips you off to what kind of a hand a player has. For instance, a player may pull on his left ear lobe when he has a lousy hand. He may slump in his seat when he’s sure he’s going to win. People skilled at reading “tells” tend to go home with money in their pockets. People who can’t sometimes need to hock their watches to buy gas for the trip home. Same thing in Blackjack or whatever.
To read a “tell” with any assurance of accuracy, you need to either know the individual well or come from the same tribe. When you meet a person from a different tribe or even with a markedly different set of facial features, you suddenly cannot be sure of the “tells”.
In days when, in fact, the world was full of rival tribes—many of whom had no scruples about killing you for the food you were carrying, or even deciding to eat you to ward off starvation—you could not be sure of strangers. “Discrimination” as we call it today was crucial.
People from your tribe—people whose “tells” you could read with some assurance—were welcome. People whose “tells” you didn’t know you dared not welcome. At best you kept a sharp eye on them, weapons at hand.
At worst you killed them before they might possibly kill you. It’s that same ancient instinct for survival that has created the discrimination that bedevils our society today. Many of us were raised among our own kind. I, for one, was raised in a solidly Dutch immigrant neighborhood.
We had our own churches, we frequented Dutch businesses, we dated and married Dutch girls, plucked from our own parochial schools. Even though I have long left that community, I am immediately more at ease when I meet someone from it. These are what our black friends call “homies”—I can read their “tells” even if I may not like them personally.
I am not entirely comfortable even when I am among non-Dutch Caucasians. When I am in a room with Asians, black Africans or even Hispanics from Mexico and south, I am often a bit at a loss as to what is going on or who means what. Personal liking has little to do with it.
It’s entirely tribal. It’s as old as “fight or flight”. It becomes as physical as adrenalin. It’s going to be very, very, very hard to squeeze out of us—no matter how well educated we are or how practiced at dealing with a diverse society.
I remember my father suggesting how I might vote the first time. “You vote for the Republicans at the partisan end of the ballot; at the non-partisan part, you vote for the Dutch names.” Had I been born millennia ago, my father would have said essentially the same thing. (In Boston, it would no doubt be the Irish names.)
Discrimination is one of the woes of our society—but getting rid of it is going to be as tough as eliminating the “fight or flight” reflex. It’s built into us from thousands of years of trusting no one but our own tribe.
You bet babies discriminate. They come from breeding stock that discriminated well enough to survive for thousands of years. We can teach diversity and tolerance, but eliminating ancient survival mechanisms is likely to take a few more centuries. God help us.