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And The_Jazz hits a homer, as well.
Xenophobia and racism come from a tendency to think of a group or groups as "other." Back in our old glory days of racism, in between the Civil War and Civil Rights, it was very common for people were very actively racist to have friendships with the "good" black man who comes to work in their yard or the "good" black woman who does their laundry and at the same time harbor violent hatred for the black "other." It's a mindset that is deceptive and, in history, has taken hold of groups during times of societal change and perceptions of danger from the outside resulting in extreme anti-social behavior and genocide. Now I may come across as reactionary myself, so be it. But you can't deny history. And we've already seen one person on this thread call for the execution of illegal immigrants crossing the border with no real outrage from anyone other than those on this side of the argument.
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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce
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