GG, on one hand I hear ya'...
... but on the other, getting folks to that point, where they're at least recognizing exceptions or doing it to help friends rather than because it's the right thing to do, is generally acknowledged to be kinda' "Step One.", as well as one of the most effective methods we
have for making inroads against ingrained discrimination.
It's been a year or two now, but last time I was updated on current "best methods" for trying to break down bigotry in general on a practical level, literally the best thing we've
got is to get in on that personal level, get them to think of people near them as exceptions, and get at least
that much done. Because from what psych and sociology has seen, that's about the only fucking way
at all to break into the mindset surrounding bigotry. Nothing else works. There's not really an option two.
S'just... I'unno. Yeah, it's kinda' depressing, but on the same hand that's kinda' what we're dealt with. That's how humans
work. It takes the stars aligning and pretty specific and consistent training to get people to give a shit about what's right instead of what helps them and theirs. It's just... should implies can? Or something. Being depressed about not getting better results would imply that better results are
possible and that's... arguable.
My aside would be that a certain degree of misanthropy is probably understandable for genuinely ethical individuals. Our brains are kinda' rat bastards in a lot of ways. You have to break what a human is and reshape it for there to be something moral left over, because that doesn't seem to really be our default state.
I'unno. Disjointed, tired. Been awake too damn long. That article and your reaction does actually leave me a little hopeful, because it points to improvement and eventual greater improvement. Another couple of generations and that particular issue will no longer be one. You're probably not going to get it happening because of any ethical reasons and it's
not going to expand to a general non-discrimination thing (because that would likely take outright social engineering on a very, very blunt level, because humans just don't fucking work like that naturally. In group/out group bullshit is just how the general cookie crumbles), but if we get the in-group to expand sufficiently we can at least get something approaching a functional equivalent for that particular issue, which is better than it is now.
And then hopefully you start work on whatever other group is being targeted, and just keep doing that. It would take some seriously heavy handed shit or absolutely incredible social change the like of which has never been seen to actually
break our tribalism inclinations (which is more or less the root cause for xenophobia/bigotry) for something less conducive to discrimination.
E: And then Lagslayer ninja'd me like a boss. I really wish I could take a nap right now