My first encounter, like fall down, full body blow of ped-x-ing possible racism took place with a dear friend, as we approached a cross walk with our partners who are both a mixed variety of ethnicity and capacity to literally look like - in color and form - the way that bleached white figure told us to cross the street. I felt like the signal was telling me only specific people could cross the street. I think I think too much?
A: Pedestrian crossing signals are racist because everything created by a human is inherently racist.
Racism involves the differential treatment of one person/tribe/people/nation by another person/tribe/people/nation with different shared habits or characteristics.
Because every race cannot logistically be involved in the creation of a pedestrian crossing signal, the creation of a crossing signal symbol inherently will exclude the characteristics of the race(s) left out of the decision process. This is not to say that racism can be avoided by including all of the races in a discussion. No matter who is making the decision, conscious rejection of other races and subconscious preference for ones own race will shade the end result pedestrian crossing towards some race(s) and against others.
Ask yourself if it would be possible to create a completely race neutral pedestrian crossing. Maybe a color changing LED could be implemented that would scroll through the full rainbow of colors. The shape and gender of the symbolic every-pedestrian also would need to be adjusted to achieve what amounts to a race-less figure. Even assuming this is possible- consider the can of worms that is opened with respect to others who justifiably feel unrepresented by "pedestrian 2.0". Is our selection of an upright seemingly able bodied stick figure prejudicial to those in wheel chairs, the obese and amputees?
My solution- Privatize pedestrian crossings and allow the highest bidder to replace inherently racist and outdated symbols with popular and current symbols of their brand(s). Spongebob could appear at a school intersection in brilliant digital color and alert children of when to cross. Michael Vick could appear at an intersection near Central Park and implore passers by to "stop walking across the intersection- and animal cruelty." In light of municipal budget shortfalls and the relative lack of advertising available when walking, this may be the right time to take decisive action.
A: Pedestrian crossing signals are racist because everything created by a human is inherently racist.
Racism involves the differential treatment of one person/tribe/people/nation by another person/tribe/people/nation with different shared habits or characteristics.
Because every race cannot logistically be involved in the creation of a pedestrian crossing signal, the creation of a crossing signal symbol inherently will exclude the characteristics of the race(s) left out of the decision process. This is not to say that racism can be avoided by including all of the races in a discussion. No matter who is making the decision, conscious rejection of other races and subconscious preference for ones own race will shade the end result pedestrian crossing towards some race(s) and against others.
Ask yourself if it would be possible to create a completely race neutral pedestrian crossing. Maybe a color changing LED could be implemented that would scroll through the full rainbow of colors. The shape and gender of the symbolic every-pedestrian also would need to be adjusted to achieve what amounts to a race-less figure. Even assuming this is possible- consider the can of worms that is opened with respect to others who justifiably feel unrepresented by "pedestrian 2.0". Is our selection of an upright seemingly able bodied stick figure prejudicial to those in wheel chairs, the obese and amputees?
My solution- Privatize pedestrian crossings and allow the highest bidder to replace inherently racist and outdated symbols with popular and current symbols of their brand(s). Spongebob could appear at a school intersection in brilliant digital color and alert children of when to cross. Michael Vick could appear at an intersection near Central Park and implore passers by to "stop walking across the intersection- and animal cruelty." In light of municipal budget shortfalls and the relative lack of advertising available when walking, this may be the right time to take decisive action.
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A clever observation...
ReplyDeleteOf course your argument falls apart when looking at almost any other signage. Crosswalks, school crossings, deer crossing...
Am I to believe that we are only supposed to be on the look out for black deer?
Q shudders at the disregard by white tailed deer who just don't believe that the signage applies to them!
ReplyDeleteInteresting point however maybe the choice of black figures for warning signage (be it deer/moose or school children) and white figures for advisory signage is some more subtle racism at work.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'd more likely explain the black warning sign symbols as a neccessity of getting the attention of fast moving cars. A white figure on a reflective yellow surfact probably wouldn't get the job done.