Your Safety or Making no Judgements?

     Brent Staples' essay, "Black Men and Public Space", is one of the most relatable pieces we've read so far, in my opinion. I don't exactly relate to Staples in many ways, but I, as sad as it is, can relate to the white people who get nervous around him. This is such a great example of how stereotypical and judgemental our society is, despite how much we say that everyone is treated equally. In class, so many of us brought up how we tend to get nervous for our safety around "creepy" older men or homeless people sitting on the street. But why do we judge someone so quickly just by looking at him/her and automatically assume we aren't safe near that person? All we know about this person, who we are making a huge assumption about, is what they look like. How do we know that this person could put us in danger if we know nothing about their past or their personality? Staples gave many examples of people assuming, based on his appearance, that he is a burglar or that he will harm them, when, in reality, he is timid, gentle, very educated, and a successful writer.

     The reason we tend to make these judgements is because we, as humans, have a natural tendency to protect ourselves. We have experienced and heard multiple stories of homeless people pickpocketing, girls getting assaulted by older men on dark streets, or black men robbing a bank. Because we know what could happen, we take more precautions so nothing bad will happen. And because we want to remain safe, we make quick judgements. So what is more important? Your own safety or not making assumptions based on appearance or stories you've heard? I want to say the second option because it is the more selfless of the two, but it is something our whole society needs to work toward.