Stereotypes. They're deeply imbedded in our society maybe without us even realising some of them, and for some people these stereotypes can be difficult to shake. Personally, I don't believe that you can ever possibly put a whole group of people in one box and say that they all act and say certain things. Sure, there will be some people that do fit stereotypes but that doesn't make them valid.
Stereotyping people can be both offensive and hurtful, and I truly believe that the role stereotypes play in our societies is causing a huge divide between ethnic groups, a huge divide between religious groups, and a huge divide between people of different sexual orientation.
To me, stereotypes are just grossly wrong in so many ways. They successfully split communities apart, and they only fuel things like racism, hate towards religious groups, and homophobia.
If I have to tell you that not every black person is a thug, that not every white person is a religious neo-nazi, that not every queer person is a butch lesbian or a camp homosexual, then that's just sad. It's sad because it means you obviously haven't met many people outside your ethnic group yet you choose to pre-judge people based on outdated and invalid ideas.
People should be judged on who they are as an individual. I see no reason why stereotypes should continue being so prominent in our societies.
