Ignorance and its Blissfulness

I've seen some pretty ignorant people in my life. But in this day and age, racism still shocks me.

Yeah, the current US election is kind of being run on rear and racism and ignorance... but this is Canada. That is... like Germany before World War II, where Hitler used his words, the people's fear and ignorance, and his charisma to be elected.

Anyway, this is not a blog about that election. I'm here to talk about the laymen who still hold that ignorance.

I have several co-workers that are (trying really hard to be as politically correct as I can while still painting a decent picture) the visual stereotypes that are seen as immigrants, which have been placed upon groups of people in an unfair way. Like people who's race or religion requires them to dress a certain way, or wear certain things.

When I'm not writing, or running my own business, I work at a department store that is known throughout North America. So I see many people and customers, and interact with them when they're both positive or negative impact on everyone's day.

I had a gentleman come in who was being a bit unclear of what he was looking for. Saying he wanted to go through cash, but people were trying to kill him. Upon further investigation, he was refusing to go to the cash register because our only cashier at that time in the morning was someone who again, was being seen as an immigrant because of a visual stereotype that had been given to the way she looked, and what she wore.

The customer was refusing to go to her cash because "they have books that tell them to kill me, and I can't have her touch my food because she wants to kill me."
This fellow had a trenchcoat on at 7am which sported Canadian flag eplettes, and the whole outfit was finished off by... slippers, which the backs had been broken on as he clearly put them on repeatedly by not sliding his feet all the way in.

It took everything in my power to not reach across the counter and beat the man for his level of ignorance.

The point of freedom is having the power to free speech. Yes. But it also allows people to dress as they choose, and worship those they choose, and follow the religion they choose. Yes, he's free it be ignorant, just as I'm free to want to kick the shit out of him and think he's an ignorant pig. Just as my cashier is free to be the person she is without penalty of persecution.

The situation has been remedied, thank goodness. We learned that we are to remove people who are going to be out and out rude and disrespectful to those around them, from the building.

The experience is a shock to my system, as where I'm living is such a diverse city.