A Bloodstained Lens By Rev. George F. Borghardt
As Southerners, we taught our kids to be polite
and respectful to all adults. They weren’t just to say, “Yeah” or “Nah” to the adults around them but rather, “Yes, ma’am,” or “No, sir.” This is how we were raised. That’s how we raised our sons in Texas. After I took a call to Illinois, my youngest son found himself in detention for responding to one of his teachers with, “Yes, ma’am.” You see, his Midwest teacher took his show of respect as being disrespectful. The lens with which she interpreted “Yes, ma’am” was different than the lens my son had and it caused misunderstanding. We all see the world from a certain perspective or through a particular lens. Our senses take in information from the world and people around us and we filter it or interpret it based on our life experiences and culture. It’s how we “see” and “hear” things. If we put on green glasses the world will look green; in the same way we see the world through certain cultural and experiential lenses.
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