Gothic Stereotype example essay topic

405 words
A Life-Threatening Stereotype Why does stereotyping exist in all parts of the world today? Many people develop stereotypes when we are unable or unwilling to obtain all of the information we would need to make fair judgments about people or situations. Stereotyping is defined as a conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image. All throughout history, there is much evidence that stereotyping eventually becomes the target of prejudice, discrimination, persecution and violence. A prime example dates back to World War II when between 2,400,000 and 3,400,000 Jews were killed just based on their religion and race.

I come from a very small high school of about three hundred students. During my four years of high school I was involved in many school activities such as clubs, athletics, and student government. During that time I become one of the more popular students and developed the stereotype of a prep / jock. In my high school there were a group of around thirty or forty students who fit the more "gothic stereotype. Many of them usually wore all black and baggy jeans, dyed there hair abnormal colors, and had a large amount of body piercings. During the end of the school year, I was contacted by the school as being one of the targeted students for the planned bomb threat and school shooting that they had received word that would take place later that week.

I was dismissed from school for the entire week for safety reasons. During the entire month a large number of law enforcement and other safety officials observed the school and each student were checked each morning by a metal detector for safety precautions. I was also escorted to and from my vehicle to school each morning and afternoon by a police officer for extra protection. The way I viewed or stereotyped gothic individuals or groups changed a great deal that week. I always viewed everyone as equals and in all school activities I would try to incorporate everyone the same. While from that point on when my life was targeted, it made me look at gothic people as more as enemies instead of equals.

From day to day I would try to avoid them in everyway that I could. Many friendships were destroyed that week just because of jealousy of a few people..