Granfaloons - The Seeds of Bigotry 09/29/2011

From Danny’s Blog:

“If you look long and hard into the mirror when you are completely and verifiably alone, you will see a bigot. We are all bigots in some fashion or another and we should be able to admit it. You can be a bigot and not hate and that is an important distinction.  Rather than think that the others are inferior, we all tend to have a natural instinct that we are superior and the corollary follows.”

Bigot:  A bigot is someone who holds predefined negative views about a class of people, or the corollary – someone who holds predefined positive views about a class of people.

“Kurt Vonnegut called it a granfaloon - a large yet meaningless association of human beings.  But it has a greater impact than that of a satirist in that it is not necessarily meaningless.  When you become part of a group through no real choice of your own, pride in the group is created automatically.

“If you go to the Friday night football game in Pana, you will see hundreds of adults cheering on the kids to win.  If you ask any one of them or any one of the kids what’s the best high school team in the state, they would say the Pana High Panthers.

“The school, the teachers, the staff, the coaches, the parents, and the kids work hard to protect and improve the unit.  The colors, the mascot, the logos are all developed to define the group so that all associated can be proud and support the best school in the state.

“Ninety percent of those associated with Pana High did not choose Pana High.  They are there in the greatest town in Illinois (granfaloon), through no choice of their own, but yet they know it’s the best.
“The corollary of this granfaloon defines all other schools as inferior which is not necessarily true.  The bigotry of pride in what you are does not necessarily lead to hatred, yet it diminishes all other groups.  Two schools can’t be the best.

“So, what do you think about your school, your town, your state, your family, your church, your rowing club, your country, your race, your religion, your political party, bigot?  If you should come to this realization, and you were convinced that you do not have a prejudice bone in your body, do not despair.  It’s a good thing as long as it does not get too deep into hatred.

“Dislike, mistrust, and suspicion of other groups surround a granfaloon, so care should be taken that fear does not lead to the resultant hatred and violence.  After all, there have been a few Friday night fights after a Pana Panthers football game.

“Group pride creates champions, winners, close ties with other humans, protection, achievement, support, and other good human nature attributes.  Count your granfaloons with a sense of accomplishment, because you are accepted and are part of something greater than yourself that can achieve great things.
“But, you are a bigot.”
Danny Beck, Antech Aerospace and Manufacturing, Pana, Illinois, the best company in America.