Last year, after writing an opinion piece comparing President Obama to Hurricane Katrina, I was dubbed “biased” on my way to class in the ACB building by, what I assumed was, an irritated, Democrat reader. This was not the first encounter I had with a student reader. Being a strong advocate for the Republican Party on a college campus yields many objections from liberal, tree hugging, campus hippies. But this particular insult truly resonated with me. It’s the opinions section. Of course it’s biased. It’s my opinion. Did this unwelcome critic know the definition of bias?
Bias (n.) – Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
After thinking about this definition, I would say this dramatic liberal was completely correct in his accusations against me. I am biased. I have many biases.
Having lived 13 years in Douglasville, Ga. I witnessed first-hand the lowest depths of racism. Sometimes, I feel, it takes witnessing something unjust for others to reaize they’re not in support of it. My parents invited an African American family to my 7th birthday party and every caucasian guest left the party upon the arrival of this family. Their children were no longer allowed to associate with me. I will never forget this incident. It opened my eyes to racism. I had never thought much of skin color before. But afterward, regretfully, I did notice it. I noticed that there are very few African Americans at CMU. Which I suppose fits the definition of bias, “in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another.” I make that comparison between people.
In August of 2001, my family relocated to New England. My first week of school was spent watching dramatic and heart wrenching coverage of the World Trade Center attacks. Seeing the tragedy stricked citizens affected by this incident created bias in my mind toward the Middle East. My fellow Bostonians also taught me to harbor an equivalent hatred towards New York. “Damn Yankees.” Says the man with a Sox hat. The historic rivalry between these great sporting teams created my bias towards New Yorkers. Even at this moment, with four hours before Super Bowl XLVI commences, I’m dreading the slight possibility that my beloved New England Patriots could be defeated by a New York team.
After observing all my own biases I realized, everyone has biases. It’s part of being human to have preferences and to form opinions of others, which we subconsciously do on a daily basis. Contrary to the negative conotation that accompanies the word, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to be biased. I’m a faithful Republican, I write in favor of Republican candidates. I suppose that can occasionally come across as bias but you’re reading the opinion section. The opinion section is composed of CMU students’ opinions. If my opinion is that President Obama shares similar qualities to Hurricane Katrina, that’s not prejudice against Obama because he’s black or a Democrat. It’s because he’s proven himself to be detrimental to our country.
The only negative element of bias is when a person is close-minded in their biases and allows those thoughts to keep them from providing equal and fair treatment to others. In this case, we’re no longer dealing with the issue of bias: It then becomes prejudice and racism. The most efficient way to deal with bias is to be aware of your own. Admit that you have reservations and keep an open mind.