Lately I have been getting into trouble with several people on discussion boards. I start-out thinking it is a logical, fact-based discussion. I try to use scientific information and studies and findings based on other people’s research or personal knowledge based on my own study. Before the discussion is over, it moves from discussing an issue to a personal attack, name calling analysis of my “immovable position”.  People seem to become offended when I question their information and logic. In a discussion, I expect more than feelings and inclinations. In a discussion, I will ask about facts and dispute information or simply point out the flaw in people’s argument.  However, when it deteriorates into the personal realm, I retreat, as I realize there is nothing more to discuss.

I was having a conversation last week with someone who said that Belizeans do not accept studies and information when it is presented to them from a fellow Belizean; however, if a foreigner would present the same information, they would be more open to it and more willing to accept it. I am inclined to believe such is true.  Prior to elections, Belizeans saw an onslaught of overnight “expert” pollsters who were actively conducting unscientific polls.  When I offered my opinion, or asked for scientific data to make a determination, it became a source of contention for some people.  I think that Belizeans are not fact loving people.  Many people argue points clouded with feelings and emotions, even if good scientific research suggests otherwise. Belizeans dismiss good scientific or expert information as biased, agenda based, unreliable or just unacceptable because it offends their belief system. Instead of examining their own failed logic, they dismiss experts in the field of study and conclude the study is faulty with no supporting evidence.  I have seen people dispute information based on the heading of an article without actually reading the article.  However, if you dare question positions and information source;  and if the person is unable to defend their position, they will attack you as a trouble maker and assert personality defects as opposed to addressing the said subject.  It is a phenomenon I have been noticing in many discussion forums.

The information age created a crisis for Libraries everywhere.  Suddenly people were no longer conducting research using libraries and as such the information superhighway initially caused libraries to close and book stores to close.  Now guess what? Libraries are now making a comeback as the information superhighway is now a cesspool of bad, confusing, and misleading information; creating a generation of pseudo experts reinforced by Wikipedia. This is the age of information and with so much information out there, people are unable to filter out the good from the bad information. As a result, people begin accepting information that supports their position regardless of source or credibility. Imagine spending thousands of dollars to study a subject, to have someone Google search a topic and use Wikipedia to dispute information.

Wikipedia can be a good source to help start a search for information, but it is NOT a reliable information source and just about any Tom, Dick or Harry can update Wikipedia.  Case in point, last week I was having a discussion with someone who decided to weigh in on the Trayvon Martin case and update Wikipedia. At no point did the person ever review the basic 911 tapes to form an opinion. His entire opinion was based on opinion pieces that he read from other people, rendering his opinion useless in the matter. However, he updated Wikipedia and many people are likely using his opinions as fact. When searching the internet, there is plethora of opinion based, biased based and non-scientific based information available through Google, Bing or any search engine.  When searching a subject, the results will not tell you whether you are getting back reliable information, it is merely giving you back information based on words you put in your search.

Belize has a wealth of intelligent people, but as Belizeans we need to learn to respect people’s expertise. We as Belizeans need to understand that someone who is an attorney, doctor, engineer, Ph.D. and Master’s degree holders are not experts in every subject; however, they are experts in their fields of studies.  An attorney with a LLB or JD should have the basic understanding of the laws of the country or state they studied in; a doctor is an expert in medicine etc.  We need to start appreciating that people who study for years to gain degrees, knowledge cannot be undone by one internet search.  And we need to learn to disagree without becoming disagreeable or personal.  Just because someone is an expert doesn’t mean that they are always right.  However, when disputing information, use reliable information to support your argument. Which brings be to my next point.  We don’t know to effectively argue in Belize.

We engage in debates to get our points across without appreciation for the other side point of view.   When our points are failing, we act offended, reduce the argument to derogatory and personal comments.  We refuse to examine our weakness in our argument, instead it is just easier to be rude and disparaging with our comments yet we sit and speculate why young people cannot work out their differences!  Our society is a reflection of us!  We are petty people!  Yes I said it!

We seem to be at a stalemate in our development in Belize. Never before have we had so many experts and yet it seems that maybe jealously, immaturity, pettiness, and negativity have hampered our growth.   We need to read some more, we need to spend time researching information, open our minds to experts in the field, accept we don’t know it all, respect differences and encourage healthy debate.  We need to grow up Belizeans and get over the tender egos that inflict us.

Finally, my last advice is that politicians are never a good source of information; like Wikipedia, you should use the information as a start and not as a conclusion to form an opinion.  My hope is that Belizeans can behave with civility and decorum in discussing our future, because we are creating the framework for our children and right now, the future is not looking good when adults are still behaving like a bunch of bickering, temper tantrum throwing 5 year olds!

There is a theory which equates race and religion to social identity as opposed to actual race or religious belief system.   It is an interesting phenomenon as people identify themselves with a certain race or religion even though evidence is contrary to the person’s identity.  It may help explain the psyche as to how people function and why people seem to live such duplicitous lives.

I guess I first noticed this in the United States when I was asked to participate in a survey. The survey asked “What race do you closely identify with?”  I chose “African American” as a natural choice based on the limited choices offered. I later received a letter stating that I could not identify myself as an “African American”, unless I was an American.  I wondered “Whe kind a madness this and who cares so much to send a letter”.  It made me realize something else too.  Hispanics were identified by region and not race; which suggests manipulative statistics aimed at diminishing the power of certain races in America.   Whites in America are not subjected to regional identification. Therefore a white person from Europe adds to the population of the white race; however  other races are subjected to division and ultimately does nothing to give a clear picture of the different races that exist in America.  This method is cleverly disguised as a statistic where race and culture for minorities are intertwined and used to further separate races while the white race continues to statistically remain dominant.  I often questioned how a former slave colony that continued slavery almost 50 years after the rest of the world desisted would have such a small numbers of Black people.   Additionally being Black comes with many negative connotations that people prefer to be identified as anything else but Black. Also, by allowing people to self- identify further skews the statistics from the factual to the perceptive.  Interestingly, the 2008 Presidential Elections which gave President Obama and unprecedented win brought to light that there are many black races existing in America under the guise of “other”.  Many interviews identified blacks from the Caribbean, Africa, and Latin America who were disallowed from identifying as “African Americans”.

I know, you are asking why the nitpicking at race.  Simply because the word minority already signal lesser, or less empowered and therefore in some people’s mind hopeless.  It is these small indoctrinations of people that have them thinking that their thoughts, words, votes and in some cases lives do not count.  By separating minorities based on culture as opposed to race, and the constant bombardment of media demonizing Blacks further divides whatever power people may have.  People justifying the murder of Trayvon Martin is a perfect example of how such demonizing has become prevalent and acceptable in the American society.  The idea of dividing people into race categories and trying to decipher a common practice is racist in itself. We should be identified as one human race, where individuals are judged based on their individualistic actions and where people rally around each other because we all belong to one human family.  When we die, our bodies will fall apart and our souls will be judged according to our individual actions. Not on your race or religion or how much we were actively part of it.

As it relates to religion, we often hear Christians described as “one day Christians’; “hypocrites” or witness them acting and behaving contrary to their religious belief etc.  There is actually a simple explanation for this behavior.  Many people do not subscribe to their religion based on core belief in their churches’ doctrine; rather, many people belong to religion based on family relationship and social engineering.  It is estimated that 60 percent of Catholics disagree with most teaching of the Catholic Church; however, they continue to go to church based on family or social structures or standing within their society.  It is an amazing observable fact that many conservative members of the GOP stand on Christian principle but support policies that contradicts every teaching of Jesus Christ.

Even in Belize, people from the same families identify themselves differently based on the region of Belize they grew up, the families they marry into and their dominant language.  Some people of the same parents may identify themselves as Creole or Spanish depending on which parent they identify with or complexion they are born with. Belize racial mixing makes identification even more difficult.  Likewise as it relates to church, people can quote every scripture that condemns homosexuality but turn a convenient blind eye to adultery, lying, cheating, murder and every scripture that strongly condemn those practices.  The same people shouting God’s commandments at the top of their lungs are engaging in breaking quite a few them.

So what does that tell us about humans? We are the product of our social engineering. We identify and worship based on societal norms and not on facts or real belief systems. We love and hate each other based on who we identify with. We form judgments and positions based on how we are socialized rather on basis of right or wrong.  People need to wake up and realize that as humans;  we all want to belong;  we all want to be empowered; we are all seeking the same things; and we are all destined to the same end.  Creating categories of separation is as the most limiting and sad part of humanity and further evidence we are victims of a herd mentality.