Thursday, October 29, 2009

Random Prejudices

I find it very helpful to identify which of your prejudices are "random" and which have some basis behind them. For instance, a random prejudice of mine is a dislike of umbrellas. There is nothing wrong with the umbrella, in fact it is a generally good thing, I think all would conclude. I couldn't explain my reasoning behind my prejudice because I have absolutely none. Even still, every time the smallest amount of precipitation falls on campus I am utterly discouraged by the sight of so many umbrellas.

A non-random prejudice, a very just prejudice, is my dislike of same-sex bathrooms. Of course, I have been using a "same-sex" bathroom my whole life: few homes have facilities designated for women and men. But this is different. On every floor of the library, right next to the elevators there is a woman's restroom and a men's restroom, where the sexes can be with only their same kind, except on the second floor. For some reason the second floor is well-advertised as have two same-sex bathrooms. What's the point? The whole character of the bathroom is lost. There might have been a girl in my men's bathroom! The men's room should be a place where you can be away from the other sex! So, while I normally I abide on the third floor, reading St. Theresa's "Life", or on the fourth floor, studying Wheelock's Latin, yesterday I was on the second floor doing Calculus (learning why e^(Pi*i)=-1, in fact!) and I had to use the restroom. It was quite a dilemma for me, because I refused to support the misguided same-sex bathroom. Fortunately I had enough time to run up to the third floor, and entered the small, most perfect, men's restroom. I even had to wait for another fellow man (so much better than waiting for a girl) before I could relieve myself.

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