I want to draw people's attention that @steem.skillshare has recently announced new contest rules. I have one particular skill, and I wonder if it would qualify.

My skill is that I sometimes will eavesdrop on others' conversations and add my perspective. The conversation below is between @patjewell and @madilyn02 on the subjects of education and discrimination.

The following is my contribution. My particular skill is adding my two cents when it is not necessary.

My thoughts on Discrimination, Prejudice and Bigotry.

Discrimination

The word discrimination is deceptive, @madilyn02. At one level, it describes distinguishing between two things. It is elementary to "discriminate" between you and me. You are a woman; I am a man. You are young; I am old. Your skin colour is so rich it protects you from the sun; My skin colour is so pale I can get a burn from the moon (I am joking but not by much). There is no problem with discrimination. Often we don't discriminate enough. We are the same in at least one essential characteristic despite our differences. We share that characteristic with most of the Steem community. We want good things to happen to other people. Many others resemble either you or me in all characteristics except that last critical one. I would rather be like you and your aunt or people in Kazakhstan with that one characteristic than all the others combined.

Prejudice

The problem with discrimination is when an element of prejudice or bigotry is mixed into the process. When people discriminate against others, there is often an element of prejudice involved. Prejudice is prejudgement. Many people share the opinion that "white" people are racist. That is a prejudgement. That is prejudiced.

Most "white" people do not care about skin colour.
Most "black" people do not care about skin colour.

Both of those statements are a prejudgement. In my experience, most people do not care about skin colour but that doesn't mean it is true. The feelings that "black" people have against "white" people in South Africa might not be based on prejudice.

Bigotry

If you listen to the end of this video, you see a political leader promoting the idea of "kissing" the Boer ("white") farmer. I do not think he is gay because I think his followers are pointing at their foreheads as the place to kiss them.
Bigots do not need a prejudgement to discriminate against others. They latch onto "otherness" as an excuse for generating hate. What is the difference between "Boer Kissers" in South Africa and the KKK in the United States? One group wears red teeshirts, and the other wears white bedsheets. Both try to gain political power by preaching violence against a minority. One other difference between the two is that the KKK has appropriately become a target of ridicule.

There are always groups who try to minimize others. Everyone country or continent have groups that conflict with. Even when I was a child, we told Newfie jokes.

How do you drive a Newfie crazy?
Put him in a round room and tell him to pee in the corner.

A Newfie once approached a real estate agent to buy a house. "How much money do you have?"
"I have 75 dollars", replied the Newfie.
The real estate agent took him into the country and sold the Newfie an outhouse, taking the 75 dollars. Later the agent felt guilty for tricking the Newfie and offered to return the money.
"You cannot do that," said the Newfie, "I have already sublet the basement to a guy from Nova Scotia."

I never had any bad feelings about Newfoundlanders or Nova Scotians. They were just sufficiently "other" to tell jokes about them.

I offer a 10% contribution to @steem.skillshare, @patjewell, and @madilyn02