Lane Filler Lane Filler Lane Filler is a member of the Newsday editorial board. | | Galleries Web links Let's say, tired of all the old prejudices, you tried to popularize some new ones. Imagine you attempted to get the hurt stirring by spreading the memes that Asians are all drunks, but also great storytellers; Jews have a tendency to commit street crimes, but are fantastic dancers; and the Irish, while talented in math, lack social skills. These wouldn't catch on, for reasons nobody much likes to talk about in public. What gives stereotypes much of their potency is their basis in truth. Stereotyopes that don't correspond to commonly observed behaviors would have no power. What also gives...
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