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The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

     My husband and I got married at the age of 22 and 23. We had no children and had just bought our first home together. It was during this time that we enjoyed riding his motorcycle. My husband went for a ride one day alone and I stayed at home. It was while walking past my front door that I noticed a person tape a note on my door then walk away without trying to get my attention. I quickly go to the door ad read the note which states "stop speeding through our neighborhood" and is signed "neighborhood watch president". I then call after the gentleman that I see walking away from my home and ask if he left the note. He stated that he did and asked if that was my boyfriend or whoever on the motorcycle. I corrected him and told him that it was my husband. He then proceeds to tell me that he "is the president of the neighborhood watch (in which we did not have) and that my husband speeds up and down the roads constantly". I disagree with him and then he proceeds to ask "if I own or rent the home"? I do not answer and ask him to leave my property as we have both elevated our tones at this point. He jumps onto the side walk then eventually leaves. When my husband returns, I tell him about the incident and he then goes to the man's home to address him. In this conversation the man tells my husband about his encounter with me and that he asked me "if we owned the home and I informed him that, we rented". My husband immediately knew that the man was not being truthful (as he also was not speeding) about anything and ended the conversation.

   This situation made me angry. I felt as if the man first tried to intimidate me with the way that he signed the note to evoke power. Then I felt as if he presumed that I was unwed and could not afford to purchase a home. 

   This discrimination and prejudice diminished equity and could have been changed initially by the man trying to have a conversation instead of hiding behind a note. He could have stated his thought in a respectful manner that would have given me the opportunity to reply in the same manner versus being on the defensive end. I would have then just told my husband "to make sure that he isn't speeding in the neighborhood when he leaves" just in case, even if I knew he had not.