To help simplify a complex world, people develop mental models called schemas. Problems arise when people begin to oversimplify schemas. Oversimplified schemas are known as stereotypes.
Stereotypes are fixed impressions and exaggerated and preconceived ideas and descriptions about a certain type of person, group or society. Stereotypes are believed about a group for being members of the group.
When stereotypes are believed for a long period of time, they become fixed into people's minds. It is difficult to change people's minds or to replace stereotypes with facts.
Children develop stereotypes from very early in their lives. By age 3, children can recognize people by their race. By the ages of 6 and 7 children begin to develop thoughts based on stereotypes. These thought are independent of prejudice, they are more dependent on knowledge of stereotypes. Decision-making is effected by attitudes influenced by stereotypes. Children are also influenced by attitudes of family, peers and educators.
Stereotypes last in a person's mind because they are self-perpetuated. Information that agrees with stereotypes is remembered easier. When group members are perceived, the schema for that group is automatically retrieved. It is more difficult to ignore these schemas so people tend to be prejudice more often than not.
When dealing with stereotypes there are in-groups and out-groups. Schemas for the in-group are usually more complex than those for the out-group. Negative information is usually associated with out-groups while positive information is associated with in-groups. Out-groups are usually seen as all the same which is known as: out-group homogeneity. Differences are usually remembered about in-groups.
People usually believe that out-group success is due to external reasons and that their problems are due to internal reasons. They also tend to believe that in-group success is due to internal reasons and that failure is due to external reasons. This is known as the fundamental attribution error.
The availability heuristic is a decision making tool. When we remember information easier, such as stereotypes, we tend to believe that is true. Stereotypes are heuristics in which they allow us to make simplifications. When we simplify our thoughts with stereotypes we tend to make poor decisions. The base-rate fallacy is when people make assumptions about people or groups and ignore actual probability of the truth.

· Parental Attitudes based on their own lack of knowledge and fears are passed down to children
· Negative news reports, newspaper and television
· Demands for equality
· Bilingual debate

"We will never be able to walk the same path that another person walks, but maybe we can think more carefully about where we are stepping"

HATE CRIME: a crime motivated by the victim's race, color, ethnicity, religion, or national origin.

HATE SPEECH: Speech that carries no meaning other than the expression of hatred for some group (is likely to provoke violence).

PURE SPEECH: Given the greatest constitutional protection.

FIGHTING WORDS: words that are not protected under the first amendment . Words that provoke a reasonable person to act out against those words and by their very utterance inflict injury and a breach of peace .

FIRST AMENDMENT: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedoms of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for the redress of grievances.

FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT: No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privilidges or immunities or citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

1. VAGUENESS: Are Hate Crime Laws too vague for any reasonable person?
2. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: Should hate speech and beliefs be protected?
3. EQUAL PROTECTION: Are hate crime laws giving bias sentences, favoring the victim?

The battles over hate speech laws and the first amendment are controversial debates that so far show that racism and prejudice are clearly protected under our free speech rights. Since we all have this protection of beliefs and speech, it is societies turn to utilize their free speech rights and promote anti-racism, anti-bigotry, and equality for all.