"Why Fleet Members Love Star Trek for it's "Infinite Diversity", But Can't Possibly Accept That Some People Are....."
by Ann Garner: USS Mystique: Region 12

 Prejudice is based on a lack of knowledge, fear, and misinformation. Prejudice can be based on the way a person was taught in childhood, a bad experience, or on religious beliefs. After all, we are only humanoid. None of us are free of prejudice. We all are on the "giving" or "receiving" end of prejudice almost every day of our lives. No matter how hard I try, I hate to admit it, but I do have my prejudices, too. I try to keep mine hidden, and keep from offending anyone with it.

I have a rather interesting view of prejudice. I grew up with one parent being extremely biased and the other being extremely tolerant. It was an:  interesting way to grow up.

So what can Fleet members do about this non-acceptance? First, ask yourself if you do classify people because of their looks, actions, or beliefs. If you see this in yourself, you can overcome the problem with some effort. All it takes is putting your preconceived ideas on the back burner, go up to the person, and say "Hello". Once you meet one of the "unacceptable" people on a one-to-one basis, you might be very surprised at what you learn. We are all much more alike than different.