Racism

“This is where they fought the battle of Gettysburg.  Fifty thousand men died right here on this field, fighting the same fight that we are still fighting among ourselves today.  This green field right here, painted red, bubblin' with the blood of young boys.  Smoke and hot lead pouring right through their bodies.  Listen to their souls, men.  ‘I killed my brother with malice in my heart.  Hatred destroyed my family.’  You listen, and you take a lesson from the dead.  If we don't come together right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like they were.  I don't care if you like each other of not, but you will respect each other.  And maybe...I don't know, maybe we'll learn to play this game like men.” – Remember the Titans

I’m going to wax a little political in this post and it might turn into somewhat of a rant, but I feel the need to express my beliefs and this is the only forum I have for that.

This morning I saw “The Help.”  I’m inclined to say that this is the best movie I have ever seen.  It’s not my favorite, but I think it’s the best.  It had me laughing out loud, crying, furious, and overjoyed.  The premise for the movie is that an author wants to write a book about what it is really like to be a member of “The Help” or the African American women who are nannies and maids to the white families.  She interviews several of these women and in the movie we see some of the joyous moments they have, but we also see the atrocities that are committed against them.

I absolute hate racism, but not in the common way.  People usually say that being against racism is to be extra nice to people who aren’t white, but I feel like that is racism in reverse.  I believe that you are being racist if you treat someone differently because of the color of their skin, the church they attend, the country they live in, how old they are…etc.  Telling a white kid they can’t go to college because someone else’s ancestors’ enslaved black people 150 years ago is unfair.  That’s also like saying that the black kid is too stupid to get into college without help.  College applications should get rid of race and judge entirely by merit without any knowledge of race or religion.

I tease people, a lot, and I make comments about racial stereotypes but I make fun of every race: I talk about bad Asian drivers, gangster black kids, smelly Indians, large nosed Jews, and white trash Americans.  People sometimes refer to my comments as racist, but I love people of all races.  If our culture didn’t have the beautiful collection of races that we have we couldn’t possibly be who and what we are.  So no, I am not racist.  I don’t single one race out as too sensitive to receive my comments nor does any one race receive more teasing than another.  All races, colors, and creeds are fair game to me because I love and appreciate each and every one of them.

I don’t want to incite anger or bad feelings towards me or anyone else, but I did want the world to know that Racism in all forms is unacceptable.  If you treat me differently than your black friend I want it to be because I’m a different person, not because I’m white.  I will show you that same courtesy.  We often focus on our differences so much that we forget how we are alike.  We are all children of God.  He loves us and wants us to learn to love each other the way he loves us.  He doesn’t see color he only sees people and personalities.  Let us make a world where we don’t see color, we only see actions.  Martin Luther King Jr. said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”  May we all live our lives this way in hopes that one day the whole world will see as we do and love.  No matter what.