It really is this extreme? I happened to notice this recent news story from a small city in the midwest: http://whotv.com/2016/07/12/african-americans-in-des-moines-tell-of-their-fear-of-cops-and-worry-about-future-of-nations-race-relations/ If you're unable to access the story, a partial quote from one of the individuals: “You get looked at, you're black, you're black.. you know they’re more likely to try to arrest you or hurt you..”
There have always been racists in this country. The question we should be asking is how and why is this issue becoming so widespread that there's virtually no one who isn't affected by it in some way?
There's a blog I follow; one of the blogger's articles showed up here: http://www.askmen.com/dating/single_fathers/the-reality-of-race-in-america.html
First, he addresses the most important point: “People hate what they don't understand.”
And second, while the blogger uses different wording, he reached the same conclusions that I've reached.
There have always been racists in this country. The question we should be asking is how and why is this issue becoming so widespread that there's virtually no one who isn't affected by it in some way?
There's a blog I follow; one of the blogger's articles showed up here: http://www.askmen.com/dating/single_fathers/the-reality-of-race-in-america.html
First, he addresses the most important point: “People hate what they don't understand.”
And second, while the blogger uses different wording, he reached the same conclusions that I've reached.
- People do not gain 'understanding' of their fellow human beings by emphasizing 'differences' focusing on 'differences,' or learning about 'differences' in schools' 'diversity education' programs. All this modern form of education does is create more divisions than there were before.
- And the growing trend that seems to be gaining more acceptance by the day: (fill-in-the-blank)-Community making Community about Excluding instead of Including.
- In addition, the emphasis on 'culture'- the more emphasis there is on individual 'cultures,' the more divisions there will be. As only one example, I recently read on a forum 'People are more comfortable with their own kind.' Excuse me, but what is 'one's own kind'? Same race, same nationality, same religion, same hair color? If the last item on the list sounds ridiculous, so is the rest of it.
Personally, I'm still in 'WTH' mode over all of this. I personally never encountered racism or racists until I was an adult with two kids. And while the problems are obviously spreading, it seems there are more and more individuals these days who have not learned much in the last 50+ years- still judging others by 'the color of their skin' instead of 'the content of their characters.'
Regardless of anyone's race, socioeconomic group, or any other factors, I hold to what my parents taught me as far back as when I was a little kid: Racism is a mark of low-class ignorance. And it's time the rest of us started stepping up to the plate and make our voices heard.
There can't be many people who don't realize this is a serious issue. Reasons for that belief may vary, though. From where I stand, it's this way:
First, people in general and especially the younger generations deserve better than 'the way it is these days' and the direction in which it is all heading;
Second, of the many issues that have the potential of tearing this country apart, this is one of the top-of-the-list examples. When it's a matter of race against race, citizens against police, etc., the word 'United' is disappearing.
And it is past time we began eliminating these differences so the younger generations can have the better environments and better ways of life that they deserve.