If you dislike, hate, fear, or think you are better than another person or a group of other people because of your (i) race, (ii) religion, (iii) socioeconomic status, (iv) geographic location of upbringing/residence or (v) any other reason, I would like to talk to you or get an explanation from you.
In particular, I am concerned with racism and religiously driven hate, but I will listen to you about any other hatred or opinions you might have towards people. If you think you are better than a homeless person because you have money, a house, and consider yourself “successful”, I will listen to you to. If your skin color is black and you hate people with “white”-colored skin and you hate me, I will listen to you. I don’t discriminate.
I’m trying to figure out how racism started and why racial bias and racial hate still exist today. Why are racial stereotypes and jokes prevalent and why do people think they are funny? Does it excite you to berate someone because of his or her skin color or religious beliefs? Does it make you feel good to talk with your white friends about blacks when there are no blacks around? Is it an ego-booster for you? If you consider yourself to be Catholic, does it make you more confident in your beliefs to criticize people who believe differently? Do people who believe in other religions threaten you?
I think race relations right now are a complete mess. You can say the environment has improved since the days of slavery and 3/5, but bias and hate are still all over the place. I’m not basing this on any statistics – I’m just thinking about my interactions with and observations of other people. I’m sure you can find statistics if you want– for example, I don't know if this is a meaningful stat or not, but I just looked up how many Fortune 500 CEOs are black, and the number I came up with was 5.
As an aside, I have no idea how slavery ever started. Does it follow that if I am a person with white-colored skin and I come across someone with a different skin color, I decide to control him, punish/kill him if he doesn’t listen to me, and treat him as if he weren’t a human.
In addition to outward hate and “private” hate, there is a significant amount of unspoken tension between races. If someone criticizes someone of the same skin color for any reason (maybe a piece of clothing they are wearing, their actions, or their opinions), it is considered to be either all in good fun or to be constructive criticism, but if someone makes a comment about someone with a different skin color, you have no idea how they might react.
I want every human to be treated equally. I don’t care about skin colors, religions, cultures, or whatever. I want a peaceful environment for everyone to live in where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed in whatever way they wish. The tension between races and the segregation of races in society disheartens me and frightens me. I just don’t understand it. I don’t even like racial classifications – why call someone black or white when everyone is the same - everyone is human.
I know a lot of people disagree with me, but I don’t really get to hear those opinions often. I don’t know why some whites think they are better than blacks and vice-versa. I don’t know why people generate stereotypes, believe in them so vehemently, and get excited about them.
So, if you do disagree with me or have any other thoughts, please let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment