Racism

Much time has passed since I've last put my thoughts to script. There is a controversial subject to which I have long since formed an opinion. I would like to take a moment to express myself, if I may. I am sure there are a few readers who will take this writing the wrong way, but to those of you who are capable of seeing through the superficial level of racism, this piece is for you.

No one person living in today's world can deny the existence of racism. Many people living all around the world face this matter each day. Racism can be defined in many ways. It can be said that racism is the prejudice of one race over another. Animosity of a certain culture or nationality also qualifies one for being considered a racist. Racism is also defined in the belief that all races have inherent qualities and abilities which lead to racial superiority or inferiority. These beliefs and feelings are among many others which lead to the existence of racism in our everyday lives.

Human nature dictates many aspects of our lives. Many of an individuals actions can be explained through the idea that all humans have a certain nature about them. Self-love, self-preservation, and ambition are only a few of the many innate characteristics of the common man or woman. As is well known, these human qualities are not found equally among all people. Some have much more ambition than others, while others have a much greater need for self-preservation than that of another. Human nature in itself is a controversial subject due to the inconsistent science of which behavior is learned and that which is as innate as breathing.

It is my belief that racism is not in itself human nature; however, it is only part of a much deeper quality to which all humans fall susceptible. Natural segregation is a metaphysical force which leads all living creatures to seek out the company of their own kind. Look at the fish in the sea or the birds of the sky. There are an overwhelming number of examples in nature that suggest natural segregation not only exists, but is also healthy and important to the continuance of the master race, that is the human race.

As was previously mentioned racism can be the belief that different races have inherent qualities or beliefs which lead to racial superiority or inferiority. It is my belief that this form of racism is only half true. I agree with the concept that each race has it's own qualities and abilities as well as it's own faults and ineptitudes; however, I do not feel that this should lead to racial superiority. Just as different varieties of birds, fish or even dogs have their own strengths and inabilities, that does not make them any less of a bird, fish or dog. I do believe humans to follow this same natural order. I believe each group of people, or race, has strengths which enable them to flourish in a particular area. On the other hand, each race has inabilities which inhibit a particular person from succeeding in certain areas. This is not to say that there are not exceptions. I do not believe a person to be limited to the qualifications of their race. I do feel, however, that certain generalities can be drawn based upon the history and overall competence of a race. Not to be confused with the all to common black and white issue which plagues us in America, my thinking is deeper than that. After all, black and white are not races, they are colors. I feel certain nationalities in their purist of forms have certain attributes. While these qualities are not confined to a certain race, I believe them to be more prominent within certain races.

Speaking of the black and white issue, allow me a moment to alleviate some of the tension which has been building within myself for some time now. Putting it lightly, I am disgusted with people who continually scream racism when they themselves repeatedly separate themselves based on color. As I have written earlier, black and white are not races, they are colors. A person's color may only be used to direct one to the ancestry of their race, but does not constitute a race in itself. It is my opinion that anyone who constantly blames a person's color for their or someone else's misfortune are only showing their own racist views.If a black woman is killed by a white man, does this in itself make it a hate crime? I say, No! There are those and you all know someone like this that will say she was murdered because she was black. I pose this question, why can't it just be a woman was killed by a man? What about when a white kid gets assaulted by several black kids and the culprits are given a harsh sentence by the courts? As you've all heard in the past, the culprits received such a sentence, why, because they were black. Not because they relentlessly beat this kid within an inch of his life. I think it is way past time that we stop judging a person's situation by their color. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but not every single time.

I recently got into a verbal altercation with someone of a different ethnicity than myself. It began by my responding to his constant ranting of "White America" keeping the black man down. As I listened to his tirade, I noticed, like many others, that he kept referring to black this and white that. So I confronted him, proposing that maybe the situations about which he spoke where the consequences of one's actions. Oh no, apparently I was terribly mistaken. Every negative situation involving a black individual was due to the fact that they were misfortunate enough to not be born white. Imagine that. I specifically made a point through-out the conversation to not mention any color. As if he needed anything else to rant about. Keep in mind that his issue was with the racism against 'black' people, he ended up screaming that it was time for black men across America to stand up and go to war against America to stop racism. In fact, he even spoke of "killin' crackas!" Which he tried to turn on me by saying that he should start with me. Needless to say, I'm still alive. Thing is, it's thinking like this that keeps racism alive. Drop the color. Treat others as an individual and not as a black man or a white man or black woman or a white woman.

There is a fine line in my beliefs of the races. We should treat others as individuals and not base our opinion simply on color. Can we derive an initial impression of a person based on race? Limited at best. Yes, I do believe each race carries certain traits and characteristics; however, in the end each person should be judged on his or her own abilities and actions. After all, we are all God's creation and should be treated as such.Upon reading this, you may feel that I have a racist standpoint in life, but be assured this is not the case. Just as anyone else does upon meeting someone new, I make a quick assessment based on appearance, speech and body language. From this, I draw a somewhat educated impression of an individual. I do hope that this piece will not only offer insight into my own belief system, but will provoke others to face their own beliefs and decide if their view of others is a healthy one.