My Views on Racism
Too often, some people act as though blacks and whites are the only ethnicities living in American society. Ahem! Well what about Latinos and Asians? They are citizens too. Hel-lo! Racism exists against blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians, and other various cultures/ethnicities within this nation. And racism is wrong no matter who it's directed at.
I do not see how it is "racist" to notice a person's skin color. How is that any different from noticing a person's hair color, eye color, or gender, or even the color of shirt someone is wearing? If you notice someone's skin color, all it means is that you are observant. And that's nothing to be ashamed of. Of course, proponents of symbolic political correctness will stubbornly argue with me about this.
However, judging someone because of their skin color is racist. It's the same philosophy as genderism (judging others based on gender) or orientationism (judging someone based on sexual orientation). We are all born with a certain skin color, and it is part of who we are. It is not something we can control. So why should anyone be held liable based solely on their genetic heritage?
Instead, I prefer to judge people based on how they treat others and their outlook on other people. If someone makes stupid generalizations in reference to race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation then they deserve to be condemned.
Multiculturalism is fascinating, enlightening, and worthwhile. Life would be pretty boring if everyone was exactly the same. The diversity on Earth is what makes us all so unique and allows us to learn from each other. So because of the strong diversity of cultures on Earth, I cannot morally condone racially-driven crimes. The Ku Klux Klan scares the hell out of me. They dress like ghosts . . . freaky ghosts. Their organization targets blacks, Jews, Catholics, and homosexuals. Louis Farakkhan scares the hell out of me. He advocates black supremacy and condemns whites, women, Asians, and Christians based on biological circumstances which people cannot control. Any supremacy group, no matter what the race or gender or religion or sexual orientation - - is bad.
Racism can cause damage to the human soul. It hurts one's feelings and one's self-esteem. If a racist uses skin pigment to judge another person, he/she may be potentially losing someone who could have been a great friend to them.
Above all, if a racist is going to judge others by their skin color, then he/she must be prepared to accept the possibility that a racist of another skin color may equally view him/her as "inferior." Of course, this would be anti a racist's philosophy that he/she belongs to the "superior" race. In which case, racists tread upon a very thin and delicate layer of an icy double standard when exhibiting such an attitude.
The question then remains: what should we do to decrease racism? Inevitably, we must look to the past and not repeat prejudicial injustices and transgressions which have been committed throughout history. However, rather than place blame on racial/ethnic groups of today, we must teach our children that such racism in historical times was WRONG. Rather then causing comtemporary students of history to inflict guilt upon themselves for wrongdoings of the past, we must help today's youth recognize the wrongness of historical and present-day racism to avoid continuously repeating tragic and unjust mistakes of the past. If history has taught us anything, it is that preferential treatment based on race (and gender) has only led to further injustice and corruption - - that includes affirmative action. True equality needs to be instilled in young minds through our school systems and through healthy parental guidance.
So no matter what race someone is, it is morally wrong for him/her to generalize or discriminate against another race, or even his/her own race. No one has that right. There's just no getting around it.
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