Written & published by: Kevin Beard Jr.
The problem with "racism" today:
First of all, before I start, the whole purpose of myself writing about this topic is to educate these young teenagers, Men & Woman today, who are racists in this world & to give examples what racism is like & how it can effect the innocent of different races / ethnicity's. As humans in today's society, we would think that racism doesn't happen anymore, but supposedly, some people today, think that they're still in the 1930's when racism was at it's peak, but furthermore, these people just don't want to accept that we are all created equal. People who are opportunistic, will excuse racism or hide it or pretend it doesn't matter or exist in today's world, but it really does exist in this 21st century & is a on-going problem in society that should be addressed.
Why is racism bad in today's society? Well to be honest, there are different levels of racism I would take it, from suspicion, ignorance, to downright extreme prejudice & discrimination. The world as we know it is becoming more mixed & integrating, & this could be down to technological achievements where people travel & settle more around the world with other humans of different races. The word "racism" in general causes poverty by shunning specific people from working, causes distortion of reality by causing superiority complexes, has caused major inequality issues, loss of life & conflict, lead to a corrupt justice system, & has lead to segregation in society. Racism also implies ignorance, lack of acceptance of others, equally worthy individuals, & is counter-survival & anti-social against one another. It is destructive to the fabric of society & isn't healthy.
So, what makes someone a racist? Well first of all, racism is not something that we are born with, for racism is something that we are taught by our parents. Whether you're born White or Black, it's a characteristic trait that we learn from parent's who have had racist backgrounds themselves. There ARE people who live their life growing up in a household with racist parents & such, but again, no child is born a racist, but as these children get older, they start seeing things in their environment & surroundings, or hear things their parents would say about another race. These parents would use racial slurs while discussing someone of a different race & why they aren't good people to associate with & so fourth. What parent's don't even realize is that, they're teaching these kids by brainwashing or feeding these kids with racist characteristics inside of them that would make these kids feel superior as if all people of that particular race are bad people & not as good as their race. It is true that children learn what their parents teach them, verbally & non-verbally, & the sad thing about it is, people of all races choose to be racist even beyond their childhood years. As babies, infants & children, the views of the parents are God to most offspring. Teen & adult years are years where people should be questioning about what they know. Beyond that, if they still hold to their racist upbringing & so-called biases, then they are fully aware of the implications of racism, & very well choose to be racist. Whether I am personally affected directly by this or not, racism still doesn't change the fact that I see it in public & it disgusts me. For example, If one is favoring a race, or judging a group of others by the color of their skin, that's just wrong to begin with, since all people are generally One race. Someone who is racist is typically someone who not only judges by race, but also uses racial discrimination's against someone, or a group of people for the way they are, how they talk, how they walk, how they dress, how much money they have, what they can afford, how they live their life, & so fourth, & at the end, it all comes down to what race you are, White or Black. We need to understand that is it not in our nature to act this way or to be racist towards anyone, or any situation, but society has made us think otherwise
Racism is bad because it splits us up, & makes us see other humans almost like they aren't human, because they may be different from us, but in reality, we are all created equal & demand the same amount of respect. For example, how you would like to be racially discriminated, judged, or called stupid or left out of a group or banned from a school, or kicked out of your own job just because you're Black, or just because you're White? The truth is, some people use racial discrimination on others for the sake of it, before getting to know a person for who they are, which is wrong, since that person may turn out to be someone whom they may consider a friend, or more then a friend. For example, if a Black person was racially stereotyping against you, & this person had hated Whites in general, but yet you were a White individual, you most likely would of established some kind of connection between the Black Man if he'd got to really know you for who you are deep down inside, before putting the "racial label" on you, & that's the sad part about our society. Because of this, a lot of potential friendships, relationships, & marriages seem to get cut off before they are established, which is sad. Again, those of ANY race / ethnicity who judge, label, & stereotype others based on race are typically turning people away whom might be people you like, or may have a friendship with, or even a relationship with, & so fourth. To judge somebody or stereotype a group of people because they're Black, or White, before you even get the chance to know them deep down inside, is hurting the innocent people who have done nothing at all to you, & victims of racism often feel hurt & unloved, & there are cases when some people resort to suicide because of racial discrimination & judgement based on one's color. Let me make a point about why I believe people become rasict. Given a situation here, say you are a Black individual & you prefer to be around Black people because you feel hate, disgust & other negative feelings for people of another ethnic background / race (perhaps Whites,) then as a Black person, you would probably have some racist characteristics towards White people simply because you were taught to have these characteristic traits inside of you or are programmed to feel superior to White people, which technically means, you are a Black racist against Whites, thinking that you're higher in rank then a White person. Now let me ask you a question, if you were Black, would you sit around with your "Black" friends & make racist jokes towards White people? If so, then not only does that make you a racist towards Whites, but it also shows that you're a person who's fearful of a White person, therefore, you avoid & separate yourself from White people, & you only put yourself around Black people because you fear of the unknown factors that lie behind every other White person. You put yourself around Black people because your brain is hard-wired to hate Whites -- It means you were simply raised to learn how to hate & not love. However, this situation can be looked at for both races, White or Black racist's, considering that this scenario is only an example of racism itself. But look at it this way, you can be proud of where you come from, your heritage, or whatever race / ethnicity you are, but the bottom line is that it's not right to make fun of anyone's color, or feel superior to anyone, or avoid anyone because of their color, or make anyone else feel as though they're any less of a human then you are because they're a different color, for you must understand that racism starts with fear, & all it is is fear turned to hate. No matter what race you are, don't become that kind of person who fears of other races because doing so, will only degrade yourself by acting like you're better because of your lineage. By all means, be proud, & don't let anyone take that from you. Keep your pride, for ignorance is a double edged sword, & if other people of all races misinterpret your pride for racism, then that's their ignorance, not yours. But again, racism is ignorance, & a lot of people throw that word around, but they can't even tell you why ignorance is racism, or vice versa. Racism is ignorance because racism is fear. Fear of that which we don't understand. We're only human, so we still revert back to those primal defense mechanisms when we fear of other races.
On the other hand, If you really look at it, racism is not only a form of fear & ignorance, but also a form of verbal bullying as well. Let's look at another example: Say you're walking around in the streets of Philly (where crimes & shootings happen) & you're walking around publicly, & you see a Black man with a low buzz cut with tattoo's & piercings, standing out in front of a cigar store (on the block) just standing there waiting for his ride, & you (as a White racist) comes up to this Black man who's obviously doing no harm to you, or anybody, & you walk up to him & come face to face with him, (without thinking before you act) & you start to racially discriminant this Black man, by assuming he's from the "ghetto" or says the "N" word, or he's "trash" or he's getting ready to "beat someone up" or "he's a criminal" or "he's not educated" because he's Black," or if you judge, stereotype, & put the "label" on this man, for what brand cloths he where's, his shoes, how he talks, how he walks, or how poor he looks, & so fourth, & you verbally say these things to him (only because you feel superior to Black people) then that's a form of harassment towards the Black Man. Why? Because in reality, the Black Man has done nothing wrong to harm you, or anyone near by, & shouldn't be judged or stereotyped based off of your encounter with every other Black person because of your own personal experience with groups of other Black people. The Black Man should be given equal amount of respect & also given a clean slate as an individual Black Man, without the judgement, stereotype, or " racial label," regardless of what color he is, or what he wears, how he talks, how he walks, how poor he looks, & so fourth. It wouldn't be fair to the Black man who you're judging & racially discriminating against, by trying to categorize him into a stereotype by harassing & overpowering him just because he's Black, & you're White, but if any White racist (who hated Blacks or had no respect for them), saw a White man in the streets of Philly, (where crimes & shootings happen) standing out in front of a store, (on the corner) wearing identical, brand clothing & shoes, with, or without tattoo's or piercings, who spoke nearly the same voice tone & had walked the same pose as the example of the "Black man," I'm sure the "White man" would automatically become looked upon as the innocent guy, who's harmless, good, & an educated person, treated with all kinds of respect, the same way a White racist would want to be treated back towards their own race, & the White man would automatically be given a clean slate without being racially discriminated in a verbal manner, without being judged, without being stereotyped, or being labeled. Does that make any sense? Because It doesn't make sense to me. I believe that in the eyes of a racist, it all comes down to natural thoughts & instincts when two of the same races encounter with each other, but for the wrong reasons, & this is what typically makes a person of ANY race, racist. But let me ask you a question, (going back to the example,) Let's say you're a racist White guy who notices another White guy standing out in front of the store, & you walk up to this White guy & start portraying the actions of a Black person in front of this White guy, for the wrong reasons, but you won't show this side of yourself around Black people, but perhaps, White people that are your race. How do you think that make Black people feel? What kind of racial image would that portray to Black people all over the world, & to White people all over the world, & towards yourself as a individual White person? Remember, you're actions speak for itself, but of course, what would it matter, right? White racists who normally look at White people would look at them as a innocent, normal, but better person of society, simply because those who think this way were taught to hate Blacks from childhood or programmed by those who have raised them to respect White people, but White racist's who look at Black people, without question, would automatically program these racist thoughts & idea's into their minds, stereotyping that ALL Blacks are born ghetto, or dress filthy, or were programmed to say the "N" word, or are "violent" or are taught bad manners, or are uneducated, because they're Black, & the reason being, is because again, these people are taught to hate Black people & are programmed to racially discriminate against Blacks & to stereotype them into one category as an excuse not to respect Black people, but of course when a White racist looks at a individual White person, the White man get's treated more better then every Black person in the world, right? In the eyes of a racist, a White racist would never look at the actions of another White person, or put any other White person down, but would rather stand up for them, support them, comfort them, & would ultimately "respect" the White man as oppose to respecting a Black man, simply because the White man is part of the "White" group of society. Therefore, they need to feel like they're superior, wanted & part of the racial group. Unfortunately, racism It's all about overpowering & defeating each other against race / ethnicity, which isn't right at all. People who think they're superior to others & act like there's nothing wrong with stereotyping others based on race, or racially discriminating towards other races / ethnicity, are beyond uneducated & should be taught manners.
This is not to say that all White people are racist, because it's not true. Only those who are White or Black, but choose to be a racist, are considered racist, no matter how you justify it. However, from what I've seen throughout my life, Black racist's are just as worse, & that's why I had given multiple examples of Black racist's & White racists, so that way it doesn't seem like I'm fighting towards One race. However, I do believe that people of both races / Ethnicity's who are racist (Black or White) really don't want to change for the better. I really believe that there are a good amount of Blacks, as well as Whites who like the confrontation of racism & don't wish for things to change. I also think that there are Whites & Blacks who chose to be racist & stay that way, because to them, it's easier to hate, then it is to change & forgive, but there is no answer but forgiveness. There is no way to fix this unless there is acceptance that there is a problem & those have to change, immediately. Now, I think the media stokes a lot of this hatred towards both races, especially the ultra liberal stuff. If all you ever do is perpetuate differences between color & strife, then that is all you will ever have to work with in life. With that being said, those who are racists (of any color) are simply too comfortable or too attached with their own race. A racist is someone who don't look beyond the skin colors of opposite races, to identify who these people really are as a person with feelings, but will have enough courage & power to become racist towards others & make judgements & label stereotypes based off of one's color before getting to know the person. Racists who are biased or racially discriminate against any race (whether they are White, Black, or other) are normally narrow-minded, uneducated individuals with disrespect for the human race. I say this because there's logic behind this -- people who are considerate for others, the human race & are educated, normally THINK before they act upon making stupid, ignorant, & disrespectful decisions, even if these people dislike a person for their own actions, but not for their race / ethnicity, but a racist who's uneducated, doesn't think before they act, not open-minded, says something to somebody that could hurt then, or not willing to accept other races, will eventually find it harder in life to do their job at work, school, college, or even associate with others in society, or even trade friendships with other people who are not of their ethnicity / race, & that's a true reality. The problem that I see with racism is that when one thinks of "racist ideas" or "thoughts" to say towards others in society, these thoughts tend to cloud their judgment, leading to mistakes & never getting to truly know anyone in this world for who they are in the inside. It's one thing if you hate somebody for their actions or what they do,(regardless of their color) but to hate somebody for their color, to the point where you think you can become a bully & just walk up to anybody, & start racially discriminating against them, like you're superior to them, or stereotyping them based on their color, or avoiding another human, or a group of humans because of their skin color, without feeling bad, or upset about it, is beyond me. People who hate, fear, & avoid of other humans because of their race / ethnicity are normally those who are shallow people with hollow minds that feel better "fitting in" with their own race than being an open-minded individual who's strong & accepting of ALL other races. A racist in general, will tend to view their arguments & ideas from passion & anger, (this goes back to my example of the Black Man above) & while viewing their arguments & idea's from passion & anger, they tend to lash out with their emotions rather than think things through, still those who deeply believe they are always right, may take similar stances as well. With that being said, a racist is normally someone who will fear of the other person, or a group of people because of their race or their past experiences with One or more people of the same race, & will typically become far too trusting among their own race. The individual racist normally has poor self-esteem, & is an easy follower, & this provides them the only element they seem able to fit into, & thus, will follow through blindly without seeing the good in other races. (this goes back to the example of the White Man.) These are people who are normally associated with ONLY a particular race in a group & they feel in order to conform to the group, they must follow group ideology, thus in confirming they are a member of the group & feel wanted around that particular race & that particular race only. In other words, it is unethical & immoral, & they very textbook definition of a "bad person" in society.
Personally, I've never thought of anyone as being less than me. I've never thought of anyone as being better than me. However, I'm half White, half Black & I am surprised & disgusted each & every day with the behavior & treatment of people by other people of all types of races who consider themselves better than someone else solely on the basis or race or color. As the human race, we as a whole need to succeed & learn to live with & tolerate each other, or other wise we will all end up killing each other. Let me explain something, we should love everyone, no matter what race, gender, sexual orientation, or age one is, It shouldn't matter, we are all people, we are One race, we are the human race. We shouldn't define ourselves, or others by race, but for who we, & for who others are on the inside. We are all born looking, thinking, acting, & being differently then others, but we should all be born into a world where we are loved & equally respected no matter what color we are. Why would any racist have to hate someone for the way that God created them? Why would any racist have to hate & use racial discrimination on someone for being a color they didn't choose to be? The fact of the matter is, two races shouldn't maintain distance from each other, or use hate speech against each other, or feel superior to one another in society? What for? We should rather be trying to maintain peace with each other as humans in society, no matter what race, for we are all humans, we are all equal, & we all demand the same level of respect & dignity, for One race isn't better or worse then the other.
P.s I want to thank those who read my post's, chime in, & are very supportive of me, I appreciate it.
Written & published by: Kevin Beard Jr.
Like what you see?
Please share this post:
