Post by Tzalaran on May 28, 2009 10:39:53 GMT -6
i've read alot about race the past few days, and feel the need to preach a bit. (get your popcorn ready)
First, lets ask ourselves the question, "Does Racism exist". i believe that all of us will agree that yes is the correct answer to that question.
Now as a white male, i will certainly say that reverse racism exists, as i've all too often seen my sons ridiculed as "white boys", "crackers", and my all time favorite "pancake" (WTF?!?) at the local community center that is primarily occupied by african american and hispanic families. i've taught my sons that the reason for this name calling is an ingrained need to belong to a group for security in the minority populations. This was a defense mechanism for them to combat the racism that they were facing for much of their history in this country, and it is only recent generations who are beginning to shift the model and become more "color-blind" as a whole.
all humans are social animals, i.e., we need to form groups and have a circle of like minded individuals that help us to not feel alone. This social need has been used to provide a sense of community, brotherhood, and security amongst those who belong, but it has also fueled segregation and a fear of mingling with those outside of the group. This inherently feeds discrimination of those who are "on the outside", and fractures the 'melting pot' that is american society as a whole. These fractures are then amplified through fear of "those who are different" by people who are looking to assert power over a group. for example, Hitler used the Jewish bankers as an outside element to ferment why the German people were being persecuted for WWI, sweeping the entire population into the nazi racists we think of today.
Science and technology have taught us quite a bit about the makeup of all humans, and it is time that we put that knowledge to use and dropped the divisive racial and ethnic undertones that permeate throughout the world. first and foremost, we are all Homo Sapiens before we are African, Hispanic, Asians, Caucasians, or Arab. When we finally move beyond the ethnic barriers that we have set up to help divide us into groups based on outward appearance, and we look at each other as HUMANS, then and only then will racism be a concept of the past.
We can either be a part of the solution in this process by teaching our children to not look at ethnicity as a factor by our actions, or we can teach them to hate those who are different like has been passed down for countless generations. We have come to a point in history where universal destruction and the end of mankind is on the doorstep, and the primary trigger to this event will be about ethnic and religious struggles. It is time to move beyond the petty arguments supporting inequality and time to begin working together with our fellow humans to make a better world for all of our children.
many claim that the Taliban and Islamic fundamentalists are crazy, that they don't think like we do, and other such inane statements without looking at the historical progression of their culture and welfare. This is just the first step in dehumanization (the 'they are different' mentality), and the path of dehumanization always leads to genocide and conflict. Where the U.S. government failed in Afghanistan and Iraq is in thinking that military force alone could show these people a better way of life. That, and that alone is the key to winning war in this region, show them a better way of life. provide them the ability to educate their people, and ignorance and propaganda are less successful. provide them security so they can walk down the street without fearing for a bomb attack and they will change their attitudes about western society. show them a model that allows them to create a better life for their children and they will be eager participants in reforming their attitudes.
racism, ethnic issues, and religious intolerance are all intermingled in our world, and without addressing all of them head on with an open mind, they will prove to be the undoing of civilization. only when we move beyond seeing whites, browns, reds, yellows, and all the other silly groups developed to push us apart, and we see each other as humans, will we have the chance to achieve unity and peace.
First, lets ask ourselves the question, "Does Racism exist". i believe that all of us will agree that yes is the correct answer to that question.
Now as a white male, i will certainly say that reverse racism exists, as i've all too often seen my sons ridiculed as "white boys", "crackers", and my all time favorite "pancake" (WTF?!?) at the local community center that is primarily occupied by african american and hispanic families. i've taught my sons that the reason for this name calling is an ingrained need to belong to a group for security in the minority populations. This was a defense mechanism for them to combat the racism that they were facing for much of their history in this country, and it is only recent generations who are beginning to shift the model and become more "color-blind" as a whole.
all humans are social animals, i.e., we need to form groups and have a circle of like minded individuals that help us to not feel alone. This social need has been used to provide a sense of community, brotherhood, and security amongst those who belong, but it has also fueled segregation and a fear of mingling with those outside of the group. This inherently feeds discrimination of those who are "on the outside", and fractures the 'melting pot' that is american society as a whole. These fractures are then amplified through fear of "those who are different" by people who are looking to assert power over a group. for example, Hitler used the Jewish bankers as an outside element to ferment why the German people were being persecuted for WWI, sweeping the entire population into the nazi racists we think of today.
Science and technology have taught us quite a bit about the makeup of all humans, and it is time that we put that knowledge to use and dropped the divisive racial and ethnic undertones that permeate throughout the world. first and foremost, we are all Homo Sapiens before we are African, Hispanic, Asians, Caucasians, or Arab. When we finally move beyond the ethnic barriers that we have set up to help divide us into groups based on outward appearance, and we look at each other as HUMANS, then and only then will racism be a concept of the past.
We can either be a part of the solution in this process by teaching our children to not look at ethnicity as a factor by our actions, or we can teach them to hate those who are different like has been passed down for countless generations. We have come to a point in history where universal destruction and the end of mankind is on the doorstep, and the primary trigger to this event will be about ethnic and religious struggles. It is time to move beyond the petty arguments supporting inequality and time to begin working together with our fellow humans to make a better world for all of our children.
many claim that the Taliban and Islamic fundamentalists are crazy, that they don't think like we do, and other such inane statements without looking at the historical progression of their culture and welfare. This is just the first step in dehumanization (the 'they are different' mentality), and the path of dehumanization always leads to genocide and conflict. Where the U.S. government failed in Afghanistan and Iraq is in thinking that military force alone could show these people a better way of life. That, and that alone is the key to winning war in this region, show them a better way of life. provide them the ability to educate their people, and ignorance and propaganda are less successful. provide them security so they can walk down the street without fearing for a bomb attack and they will change their attitudes about western society. show them a model that allows them to create a better life for their children and they will be eager participants in reforming their attitudes.
racism, ethnic issues, and religious intolerance are all intermingled in our world, and without addressing all of them head on with an open mind, they will prove to be the undoing of civilization. only when we move beyond seeing whites, browns, reds, yellows, and all the other silly groups developed to push us apart, and we see each other as humans, will we have the chance to achieve unity and peace.