The Elephant in the Room: The Issue of Race

It's been years since we've dealt with heavy racial discrimination. Or at least that's what they want you to think. Everyone believes that racism is a thing of the past, racial discrimination is a minimal issue, racial discrimination isn't as bad as it used to be. Well, this is both right and wrong.

Racial Discrimination is not a minimal issue, it is a very serious and very big issue. Racial Discrimination isn't as bad as it used to be - well, it's not as violent perse, it's more passive-aggressive. We still hold our prejudices, even though we've come so far. It's in the way we look at those who aren't the same color as us, the way we talk to those who aren't the same color as us. The way we hold ourselves around those who aren't the same color as us.

There are still so many people out there who are against interracial relationships, there are still people out there who fear certain races. We've developed stereotypes of the other races because of our fear or dislike. America has developed the stereotype that black males are naturally more dangerous than white males. Americans have subconsciously been taught to be more afraid when you see a black male than you should be when you see a white male.

America has recently decided that all Muslims are dangerous to society, that they are all terrorists and that they are to be feared or treated differently than anyone else. My point is, America has made up these images of those of a different race and these images are usually negative.

Recent studies shows that not only are females paid less than males but black employees are paid less than white employees, even if it's just by a few cents. This is a problem.

Why are still stuck on our past views? Blacks, Whites, Muslims, Asians, Africans, Mexicans, we're all people. It doesn't matter what color you are, we all look the exact same on the inside. We're all human, we're all pink/red and mushy on the inside. We all bleed red. Haven't we learned anything from the past?

It's said that you are supposed to remember the past so that you can change the future but we're not changing anything, we're falling right down the same path. We need to stop looking at the surface colors and look at the true, internal, personal colors. Interracial marriage should never be illegal, we should not judge based on an individuals skin tone. We should only focus on them as a person.

There are many who I'm sure are nodding their heads vigorously in agreement, many who are rolling their eyes in exhaustion, or are getting very angry but all I'm doing is saying what's on my mind and saying what needs to be said. People have become too obsessed with external factors of individuals and not gotten to know the individuals as a person, so we treat them differently, we talk to them differently, we're sour towards them, we're bitter towards them. We're angry towards them. No one chooses their skin tone. The skin tone is not important, it's what's inside that counts. The heart, the passion, the soul, the personality. Those are what should matter the most but there are far too many people that give in to their prejudice.

This is not okay. We are better than we were in the past and we need to prove it, show it. Otherwise we're showing that we haven't learned anything from the past and we're going to end up following the same pattern. Going through the same issues.

They say that humans are the most adaptable and evolved species, so let's prove it. Let's show that we've evolved from who we were in the past. Let's prove that we're better, that we're learning and that we aren't stupid enough to follow and make the same mistakes we made in the past.