Jul 3, 2013

American Race War


***America's Race War***

The more I watch the Martin/Zimmerman trial, this Paula Deen scandal and hear all the different opinions on all the various sub-topics surrounding racism and the use of the, "N word" in America. The more I CRINGE.

America's race issues are nowhere near what they use to be in previous decades/centuries but it doesn't mean it is completely vanished. Just because there are no longer Jim Crow laws or segregation does not mean that I am wanted, desired or excepted into every circle. We as a people, Americans in a capitalist society are experiencing a different kind of separatist war. Today's we are all choosing sides in a Class War.

Today's wars are based more on cultural, socio-economical and political differences with race as nothing more than a vehicle to perpetuate hate. Those still giving into racist thoughts and actions are obviously among the least educated of our society. Although, many of us (including myself) use race as their primary identifying maker for cultural bias.


We judge daily and we use race in many different ways to prejudice our cultural and class disapproval or contempt. We fear what we do not understand, so through fear we create separation and contempt. A seriously disappointing fact about all of this, is that most of the youth today could careless about race but still possess many bias when it comes to another individuals social, economic/class or political status. The even worse part, is that this is exactly what the top 1% desires. Divide and Conquer. 

Today's new tolerate American citizen (which are definitely in the majority on issues of race) still has quite a bit of growing to do. Although we are much more excepting of our fellow man's skin color, we haven't quite learned to except his cultural differences. Typically, many middle-class, suburban white Americans will except a Latin, Asia or even Black family moving into their community as long as they "act" accordingly. They are excepting when the family posses the same religious, economic and political views. As long as the family does not want to bring their heritage or culture with them, then they are okay. Now let a family move into the neighborhood and that family has no desire to change their belief system or values to mirror the surrounding community and watch the bigotry and hatred ensue.

This is particularly disturbing to me because I come from a family rich in tradition that does not mirror many of the middle-class values. I, we are not all the same but instead of that being celebrated it is incredibly frowned upon. I had many friends growing up from many different backgrounds but oddly enough for many of those friends I was the only person int their circles that was different. I attribute that my friendship was easier to maintain because I did posses a in-dept understanding of other cultures but I didn't always care to to sacrifice my own identity to make everyone else comfortable. In turn, many of my friends were truly excepting of having a culturally different friend (so it was some group effort of acceptance by some more than others).

Bringing home my point, I think I want more people to understand what it is like to have a different upbringing that would be considered outside the majority of societal beliefs and the struggles that incur. The fact that no one wants to be called racist but the majority of us all still stereotype or at the least use race first in describing each other, especially when feeling extremely angry. 

Even when we are not angry, we will describe individuals using their race/color or heritage. We call Obama a Black President. We will say things like my favorite black actor or my favorite white singer but all in the same breath exclaim how we are not racist by identifying our friends that are not the same as us.

If we are to truly to conquer our prejudice and bigotry then having the inability to count our friends, peers and associates that are different is a great place to start. Next, I would suggest visiting the homes of some of your friends that come from different nations. Don't just invite them into your home but go to their homes when they have a traditional family gathering. Introduce and expose yourself to their family life, tradition and culture. Leave your bubble and that goes for everyone black, white, brown, yellow, straight, gay and lesbian (but I will be honest, that goes double for white people because many of us recognize that we are constantly having to adopt to your standards, while you ignore ours.

There is also one more point I would like to make, as long as we continue to bicker with one another and focus on issues like gay marriage, race and how many bullets his/her gun holds, the easier it is for us all to end up trapped like rats. Debt-enslavement is the one and only goal of the Federal Reserve and they could careless who or what you are. They backed Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush Jr. and now back Obama. They back all wars (both sides) and they always win big no matter if the economy is in the toilet or soaring high. Stop focusing on all the immediate bullshit in the world and realize that the real war is between the "Have and Have-Nots".


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