Sunday, November 14, 2010

what do you see?

Note to Reader: Since this is a topic I personally feel very strongly about, it is hard for me to rationally lie down my argument without becoming heated. Thus I acknowledge that in parts some of this might be scattered, unnecessary, or particularly poorly written. Also it is 3:42am and I refuse to revise it in fear of deleting any passion I am currently feeling. Please tell me your opinions on this, I know it is a touchy subject but in my personal belief it should not be. It should not even be a topic in question at all, in my mind. I digress.

'You need to ask yourself the right questions. Has anything you've done made your life better?'
-American History X

Racism is, by definition, the belief that your race is inherently superior to others. Prejudice is an attitude or belief about something, which can or cannot be negative. While I believe that certain prejudices are inevitable, we all have our opinions, racism is an evil that is learned and built into our minds by society and our fucked up humanity. It bothers, disgusts, horrifies me that total racism can still exist to this day even in a society and world that is supposedly so advanced and intelligent. Is it really? It seems to me that we know less than we ever did, we just now have fancier means of communicating our bullshit.
Since being a 'racist' is such a social taboo nowadays, it's more closeted. However, it's so omnipresent that at times I feel suffocated by it. Even if you give shit a different name, it still looks and smells like shit. How many times in my life have I heard someone begin a statement with “I'm not racist” and then very clearly and distinctly make a completely racism-laden argument? To me, it just doesn't make sense. It just doesn't. It never has and it never will.
But even those of you who deem yourself so fucking forward-thinking, you're all simmering in it. You're all continuing it. Racism is ALWAYS going to exist as long as we allow it. Just as an example, one conversation I've heard commonly had is through many guy friends of mine discussing sexual partners of girls in question. They say they aren't racist, but if a girl has had sex with a black person that makes them automatically less attractive. How does that make sense? As long as we look at another person and see only their color, and give that color a negative connotation, we are never going to get anywhere. As long as we are acknowledging a difference nothing more than skin-deep, we have a problem.
Biologically, all humans are NINETY NINE POINT NINE PERCENT IDENTICAL. Our genetic makeup is the fucking same. Our differences are whats inside of us, inside our minds, not what is external. Our ethnicities are what build up any cultural differences that we have; you can have a white person born in any society and end up 'being' Asian, Jewish, French, African.
Therefore, what is the only thing separating us? The way we act. We can never be free if we always harbor these negative sentiments towards other human beings.
The way we are raised makes us who we are. The way we think makes us who we are. The way we handle our lives, makes us who we are. I believe that we all have the power to make ourselves better than what we are, we all have the tools within ourselves to become better than our environments. I accept that there are many obstacles that are nearly impossible to overcome, many horrors in lives that I can never begin to understand. But I believe that as long as we keep seeing ourselves as different and not accepting one another we can never have true equality amongst us. Why is it so hard? I don't understand.
I think things like Affirmative Action are only setting us back farther. It's making up for historical injustices that at this point in time shouldn't even be a part of the equation. One race shouldn't have the upper-hand by ANY means, whether it be unspoken or regulated by the government. If we acknowledge a difference in ourselves, we are CREATING the issue. True equality can only exist if we treat ourselves and each other as truly equal. If two people go for the same job or the same place in a college, they should get it ONLY by their accreditation and achievements, not by their color, no matter WHAT the color is. We should be who we are as INDIVIDUALS, not as a race.
I look in the mirror, and I see myself. I don't see a color, or a woman, or a label.
I see me.
What do you see?


After some more time spent pondering, I would also like to add that homophobia is pathetic. Another persons way of living has no effect on your own. If someone is a good human being, the question of the color of their skin or their sexual orientation should have no effect on your judgement of then. Who are YOU, who am I to judge another person? Especially on something so trite, something superficial? God bless the gays.
Also for all the Christian arguments, you can quote Leviticus 20:13 all you want ('If a man lies with a male as with a woman') and rant on about all this homosexuality being debauchery. But I will go so far out as to make the assumption your knowledge of not only the bible but of THAT VERY quote on which so many Christians base their hatred upon is nothing less than limited, and ask you, have you happened to have read Leviticus 19:19? No?
'You shall not sow your field with two different kinds of seed, nor shall you put on a garment made from two different materials.'
Not familiar with this? Well, go on shunning the homosexuals, but according to the bible you sitting there in your blended fabrics, you're going to hell too motherfucker.
And guess what? I believe in God too.

No comments:

Post a Comment