Racism

Blog post #246 of 365

It is hard not to be a little racist and be a white American. Oh did I offend you? Better move on then because I have opinions about racism.

There is an adorable commercial for Cherios breakfast cereal. It features a little girl of mixed race trying to help her dad be more heart healthy by giving him Cherios. Okay she pour it on him while he slept and is was in my eyes very clever. I know little kids might pour it on not knowing eating is where the protection happens. Apparently there was a huge backlash on YouTube with so much hate they disabled the comments. It breaks my heart to see that kind of hate.

In the news there is a huge backlash about a young black kid shot by a white man. I don't know anything about the case. Everything I have read has been slanted one way or the other so I refuse to jump on a hate wagon. I do know this race is at the forefront of the controversy. In my opinion race just shouldn't be a factor but it always is brought in to some degree or another.

I am white, female and I have a disability. Not a missing limb or blindness that is blatant disability but one you only see if you know me well or find me on a really bad day. People treat me differently but so what we are all different.We can't all be treated exactly the same. It isn't possible.

Apparently I am racist because I am white and I don't understand what it is like to be any other color. I was born this way, white I mean. I consider myself to be fairly well educated, decently informed but the truth of the matter is every other race has opinions about me because I'm white. It is a truth I live with just as they have opinions because I am female and disabled.

I have been accused of being racist. And maybe to some degree I am based on other people's opinions or judgements. I have no control over other people, so I guess it doesn't matter much.

I wonder if there will ever even be equality. I mean true equality where race, disabilities, religion, gender etc. won't matter. Where people are hired for their skills, character, and drive. Where people can live together in peace. I have my doubts.

The truth is we live in a world that evolves slowly. There have been lines drawn in the sand as long as there has been sand. I'd like the world to change. For people to live together in peace but so far that just hasn't happened.