A Colored Confrontation

For years and years our world has been separated. We've been separated by water, language, and culture. Most of these obstacles we have over-come by our new technologies, communications, and curiosities. But there seems to be one object that won't seem to budge: Racism. Racism is an ever-growing issue across the globe. In the days of Martin Luther King Jr. and President Abraham Lincoln, there were signs and restrictions that aided this separation, but today this issue is only shown in the reactions of everyday people in our supposed "equal" world.

The positive side of this ongoing confrontation is that most individuals in today's world have changed perspectives, and no longer take part in the colored confrontation. We can always look upon this positive note and feel good about ourselves, but we must eventually realize the fact that the other percentage of the world is stuck in a severely racist mindset. This point of view that people have is not only wrong, but can also become very hurtfull. In the following link, a columnist shares his first colored confrontation of racism: http://www.cm-life.com/2011/09/09/the-root-of-racism/

You may see in the attatched article that poor Chaldean was not a part of the most common contrasting form of racism: Black and White. Chaldean was, in fact, was from the Middle East, although he was affected in the same way any black person would be treated after news on television about some sort of gang fight. These jaundiced opinions made by 11-year-old John struck young Chaldean harsh with fear. We are lucky enough today to have people that stand-up for others enough to protect the confidences crushed by the temerarious nature of racism.

There may be few proofs of hurt feelings due to racism, but they still exist. But the more barefaced proof of racism's effects is the physical evidence. Throughout the years we have had many examples of  the commonly gruesome side of the clash. For example, the next race to be offended would be the residents of the Middle East, due to the upcoming remembrance of 9/11. Many of those participants in the somewhat-racist population of our world will hold spite against the Americans who share similar ethnicity to our adversary: Osama bin Laden. Poor Chaldean is one of these people, and will suffer just as much as the rest of his relatives.

For those of us who view racism as a heresy, we wonder: what is going on inside the heads of the antagonists? Well, this answer we do not know for sure, but may have varied assumptions for. These people may have been raised in such conditions and beliefs, or may be mentally troubled. We must not judge these anathemas, and simply allow them to vent as we avoid their somewhat abetting arguments.



The contrast of colors should not be seen as a repulsive affair, but as a ravishing coexistence. We are nothing without each other. The kidnapped slaves from Africa put more blood, sweat, and tears into building the Americas then we -as Americans- did. Each world brings in new ideas, features, and technologies to the world. The sooner we accept our differences, the sooner we will expand our knowledge and build a better vitality. Any extraneous activities we can do as a country to reach out to alien lands is certainly worth the effort.

Racism hurts physically and emotionally. It can hurt the people who become victims, but it can also wound the bystanders. Contrasting colors are found in nature as a piece of beauty. Why can't we also look past our differences and see the true beauty within our neighbors?

"Racism is man's gravest threat to man - the maximum hatred for a minimum of reason."

~Abraham J. Heschel (Jewish Theologian & philosopher, 1907-1972)