Racism In America: Much Improved But Still Needs Work

Racism in America is a very frustrating thing. To a minority, in a subculture surrounded by a majority of different people, racism is very frustrating and very suppressive. To a middle-aged white man such as me, racism is also frustrating. Racism is frustrating to everybody in America, except for the people who make money on it.

These so-called “social activist,” and the so-called “preachers,” who are supposed to be teaching from the Bible but in actuality promote a counterculture of violence to make a point about racism, these types of people are the only ones who benefit from racism.

We Can All Get Along!

It is unfortunate that to have a voice on the topic of racism requires credentials that are defined by the various minority groups and one of those requirements is that you have to be a minority from a bad neighborhood and in bad circumstances.

Thankfully, this is America, where anyone can say just about anything on any topic one wishes to speak on.

I have spent my life watching one struggle after another regarding racism and discrimination. I have seen many riots in many cities across America where property is damaged and ruined, and lives are lost and chaos reigns.

Just to be up front, I am a middle-aged white man living in a predominantly white community. However, we do have many minorities all around us, and these minority groups are growing. I suspect that the predominant minority group in our area would be Spanish-speaking people with a lot of Asians and the growing number of black people.

I live in the heartland of Utah which was once considered one of the whitest places in America. But that is no longer true.

If one wishes to join the public debate about racism one puts themselves out there as an open target by some minority group that doesn’t connect or identify with what you’re saying. This is unfortunate because the solution to racism and discrimination in America is a calm and rational open dialogue amongst everyone who wants to say something about it. Education is another solution to racism and discrimination.

What I have to say about racism is based on observation and personal opinions and what I believe are thoughtful ideas concerning racism and discrimination in America.

I would like to point out a few things that I think are important to consider as Americans regarding racism. If you compare America with all the other countries in the world, we have one of the best existing environments for races to get along with each other.

However, America does have a lot of room to improve regarding discriminating against each other and in solving racist attitudes. Racism is considered by most people to be discrimination of black people by white people. That is not true. Racism is a discrimination by one group of people toward another group of people based on gender, religion, the color of their skin and their social economic standing . . .

We must keep in mind that we are talking about generalities. There are always exceptions to any generality. A lot of discrimination is based on ignorance and this goes both ways.

I propose that the solution to discrimination and racism in American is as simple as: 1. Education. 2. Polite and respectful public discourse. 3. Get real and stop the hypocrisy. 4. Be the solution, not the problem.

Of these four principal solutions, I think Education is by far the most important. Education and rational thinking could go along way to resolve the animosity between different classes of people.

One good example of education can be derived by this scenario:

A business owner is motivated by one or two things. The first is making money. Some business owners want to make a difference in the world with their product or service. That business owner should surround him or herself with the smartest, most experienced people they can get in the salary range they can afford. If that is a black man, an Asian or white woman, a Native American or a white man, then so be it. Hire the most qualified.

Forcing that business owner to hire a certain number of women or a certain number of racial minorities isn’t good for business unless they happen to be the most qualified.

This is a basic principle, hire the most qualified person that you can afford regardless or race or gender.

Being the best qualified candidate makes the most sense from the standpoint of a gender minority or a racial minority.

This scenario is all about education. This scenario educates people on business practices to be successful. To the business owner, don’t discriminate, hire the best qualified. To the candidate be the most qualified. Whatever your gender or color of skin, get the education you need for the job or career you want to pursue. Get all the experience you can and make yourself qualified. Be proactive, not violently reactionary.

The final lesson of this scenario is to be color blind and get the best person for the job and be the best person for the job and let the chip’s fall where they may.

Another example of education being so beneficial to overcoming discrimination and racism is to make sure that everybody is educated that wants to be educated. A great example of lack of education is what’s happening in Ferguson Missouri right now. Last night the grand jury announced that the white police officer that shot and killed Mike Brown will not be indicted for Mike Brown’s death.

Video clips and pictures show many people, white and black, holding signs that say “we demand justice for Mike Brown” or “justice for Mike Brown” and “black lives do matter.”

In this example education is very important because so many people are being rallied by outsiders to protest, regardless of the results of the grand jury. If these people were educated and rational they would understand that the prosecutor presented evidence from both sides of the spectrum regarding the police officer shooting of Mike Brown.

This is important because the prosecution controls the evidence presented to the grand jury and this prosecutor gave the grand jewelry everything he could for them to make the best decision and the most educated decision that they could make. If the protestors were educated, they would understand that indeed justice was done for Mike Brown and justice was done for the police officer. But these social activists are manipulating these people to lash out against logic and against education. A criminal is a criminal regardless of the color of their skin.

I have no way of knowing, but I suspect that the majority of those protesting in Missouri would probably be less likely to protest if they understood the proceedings completely. The activist keeps them fueled up so that rational thought becomes virtually impossible.

This sad story of what’s going on in Ferguson Missouri also speaks to another aspect of discrimination and racism. Many of these protesters are overlooking the fact that Mike Brown was involved in criminal activity when he was fighting the police officer who trying to talk to him, detain him or arrest him.

If “Joe Protester” who let’s say, happens to be black and was quietly going about his business in his own neighborhood and had Mike Brown been going after him to beat him up, rob him, or commit some other kind of crime, what would “Joe Protester” do?

Would “Joe Protester” be carrying a sign in a mob saying “we demand justice for Mike Brown?” I doubt it. In our society the rule of law needs to work both ways regardless of gender or race.

In Utah, this year, 2014, there have been twelve or thirteen police officer shootings and we still have a month and a half to go. People are protesting (peacefully) and are making ignorant claims about police officers doing what they want and getting away with it. A couple of years ago a police officer shot a woman who was in a car trying to hit the officer with her car. The officer shot and killed her. The district attorney said that he was criminally liable for her death and the case went to court. When the judge heard the evidence from both sides, the judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence against the office to go to trial. This verdict was handed down just a few weeks ago.

This example shows the ignorance of the people protesting. Police officers are accountable for their actions.

If people were half as anxious to obtain an education and to learn how to have rational thought as they are to chaotic protesting, many of our racial problems would be gone.

I am not an expert on the issue of race relations and discrimination practices throughout America. However, I feel like I am educated enough and have enough rational thought to realize that most people who protest about racial issues regarding police officer shootings and similar subjects are usually uninformed or choose to let emotion guide their thinking rather than rational thought. And there’s absolutely never excuse to have violent protests or destructive protests.

We need respectful public discourse on the topics of race relations and gender discrimination. The nationally syndicated talk shows are, for the most part just are entertainment shows full of verbal fighting and one-sided thoughts. They prefer good ratings over rational thought.

People in America, from all walks of life regardless of your skin color or gender have the right to peaceably assemble and let their voice be heard.

But no one has the right to protest it in a way that causes property damage or that causes injury to other people. That is against the law. If you participate in a crime by violently protesting and you do it claiming to want justice to be done for Mike Brown or John Doe or anyone else then you are a hypocrite and a criminal. How hypocritical is it to protest the treatment of a criminal by committing crime in a violent and destructive protest?

Before you start throwing stones at me, think what wise men have done and said over the years that have accomplished many great things that endure even to today: I’m talking of people like Mahatma Gandhi or the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Mahatma Gandhi protested in a nonviolent way and his leadership and his wise words are still studied and talked about in our day. He caused change to occur in his day and left a positive legacy for us today.

Martin Luther King Junior talked about judging people not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Racism and discrimination know no boundaries. White people discriminate against black people. Black people discriminate against white people. Asian people discriminate against women. Women discriminate against women. Women discriminate against men. Black people discriminate against Asian people. Native Americans discriminate against white people and on and on it goes.

Truly racism and discrimination know no boundaries. It is not just white people versus the minorities, racism and discrimination are an unintelligent trait that resides in the hearts of men and women of all colors and of all genders.

Be the solution by not adding to the problem. Talk in an educated and rational way of what is happening in the world, avoid knee-jerk reactions and let the system play out until a decision is made. Then peacefully protest as is you right to do. But keep it civil.

I do not propose to have all the answers to fix the inequalities, racism and gender bias that is going on in our society today. I know it could be worse when I look at other countries and how they deal with these issues, but it could be much better in America, and it should be.

We need to compare our progress against our own history. If we compare ourselves to society before the Civil War, we’ve come along way. If we compare ourselves against society just after the Civil War, we’ve come a long way. If we compare ourselves to 100 years ago, we have come a long way. If we compare ourselves to the days during segregation, we’ve come a long way.

In the last twenty-five years we have come along way in improving race relations and gender discrimination. Janet Reno, a woman, served as Attorney General in Bill Clinton’s administration, for eight years. Condoleezza Rice, a black woman served George W Bush for eight years in his cabinet, four years of which were as Secretary of State. Hillary Clinton was a serious contender for the Democratic party nomination and lost to Barrack Obama, a black man, who was elected as president of the United States. Hillary Clinton, a woman served four years as Secretary of State. Janet Napolitano, a woman served as Secretary of Homeland security under Barrack Obama.

Yes we have come a long way, but we still have room for improvement, so that there is no discrimination against any people for any reason.

Callahan

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