Can we please just have an honest conversation about intolerance?

          I am not going to go into all of the world's problems in a few paragraphs. Let's face it, I'm way to wordy for that. But I will discuss one issue that shouldn't be allowed to be ignored any longer. It should never have been ignored in the first place. At any time. Period. Sadly, I don't have much faith that we as a country or for that matter as a human race (as it is everywhere in one form or another) will truly face it head on. Honestly. Nakedly. For that, is the only way, that we have a chance at moving on and making things better.
          It is not just the recent shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. Nor is it only about all the recent coverage of police brutality/killings of unarmed black men and women. This is about all of the racism, ignorance, and hatred that Afro-Americans have to endure on a daily basis. This is also about all the feelings that come with these things.
          Let me start with this. I have been lucky. I am alive. I am independent. I am white. It's true I have the misfortune of being born a woman in a man's world and I have an invisible disease (epilepsy), but these things allow me only to glimpse the pain of others. I have privileges. I don't  want them, but they are there. I cannot deny, nor should I deny having them. To pretend that I don't have an automatic leg up in life due to my race would be not only disrespectful but stupid.
          To willfully ignore the reality that surrounds us is self-serving at best. Blissful ignorance of your own personal woes is your own choice. Have at it. But actively ignoring the woes of the culture you live in, the country you live in, the earth you live on is a crime. Yes. A crime.
          I have wondered innumerable times, how it is, that an adult can possibly not see people being treated differently due to their race. When I go through my daily life, the only conclusion I can come to, is if a person does not see racism it is because they do not want to see it, nor accept any guilt or culpability that might come along with that. But from what I see every single day, racism is still staring us all in the face.
          I see racism on the bus. In the corner stores. I see racism while walking in the street and on T.V. I've seen racism in the workplace. It is all around us if you would take a moment to look. It is not always overt. And other times, so overt that churches are burned.
          Now I can only guess at some of the feelings that come with a life that is the object of such irrational intolerance (And I welcome anyone to share their thoughts- racist sentiments will be deleted). I will, however, not do anyone the injustice of speaking for them. I have too much respect for people to dishonour them by putting words in their mouths.
          So ask yourself these questions. When you see someone being belittled due to their race, do you ever speak up? When you see only a few open seats on the bus, do you always try to sit next to a person of the same colour as yourself? When racist jokes are made in a social gathering, do you ever say, "Hey, that's not funny.".....If you do even one of these things, I'm glad. It's a good start. If you never do, why not?


kimbersfrog