RACISM

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After reading many of the latest postings about racism I decided to post
a paper that I wrote a few years back in a freshman writing class.

CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

	A black male gets rejected from a high paying, well deserved,
upper class job.  A white male gets brutally murdered because he went
down a street in the "wrong" neighborhood.  What do these sentences
have in common?  They both involve one single word that has ripped the
heart right out of the American dream.  That word is racism.  Why has
the goal of peace and unity not worked?  Why is racism so powerful?
"Why can't we just get along?" (Can't)
	Racism has never died out.  This strong force throughout
American history is still thriving today.  It takes innocent lives and ruins
them because of hatred based on the simple difference in skin color.
After the civil Rights movement, schools and the work place were
ordered to let in the different colors and cultures.  Racism was suppose
to be on its way out at this time.  Somewhere along the line, the narrow-
mindedness of racism found its way back into the
lives of many Americans.
	The hatred from racism is being displayed in many different
ways in the United States.  It is never more eye-opening than when it
comes from the groups that base their beliefs on the hate of another
color.  These groups are very easy to spot.  Whenever there is a
television camera around or a newspaper reporter, the hate groups are
sure to be not too far away.  They thrive off racial tension and look for it
in everything possible.  Whatever the reporter says, these groups can
turn it around and make it into a racial controversy.  They might use the
beating of a person by a cop to start something.  The problem would be
that the caseinvolved different races and not enough evidence to prove
the cause of the beating.  It could also happen in the work place.  An
arguement might occur because there is too much of one color in the
business.  All situations are open for racism
when these groups are around.
	The identification of these groups is easy.  If they are not drssed
up in their everyday attire then they are dressed up in their outrageous
costumes.  The group that wears the tall white dunce caps that cover
their embarrassed faces are the Ku Klux Klan.  The Black Panthers are
identified by their G.I. Joe outfits.  These two examples just like the
many other groups base their belief and identity on the on thing:
hatred of the other races.
	Hate groups also use violence to express themselves.  The
K.K.K. has a simple yet very expressive item they use whenever the
"wrong" race is present.  They burn a cross.  This eems stupid, but a
deep meaning of hate lies within the flames.  Another way of showing
their hate is to gand up on the innocent people.  This can happen in the
dark of the night or in broad daylight.  The Black Panthers are very
militant when beating the innocent victim.  Whoever the group may be,
they always seem to get their goal accomplished:
stir up racial tension among the people.
	America is drowning in a pool of discrimination and there is no
life guard on duty to pull it out.  The reason is clear, hate groups have
kept racism thriving and it seems to me that no one wants to do anything
about it.  There is so much talk about the "other colors" it seems that
people forget that there is a possible solution that could be made.  The
solution would be to get rid of these groups of hate.  In order to do this
the poeple of the United States must quit joining the groups.  To get
people to quit joining these groups, they must be educated about the
other cultures and learn that they are people withthe same blood, same
anatomy, etc.  I know this sounds like an oversized monster to wrestle
with but I believe Americans can do it.  It will take a little imagination,
some optimism, and a lot of prayer.  Then and only then the United
States will be able to get along.

_________________________________________________________
Work Cited

"Can't We All Just Get Along?  Time 25 May.  1992:p.56

_________________________________________________________

I want to add one more thing that has been on my mind about this racsim
discussion.  I have always been taught that we should never point our
finger at somebody else to put the blame on them.  The reason for this is
simple, one finger is pointing at them, but the other fingers are pointing
right back at you!


CD Sterrett
sterrett@juno.com
cdsterre@indyvax.iupui.edu

I Cor 9:24