The Neverending Cycle Of Racism
Judy Ramsook
September 28, 2005
Children learn things since their earliest beginnings from their surroundings and from the other people around them. They learn to rely on their adult parent or guardian for food, diaper change, nurturing and guidance.
For no one is born knowing all things, and what is not learned from early days, becomes known later on as those children become older and wiser through such means as education and interaction with their peers.
And as times and fads come and go, one thing that remains constant is the presence of racism. It’s everywhere we go like some invisible barrier.
And although many people associate it with skin colour, sometimes it goes much deeper than that. For this racism thing can be as complex as the human mind.
It’s what separates you from another as you walk into a crowded room, for you may be the one with the more attractive smile or slimmer body than the person standing next to you. Or it could come in the form of material possessions, or lack thereof.
Take that car that you drive everyday for example. When strangers see the car and you behind the wheel, they see see a part of who you are.
And if that automobile happens to be a top of the line type or not, you have been judged by those strangers. And if some want to look even further, there are other things as well.
Such as the type of job you have, which part of town you live in, the types of schools you have attended, the list can be endless, but you get the idea. So for those who think that racism begins and ends with skin colour, it may just be a more complicated issue than ever.
So be careful what you teach your children, for you learned about the different forms of prejudice from your elders, and those elders learned about them from their elders and so on. It’s a neverending cycle.
A cycle that may not ever see an end, but since we all have to live in this world together even though we are scattered into different countries, states, cities, neighbourhoods and so on, there is perhaps one thing we can all do to make this world a better place.
Unite and put aside the animosity you have for your fellow human being. For it’s only when you unite as a people is when your nation will prosper even better.
For success comes when you put on a friendly smile at the co worker or stranger next to you, not when you frown at his/her skin colour and other discriminating qualities.
For no one is born knowing all things, and what is not learned from early days, becomes known later on as those children become older and wiser through such means as education and interaction with their peers.
And as times and fads come and go, one thing that remains constant is the presence of racism. It’s everywhere we go like some invisible barrier.
And although many people associate it with skin colour, sometimes it goes much deeper than that. For this racism thing can be as complex as the human mind.
It’s what separates you from another as you walk into a crowded room, for you may be the one with the more attractive smile or slimmer body than the person standing next to you. Or it could come in the form of material possessions, or lack thereof.
Take that car that you drive everyday for example. When strangers see the car and you behind the wheel, they see see a part of who you are.
And if that automobile happens to be a top of the line type or not, you have been judged by those strangers. And if some want to look even further, there are other things as well.
Such as the type of job you have, which part of town you live in, the types of schools you have attended, the list can be endless, but you get the idea. So for those who think that racism begins and ends with skin colour, it may just be a more complicated issue than ever.
So be careful what you teach your children, for you learned about the different forms of prejudice from your elders, and those elders learned about them from their elders and so on. It’s a neverending cycle.
A cycle that may not ever see an end, but since we all have to live in this world together even though we are scattered into different countries, states, cities, neighbourhoods and so on, there is perhaps one thing we can all do to make this world a better place.
Unite and put aside the animosity you have for your fellow human being. For it’s only when you unite as a people is when your nation will prosper even better.
For success comes when you put on a friendly smile at the co worker or stranger next to you, not when you frown at his/her skin colour and other discriminating qualities.
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