More and more, race is being brought into the public arena. Everyone is concerned about what they say, who they say it to, how it is said, and on and on. Granted, people should be considerate of others and avoid things that are blatantly inflammatory. However, one of the biggest arguments on the idea of racism is reverse racism. What is it? Does it exist? If it does, how does it harm society?
Reverse racism is the idea that people of other races - typically, races that have been historically oppressed by white people - harbor anger and, essentially, racism toward people of races that have historically oppressed them. (For example, black people being and acting racist toward white people.) And, no - it does NOT exist. It cannot exist because reverse racism, by definition, should literally mean the opposite of racism. The reverse of racism is to exist fundamentally without any racism. A Google search for the definition of racism literally yields this result: poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race; the belief that some races of people are better than others. Simply put, "reverse racism" does not exist because racism is racism - regardless of what race is perpetuating the hate or violence toward any other race.
This is a controversial idea - especially coming from a white person. The nation is obviously racially divided. The Black Lives Matter movement has taken hold and established itself for the long haul. No one is happy; everyone is angry; nothing is being done. Racism is obviously harming the American society. We are pulling apart at the seams.
I was not raised to be racist. My parents were careful to make sure that I understood that everyone is a person, everyone was created by God, and everyone is important. They took the time to explain to me that a person's race does not affect the outcome of their life. A black person can be the President just as easily as a white person can live a life of crime. An Asian person may never be more than a store manager while a Hispanic person could be the next head of NASA. Race does not determine who and what you are - or how much you can achieve. It is never a handicap to your dreams.
I remember the first time that I encountered racism. I remember how shocked I was. I was in sixth or seventh grade, and I had gone to summer camp with a bunch of kids from my church. I was friends with a girl who was very good friends with a boy. And I thought that they would make a cute couple. (Oh, junior high, right?) She was tall, and he was tall. They both played sports at the same school. They were cute and awkward and adorable together. When I mentioned to a friend that I thought the two would make a good pair, that friend replied that her parents would never approve of that. Naturally, I asked why. My poor twelve-year-old heart couldn't take that they had a forbidden love. But, my despair turned to shock when this friend told me that the couple could never be because she was white and he was black.
Although encountering racism at any age is awful, consider the fact that it took twelve years for me to be personally exposed to racism of any level. Consider the fact that I was shocked and heartbroken over the idea. I would say that America has made a lot of progress if racism never crosses most minds for years.
Since that first experience with racism, I have begun to see it everywhere. For almost ten years. I've seen it in white people - who call each other redneck and white trash. I've seen it in Asians - who specifically ask their friends if they know of any pretty Korean girls. I've seen it in Hispanics - who hate people from any Hispanic country other than their own. I've seen it in black people - who shame other black people for not being dark enough or not having the "right kind" hair.
And I have seen every race turn on each other in anger and hatred.
At the very heart of the Black Lives Matter movement is the idea that you know how people are going to treat you based on the color of your skin and the color of their skin. But, that, in and of itself, is racism. I look at you - no matter what your skin color is - and wonder who you are; you look at me and - based on the color of my skin - think you know who I am. Then, you treat me accordingly. How is that not racism when the very definition of racism is to treat someone differently based on the color of their skin?
Recently, I read a book about the USA launching into another civil war. It was based on the same idea of the previous American Civil War, although the issue in question was not slavery. It was simply a state that would not succumb to what they saw as gross federal overreach. However, there was one character that cleverly summed up the conflict, and his statement applies directly to any national conflict. He said:
"See, way I reckon, this country is like its flag. When troubles hit the country like the weather on that flag, people got different ideas on how to fix that trouble. They start arguing about it. People getting madder and madder at one another, pulling apart in different directions, until, like that flag, there are little threadbare spots, small tears. Finally, something comes along that's too much, and those little worn spots rip open, leaving the flag, like this country, in tatters." (Divided We Fall, Trent Reedy, p. 313).
No comments:
Post a Comment