Racism and sexism still exist. They may not be as prevalent in America as they once were, but it's still out there. In my naive mind I'd like to think that such scourges are slowly being reduced by time...as ignorance dies out, hopefully enlightenment is taking over.
Yes, I'm stating this as fact - a person's worth is NOT determined by the amount of melanin present in their skin, nor the chromosomes given by their paternal unit.
For the most part I think American's see this. Unfortunately some don't, and others who do don't necessarily act upon it. So we still battle it as a society. What I begin to wonder, though, is if the groups who perceive themselves to be repressed (in conjunction with the media's help) aren't actually perpetuating the problem to a degree.
I'm not talking about reverse racism which is equally real. Think back to the Superbowl, though...what happened? The first black head coach won a Superbowl. This presedential election we could have the first black president or the first woman president in America's history. In the past we've had significant hooplah over such firsts, and I wonder if THAT isn't part of the problem.
Do we help fight racism by raising awareness that a representative from a minority group accomplished something, or is the cause better served by letting such "momentous" occasions pass by with limited pomp and circumstance? It seems to me that, to a degree, the very act of celebrating an accomplishment achieved by a minority might reinforce the idea that minorities are somehow less able, because if someone who is perceived as fully able and capable of accomplishing a feat does so successfully, is it big news? No. It only becomes news if it's a shocker, if it's unexpected.
I don't care if the head coach of the winning Superbowl team is Mexican. I don't care if our president is black. I don't care if the CEO of Dell or Time Warner or IBM is a woman or a man. I don't care if our cival servants are women or men.
I care if they can do the job and do it well. Color and sex should just pretty much be circumstances.
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2 comments:
I don't agree with your use of the expression "positive/reverse racism" because anti-white racism is What that really is.
reverse racism Vs anti-white racism
Wow...thanks for the link! I hadn't really thought much about the distinction between the two terms and I certainly understand where you're coming from. Mine eyes have been opened, good sir!
I do believe that the term reverse racism still applies in this instance, though, and is generally synonymous in America with anti-white racism. While the term racism simply discusses the repression, devaluation, or discrimination of a person or group based on race, to my knowledge reverse racism specifically refers to the racial majority being discriminated against or otherwise slighted somehow. Save for specific counties or geographic regions, white people are the racial majority in America.
Of course, my understanding of what the term reverse racism really means may be lacking. If that's the case then I fall on my sword...
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