Differences

Sometimes in life, society must ask itself some tough questions. We would all like to think that we have evolved to a place where prejudice does not live but that is simply not true. National news is covered up with instances of prejudice and the truth is that most of us have some pre conceived ideas about other people. Is it related to color? Maybe it is. Do blonds have more fun or are they lacking the intelligence that a darker headed person possesses? Is intelligence born in the roots of your hair?

Perhaps it is other physical attributes that lend to prejudice. Overweight and lazy or skinny and sickly, which will it be? Maybe it is in how you dress-bow tied and nerdy or athletic shoes and athletic. Of course, age could be your prejudice. Old and grumpy or young and flighty-which one is it, because everyone is one or the other to someone.

Over educated and uppity or under educated and ignorant? Over emotional female or out of touch with your emotions male-are you seeing yourself yet? Arrogant Yankee or redneck southerner? Fox or CNN, you know I got you there.

Prejudice is alive and thriving and it will be until we are all exactly alike. Fortunately, we don’t all give into our more primal urges and burn cars or loot building because of our prejudices or those that we assume belong to others. So, is race an issue? Many people of color would say that they still feel the prejudice and so would many women. In truth many middle class, white males should be feeling the pinch. Heritage is a funny thing in the United States. Most of us are mutts, a little of this and a little of that. I have friends of all colors. I have relatives of all colors. And none of them burned a car this week or looted a store because they didn’t like something that happened in their community.

And that is the larger point. Communities are bound by much more than race. I am a chubby, middle age, white woman, who wears athletic shoes but isn’t even a little but athletic, that works and raised a family. I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother, volunteer and citizen. I am a part of every one of those individual communities and the greater one of humanity. My responsibility is for the greater good of those that I share this world with. Can I live without prejudice? Like most, I doubt that I am that enlightened. What I can do is check my tongue and my actions to make sure that my ignorance isn’t showing, because grumpy middle age has taught me that burning cars and bridges doesn’t accomplish anything.