Racism alive and well in today's world

Thursday Treadmill Treats

Racism alive and well in today's world

Lately with all the talk about the Oscars snubs of all the incredibly talented black actors, directors and producer's in today's Hollywood film studio, it makes me wonder how we have come so far and yet still have racism in this country.

I know that there is racism still in our country, but I can't understand it. I have never seen color, I have always just seen people's hearts, if your a good person, if your kind, caring, to me that is what counts.

My mother grew up in Harlem, for Gods sake. She was lucky enough to grow up there and not be caught up with the rest of the country's prejudices.
New York never had segregation, it was way ahead of its time, even way back then.
It was a melting pot of every race and every religion, all living together in peace.

I was lucky enough to be brought up in a town that also ahead of its time. Growing up there, we had families of color, we had Jewish families, we had Spanish families, mixed raced families, even gay families. Our house was always filled with all kinds of people, my parents even were friends with the local drag Queens, no for me this was all normal.

Now, for the late 60's and this being such a small town, being this opened minded about these things was huge! We didn't see color, we saw friends. It was an incredible place to grow up in and maybe because of that upbringing, I thought the rest of the world was like we were.

My very first best friend was black, my "Uncle" our close family friend was black, Hell, I even go to a prodimidly black church now and did so back then as well, so this has never been a issue for me.

Unfortunately the rest of the world still has racism  and its is in your own back yard. I remember when I met someone online, he seemed nice so after a few emails we decided to meet. He was a mixed race man, 6'5 (alittle too tall for me ) but through text messaging he seemed sweet. Surprise to me!

He started off by telling me his mom was Italian and his dad was black, then he went on to tell me that he would never go to my church because there where to many blacks in one place, he didn't want to hang with ghetto people. He just didn't say that? I told him he was sadly mistaken if he thought my church was ghetto!

That I have met some of the kindest, sweetest, most giving people in the world there. Well right away we are off on the wrong foot, insult my church? Oh hell no, I am so not feeling this man, but I am polite and we keep talking.

He tells me how his dad is a ex NBA basketball player and how he played for a professional team in another country, how rich he was, how people always stop him and recognized him (really do anyone you know watch Sweedish  basketball?) I am getting a little more put off, oh yeah, this date is going down hill fast.

Until he then asks me if I was married to a white man, I tell him yes, a Jewish man, now he proceeds to tell me how Jews own the world, they think that they are all that, that they are the chosen people. "let me tell you how it goes" he says  I'm thinking oh go right ahead because if you haven't dug your grave already, this will really do it.

Please go on I say. "It goes whites, then Jew's, then blacks, then Indian's and on the bottom of the barrel is Spanish people"

He did not just say that??? With that, the date was over for me but before I left him standing there, I turned and said. "Oh by the way, I guess I didn't mention I was half Puerto Rican" He stood there with his mouth open, then he said "Oh are you leaving?" I said "No, you are" and with that I walked away. Wow, good thing I didn't dress up for this date!

I am still in shock, I have dated a lot of losers lately (okay, no smartass comments from the peanut gallery) But this one takes the cake! Did he really think there was more white blood in him then black, was he mad at the rest of world?

I don't know what his problem was but I have no time for idiots like this. What I have never understood is that it doesn't matter what color you are, if you cut us and we all bleed red and when we die we all go in the same ground, period!

Doesn't matter what color you are, doesn't matter how much money you have, we are all the same, why can't people realize this?

No one is better than someone else, money doesn't make you better , color doesn't make you better, what makes you a better person is how you treat others, period!

Yes, I have been learning a lot of lessons this past year but the one I keep learning over and over is, what I will put up with and what is definitely not okay!  This kind of thinking is not okay, racism on any level is not okay!

So today my friends, I will leave you with one last thought, be the change you want to see, it starts with you. Love thy neighbor, like you love yourself. Remember we are all children of God.

"Be the change you want to see"
 
"And just when the caterpillar thought his life was over...he turned into a beautiful butterfly"

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