Discrimination

It is not a secret that Facebook is a major part of the information highway these days. There is so much to share, so many different types of people to share with, and so many subjects we may never discuss at home. Reading a person’s Facebook or Twitter status can get a conversation started quickly. Conversations we need to be having concerning our families, sick friends, prayer lists and even our country. Last week I responded to a status on a pal’s page. I do not remember the content exactly but it had to do with a poll that had Obama’s rating as low. Many comments started pouring in. As I read, I noticed there was a bit of racial tension. Many folks seemed to believe they were not included in the poll. I kept throwing my two cents worth in as well. I was sure that before the end of the thread, all would know that people were not busting on Obama because of his race…they were doing it because they are afraid of him. Don’t trust him…..

Okay..I am Robyn..Half of this blog team. I would like to say upfront that I have no fear!! Not of our president. But I did manage to get my feelings hurt, which is not unusual, when people were trampling over my comments and referring to my race as “they”…I truly was not angry..I just wanted to be “we”. I felt that my words were being ignored. So I then made a post declaring my pain of not being included. To make it worse, all those I was targeting didn’t respond. Hmmm…I took my concerns to my blog partner because she is the less sensitive one of our duo. She shared her feelings about my post and the pals that I felt had disrespected me and put it in a language I could understand.

Hi all, Karen here. I am certainly no expert on this subject. I told Robyn, as far as I know I have been lucky enough to never have come in personal contact with what most call reverse racism. Everyone has, at some point, been discriminated against. There are many types of discrimination and all are hurtful. Growing up as part of the majority, accepted by most everyone makes it hard for us to empathize with the plight of those most victimized by racism. Some of us have chosen paths that are not the norm and that certainly leaves us open to prejudice by the judgmental. I have seen this in my life because I chose to have my children close together, because I am overweight, because of my religious preferences and more. None of this compares to the frustration and anger that must be felt when you are the victim of bigotry for no reason other than the color of your skin. The ignorance of people who judge and stereotype people without ever bothering to get to know them is astounding to me.

The scenario I presented to Robyn to help her understand was this; If she and I and some others of our over-weight buddies got together and started a little diet club, we would take criticism from each other fairly well. If she caught me eating a hot fudge cake sundae at Sonic and fussed, I’d be okay with that. On the other hand, if she was caught snacking on some Cheetos by a skinny chick and that person chose to say something crude about it, she would be fighting mad. It is unfeasible to take judgment from someone who has no clue where you are coming from. I believe this is why there is reverse racism. No matter how much better things have gotten, there are still bigots in our families, our churches and our politics. This is even more prevalent here in the south. As long as there are racists, there will be minorities being defensive. Those of us caught in the middle will just have to continue to love people for who they are, instead of who they are not. I try to remember that, for the most part, all of us do the best we can with what we have. The only way we will ever get past this divisiveness is to be inclusive. Our diversity is what makes this country so unique. We should embrace our individuality and love each other not despite our differences but because of them.


Robyn again...This is why we must continue the conversations. We should never limit ourselves to our own opinions; we may miss out on some unexpected and much needed wisdom. If we truly aspire to have peace, We must be understanding towards each other......even when "we" don't understand "them" and "they" don't seem to understand "us".