In reality, racism still exists and is NEVER going to end. Sounds a bit harsh but it is indeed true simply because there will never stop being different types of races on our planet. As long as there's races there will be racism. However, has anyone ever taken the time to analyze the behaviour of children? Sure! We all have at some point, right? Children are always asking questions, exploring and trying to find out more and more about this world we live in, mostly because they're new here. This behavior implies what we already know is true; Kids don't know everything! That means to a child, unless he is taught to see people as different from himself, everyone is the same to him! Shocking, huh?
Racism is not inherited. Its not a trait that gets passed down through our blood and through our genial lineage. Racism is taught. The only way that this ugly set of beliefs can be stopped is to stop the teaching of it to our future generations. This means our children.
Would you agree that kids learn even when we don't want them to? Whatever you do you can almost trust that they are right behind you doing the same thing because they want to be like us. We're all that they know! This can be understandably frustrating, especially when you're doing and saying things you wouldn't want them to do or say. Yet the fact remains, children learn everything they are taught and we as adults never cease to be teachers, whether of good things or bad things. This is sadly how racism is carried on through generations in spite of years of trying to be corrected. One racial slur belted out in a fit of rage or softly whispered because you think no one is around to hear you is in fact being heard by the tiniest of ears. Comments and jokes that contain racially insensitive content is not "just a joke" or "just a comment". Its racism in its biggest form because of the fact that its taken so lightly. To think how many times a child encounters or over hears a racist remark or term expressed in everyday life is appalling considering that there are actually some people who literally tell their children not to associate or to be afraid of, and generally frown upon a certain race of people or all races that are not their own. Then there's the media, and though we cannot hide from it, we can counteract it by our own simple choice. We must choose to change ourselves first in order for racism to stop effecting future generations and though it is a change we all must make, each person must make their own personal commitment to stop teaching racism in our deeds, actions, habits, words, and beliefs because aren't these the real things that make us who we are?
No comments:
Post a Comment