Prejudice is a very
insidious sickness of the human condition and is usually only apparent in the
other guy.
Unfortunately, it
will eventually infect all of us in one way or the other, forming our attitudes
and affecting our interaction with others in our world. Christ said “Be
ye as little children”. If only we were able to maintain that degree of
innocence. I can truly attest to this regarding racial prejudice.
I grew up in a
small town of approximately 600 people. When I reached the age of high school,
the only people I didn’t like were bullies, Japs and Germans. .That was because
I had some actual mental or physical contact with those groups. All other
people were just that, people. I never learned to distrust or to think
that colored people were any different from me. It wasn’t until many
years later that I learned why.
I had never had any
contact with people of any other color so I had never learned prejudice. For
that, I feel blessed and fortunate. I thank you Lord, for those years of
innocence. That brings me back to the children. Children are
colorblind. They will play, argue and make friends with any other child until
one of them crosses the line of civility, and that is one of their guidelines.
I think that is the kind of personal judgment that Rev. King was referring too.
I did learn in
later years that my contact with colored races during my formative years was so
minimal due to the cities “Sundown Law”. People of color were not allowed
in the city limits after sundown and knowing this they just never came into our
area. My innocence was paid for with that which remained hidden to my
nature, prejudice, bigotry and mistreatment.
I could feel guilty about those things but
that would be misplaced guilt. I could spend my time trying to make
retribution for that but it wasn’t me that created the circumstance. I
could be aware of how wrong that law was. I could have compassion for
those who were harmed. Having the compassion does not mean that I have to
accept the blame for an act in which I was not involved. I can, out of
compassion, understand the current plight and work toward improving it. I
also feel anger toward the ignorance of the past actions of mankind in their
injustice toward their fellow man. Color is not the first to be touched
by prejudice and bigotry there are few if any throughout history that have not
been under that attack. I am currently one of those who feel its
sting. I am one of those arrogant white people who want the world to
forget all of our races past transgressions. I am one of those
religious fanatics who believe in the deity and the graces offered by my Savior
Christ. I am one of those traditionalists who believe that marriage is
reserved for the union of a man and woman. I am one of those who
fervently wish we had a different President of our country. I am one of
those who wish our young people would pull their pants up, turn their hats
around, and respect the lessons learned in the past. Just because I
believe these things does not negate my belief in the fact that we all put our
lives on pathways of our own choosing. The mile walked in my moccasins
may be different but I also understand that your mile is unique to you and I
hope your journey ends well.
God speed.
THE ABOVE TEXT IS EXERPT FROM: http://aresponse2.blogspot.com/2013/09/pardon-mei-said-what.html
To trade one form of
prejudice for another doesn’t make you better or different but it can make you
a bigot of another color.
Arbee
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