Player Plaza Blog

The Time is Now for a Higher Level of Thinking

There should exist a sense of urgency to reduce and eliminate racism.

I just recently read an article on Cnn.com in which it talked about the reality of racism that still exists in today’s world, more specifically in the U.S. culture, and I have to admit that it stirred up some pre-existing thoughts and emotions. For me personally, it absolutely boggles my mind that individuals of a certain race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation think that they are superior to another. We, as human beings, can sometimes feel so threatened by someone who is different than us or who challenges our belief system. When we feel threatened, it says more about us personally than it does them.

I have had the opportunity to study the history of the United States in regards to discrimination and culture, and quite honestly it isn’t a story to be proud of. I will never feel good about the fact that the Native Americans were slaughtered in the name of God as the Europeans came from overseas to settle this country. I will never feel good about the persecution and years of slavery that the African Americans endured for so many years. I remain unsettled about the discrimination that women still face today, and I am very concerned about the discrimination that homosexuals endure on a daily basis.

Much racism and discrimination still exist today. As a society, we have definitely made a lot of progress toward equality, but minorities and their advocates need to continue the fight for a better life. I am proud to say that I support human rights. I support human rights for all. I would like to challenge all of you to look within yourself and examine your unresolved issues in an effort to figure out why you feel like it is okay to discriminate against someone else based on the color of their skin, their gender, their religion, or their sexual orientation. Think about why you can rationalize denying an individual certain rights based on these things I just previously mentioned. Do you feel threatened? Are you homophobic? Are you insecure? What makes you better than someone else? Are you privileged to the rights of marriage simply because you are in a straight relationship versus a gay relationship? Are you superior simply based on the color of your skin? Are you being ignorant and uninformed?

Think about it…