Teens Talk - Life Behind Lies

The Grand Rapids Times
10-10-2008
By Marcel Gamble

Recently, in one of my classes at school I became furious when the issue of racism was being discussed.
I became angry because from my point of view I believe that racism isn’t a prevalent problem anymore. I have been clueless to the fact that it has been occurring around me everyday.
I’m aware that it does exist; but when it isn’t a problem for me, I seem to forget about it completely.
Like myself, there are so many other individuals out in the world who have learned to accept racism for what it is, that some of us have just been sweeping the issue under the rug.
Well, this time when we clean up, we need to sweep racism out the door because it’s a contagious disease that is spreading rapidly.
I say it’s contagious because racist people don’t even realize that they are being racist anymore.
We joke and say things such as, “You know they black because they cheap,” or “Only white people go and investigate when danger is lurking,” and ”He is Asian so he knows karate.”
It’s ridiculous how the issue of racism has become a playful matter.
We rather sweep the issue under the rug and find other ways to cope with the hate than to come face to face with the monster of racism.
The number one thing that frustrates me is that when racism is discussed it always centers on the colors black and white.
Why?
Unquestionably it is a disease that is worldwide.
Let me tell you what happens to something that continues to be swept under the rug.
What people fail to realize is that things that are swept under the rug eventually build up; they build up so much that they begin to lift up the rug.
Meaning that when you just set something aside and don’t choose to deal with it, whatever it is it will begin to deal with you.
Well, racism is dealing with us so much now that its affecting the younger generations who don’t even know what racism is.
There are four- year- olds who have the idea in their minds that black is bad and white is good.
Stop sweeping this issue under the rug.
It’s a shame when there is a study done on four –year – olds, and they are placed in a room with a white baby doll and a black baby doll.
and are told to choose what doll they believe is the good doll and the bad doll.
It’s heartbreaking to see more than half of these children choose the white doll as the good doll and the black doll as the bad doll.
I don’t blame the four- year olds for their actions. I blame the thousands of people who have allowed such a horrible disease to spread so speedily by sweeping the issue under the rug.
So, if you are a person like me who once was oblivious to the fact that racism still is within close proximity and still exists, you need to stop sweeping racism under the rug and face it face – to - face so that the generation after you doesn’t have to suffer.
We are blind to the fact that this disease is getting so bad that it’s even causing individuals to have hatred against their own race.
If you want to know why so many brothers are killing so many brothers, well, you don’t have to search very hard for your answer.
Think about it if four – year - olds are learning that black is bad how do you think that’s affecting them as adults?
If they learn that black is bad, how will they ever have the ability to love another black individual?
It doesn’t take a physiologist to figure out that racism is killing life around us.
I’m going to leave you all with this; Leviticus 19:18

“ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.' "