Some Things May Never Change??

I wish the recent incident in Florida where Trayvon Martin was killed, was an isolated scenario. Tragically it is not and will continue, as long as their is hate because of our differences in colour, ethnicity, religion, etc.

When my sons were growing up and we lived in the second ward, where they attended we had to caution them about going South of Delmar. Famous & Barr and some of their Caucasian friends lived there and they had to be cautioned about how their color may not be accepted. This is still reality, stereotyping and generalizing about groups of people is and easy way to maneuver through this world. At least it is as far as not having to deal with as much diversity as exists in our world.

My earliest thoughts about this was at an early age, when, with my cousins we were playing cowboys and Indians (like so many other American children) and no one wanted to be the Indian, especially after what we saw at the movies. We were six and seven and had no other contact with other peoples other than what we did see at the movies and the stores in East St. Louis IL.

I had to find out, if the depiction of Indians in the movies was the true way they fought and lived; of course it wasn't. The further I studied, I even found out the depiction of my own people was completely false. Finding out about other groups and even your own is very difficult and time consuming, and most of us would rather take the easy way out and just accept the stereotypes and generalizations.

But if we continue in this way, our conflicts and lack of respect for others will continue. With the help of the Internet and the social media that it opens up to all of us our opportunities to learn about each other are greatly enhanced!!!!!!