Not every white person is a racist. Not every black person is a criminal. Not every cop is bad.
In lue of all the situations going on from Missouri to New York and everything in between I thought I would share my thoughts a bit. I read this past week on Facebook by someone I know made a comment about “white privilege”. At first I got a little offended when I saw this, but in all honesty, its true. I am still looked at by my skin and judged. As a white male I am not normally looked as a criminal. Now I do have tattoo’s in view and I’m looked at differently sometimes but they were my choice. I wasn’t born this way, and I willing put them on my body.
This said, I recall my teenage years and getting into trouble. I should have done 2-5 years in prison for choices I made. As I got off with probation, I recall my lawyer telling me that I was passed over because I was a white kid. My color was taken into account for my pardon. Now granted Cleveland where I grew up is not the best city, but my past record should have been enough to say to the judge that I was going to be a repeat offender. This was all around 1998 with the Tupac and Biggie situation. I hate to say it, but my skin color kept me out of prison.
Now across the board we need to stop giving perception of the statement I made above. I’m not looking to speak directly into the choices made by the people involved in the situations in MS or NY, but I do what to say that we need to see people as they are. They are people, human beings created in God’s image and likeness and loved by God equally as they are. My faith as a Christian must be found in the simplicity that all people are created equal, but in America you’re better when born of certain decent and skin color.
In the end it starts with education. We need to educate the younger generation about equality and being mindful of the greater good. With equality as central to my faith and to the constitution we must continue to move forward. No matter, we have progressed in this, but now we need to take the next steps towards seeing everyone as bleeding red when cut. To move forward we need to educate people, specifically the kiddos about equality and not just say its written somewhere, but truly believe and live it. Its only been around 50 years since black’s haven’t had to use a segregated restroom or sit in the back of the bus and I’m excited since we have progressed, but still need to always understand that we have a long way to go in this for the greater good.
Lets keep moving forward, as country, as a people, as a nation, as a world!
