| Play Nice, Children
Cracker. Nigger. Chink. Honky. Fag. Beaner.
Do I have your attention yet? Good.
This is my attempt at a Jerry Maguire, to change the world for the better. This is my Martin Luther King Jr. This is my pissed-off Gandhi. And in this essay, I’m asking something simple out of everyone. I’m asking to do as you all were told as toddlers. Play nice.
We haven’t played nice as a society. We are an immature people that love to see chaos all around us. When those planes hit the Twin Towers back in 9/11, it was because of hate. They were playing mean. And when people in the streets of Afghanistan celebrated 9/11, it was because of hate. When we made those hateful phone calls to fellow Americans, only because they were Muslims, it was hate on our part and every bit as evil. The formation of groups such as the Klu Klux Klan is because of hate, close-mindedness, and evil. The Holocaust was the greatest example in the history of the world of hate. To Christians, there was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, saints, and martyrs and the hate and sin killed them.
We don’t seem to, as a people, do as we were told when we were in Kindergarten. We don’t play nice. We forget, so easily, what we were told. We go out and fight each other, over a dirty look. I hear people say, “I hate niggers,” and they go harass someone black for some unknown reason. I see that often. It could be something as small as throwing a rolled up paper across the cafeteria at a table with prominently black people, it could be a challenge for a fight, or it could be a sign in a black-white couple’s yard that says something against black-white relationships. I know plenty of you have heard that story once or twice.
I also hear, “Black people are different from niggers.” That is a joke. They are not. That label is unnecessary and offensive. Can we say, “White people are different from niggers?” No, it doesn’t quite work. People are people, and what makes an arrogant black man different from an arrogant white man? Nothing other than skin color. Since when did your skin color decide your entire life for you? So what, a black person says something you didn’t like. I bet plenty of white people have told you something you didn’t like either. It makes no difference. You, if you indeed dislike black people, have heard many things from plenty of white people to tick you off as well. Don’t give me, “But…” because no but’s or if’s will change the fact that you are a hypocrite, my friend. You are more annoyed by black people saying things that are offensive, more so than white people saying offensive things, because you let them. You have a preconceived notion that black people are bad, and that is why you are a racist.
And reverse-racism is just as bad. I hear plenty of black people yell out, “You are a racist!” just because some white person said a questionable remark that really meant nothing offensive if these reverse-racist actually listened. They are deaf to other people just as bad. The phrase, ‘reverse-racism’ is nothing but pure-racism. These people are racist and are just as bad as white racist. Again, their skin color doesn’t make them any worse, but it also doesn’t make them any better than white people.
What is the difference between a black man and a white, other than physical appearance? Is it the style of dress? The supposed neighborhood they live in? The things that interest them? If any person believes that, for even a split second, any of these examples to be the case, than that person is wrong. Those things, dress and home, don’t make black people any different than white. They are human, as are we, as are any other ethnic group. We are all people and should treat any other ethnicity with that respect. The Golden Rule people, and how appropriate that the things we were taught in Kindergarten are again brought up.
Here is my question, the one that may never be answered… Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we continue to fight each other, over seemingly nothing? We, as in the human race, seem to fight ourselves constantly, creating endless wars and ‘police actions’ that aren’t necessary. We battle over things such as a race, a clothes style, a disagreement of religion (known as Holy Wars.) What a perversion of something as sacred and golden as a religion. The word Holy War is hypocrisy, and its humorous how no one seems to see that.
Why do people who are Christian seem to shun people who aren’t? Why do Atheists and Agnostics pull the same stunt against Christians? Why do Muslims, Jews, or any other religion do these things? No Bible tells us to shun the non-believers. It tells us to embrace them, try to be a good example. I am not saying, to any Atheist reading this, that Christians should convert you, but what I am saying is that they should accept you for who you are.
Another point is that religions, most at least, seem to try to go conversion crazy, and because of this fad, they lose more and more followers. Many Agnostics and Atheists, though of course not all, leave religions because of the annoyance that churches give non-believers. They leave the big zealot worshipers who try to tell you their way is right. The funny thing is that though many Atheists leave religions because of this, they in the end up telling everyone how their lack of faith is right. Some of the most zealot people in the world that I have met, have indeed been Atheist. You would think that a contradiction, but trust me it is not.
Why do we fight over matters of religion? Who cares who is right? Everyone had their own faith or lack of and it is sacred to them either way. Keep it sacred to you. I’m not saying that people should hide their faiths, but what I’m trying to get at is discuss matters with people, and try to understand them. Understand other religions; understand all opinions for that matter.
Yet you can call my view on prejudices is just an opinion. It is, when it comes down to it, but I at least have a small understanding for prejudices. We all were raised with them. Most of our parents have at least a little prejudice, and we learn from them. But why not change? Why not view black people with more respect? They aren’t aliens; they didn’t just appear over night and threaten to take away your livelihood.
I have seen so many things in this world that anger me. Most of the time, they have to do with the way the world works. The biggest slap in the face, that humanity has given itself, is a prejudice of any sort. And I’m not calling people who are prejudice bad people; I just believe their actions are making this world a bad place. I haven’t even brought up other prejudices, really. Sexism, homophobia, cliques verse cliques, and countless other prejudices. This is just scratching the surface, people. Think of all the other ethnic groups that I have barely mentioned that receive equal ridicule.
There are bad white people, bad black people, bad straight people, bad gay people, bad Christians, bad Atheist, bad women, and bad men. Why do we have to use their race, sex, or religion as an excuse? Why is a bad black person a nigger? Why is a bad Christian automatically hypocrite? Answer me please, people. Answer me. I’m begging for one, because I’m tired of watching all these people constantly creating unnecessary problems. People look for confrontations with different people. I see ‘skaters’ look for fights with ‘preps’ because ‘preps’ are stereotypically arrogant. Tell me this, how is that different from the arrogant black man stereotype? These labels that were created by bored people, who wanted to call themselves something.
People, when it comes down to it, we all are different. All of us. Why not accept it. Why do we continue to wish for black people or white people to disappear? They won’t, trust me on that one. We are all here for the long haul, together. Why not unite? Why not stop fighting each other constantly? Answer me, people. Answer me. I am an angry person, when it comes down to it, and I hate all these prejudices. That is hypocritical of me, I know. I hate hate. Now that is a contradiction.
Help me, people. Teach me how to accept things, but better yet, change them. If there was no hate in the first place, there would be no hate for hate. I don’t hate racists, I just hate racism. Sure, you could say that if there were no other races, than we wouldn’t hate them. Valid point, but there is no way to change that fact. We all can’t be white, black, or Asian. We can change our hate, though. We can band together. We can give that extra high five to someone who is different, just because we know them. We can talk to some kid who seems weird, and sits at the back of class, and come to find he is all right and quite normal.
Or we can continue to hate and shun. If nothing that I have shown you is evidence that we are a hypocritical society, including me, than think about this. Comedians, such as Chris Rock and Carlos Mencia, crack many racist jokes. We find ourselves laughing at them. We find ourselves splitting our sides with uncontrollable laughter. Why? Because they are funny. Now, think about it like this. They are making fun of the way the world works, and we are laughing at it. We laugh at our world, our society, at the human race. We find it humorous, our lives are a joke. We all are laughing about how messed up this world is. We all are laughing about hate. Hate normally isn’t funny, but when its shown to you in the ingenious ways that Chris Rock or Carlos Mencia show you, it’s downright hilarious. And trust me, deep inside, Chris Rock and Carlos Mencia aren’t racists. They know what they’re doing. They’re doing what I am attempting now; to show you all how wrong you are for hating people because they are different.
Now it’s your turn. Do something, as long as you now agree with me. Change how the world works. This is my best way to do that. This is my attempt and pretty much my entire Saturday. It may be in vain, sure, but in the end I think that it will help a lot of people, if not everyone. This may cause a domino affect, and person after person could change people, show them what I am showing them. This is my Jerry Maguire. This is my Martin Luther King Jr.
This is my angry Gandhi.
Remember Kindergarten. Play Nice. |
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