What You Ought To Know... about Racism

As someone who prides myself on my ability to weave words, I have always found that I stumble a bit when it comes to describing racism and my opinions about it.  So, I will defer to the video below, which I think addresses the matter in a well-rounded way.

However, he's a white guy... he can't really do a segment on racism, can he?



One of the many beautiful things about the United States is that we can celebrate what we have in common while also being individuals from very different backgrounds.  We are not united by a common background or ancestry, but by our ideas and our willingness to acknowledge the value and validity of others who view the world differently.  We can disagree and be different without letting that create rifts in our society.  Racism does exist here, but there can be genuine disagreement between people of different colors which has no basis in race at all.  As humans, we are all guilty of judging a book by it's cover in some form or another.  However, having awareness for that weakness allows us to reflect and realize that everyone has the same opportunity to move forward and great their fellow man with an open mind in the future.  I'll spare you a recitation of the golden rule, but I think it applies here.

(By the way, I suggest watching Mr. "What You Ought To Know" in his other videos.  The rest are more light-hearted and quite entertaining.)

The American Spirit

“The trials of adversity fell upon the fathers; the trials of prosperity are ours. It was theirs to lay the foundations of liberty under popular government; it is ours to preserve it under ever-changing conditions that confront the march of civilization.” - Oscar S. Straus The American Spirit, 1913

Though I am unsure the creators of this nation did not also enjoy some of the greatest prosperity in the world during their era, the above quote makes the point that our successes as a nation pose the greatest challenges.

Straus, in the introduction of his book, also astutely observes, “We are especially blessed in the fact that our entire history is an open and legible book, the records of which are not blurred by age or mystified by tradition. The lives of the fathers are set in frames of reality, and as long as we keep fresh their memories they will guide us in our patriotic efforts to steer the Ship of State by the light of their experience, their wisdom and their foresight.”

We can look to the history of this great country for guidance in modern times, but we must question the word of historians and look at as many facets of each obstacle and solution as possible. Uncomfortable truths should not be ignored. However, shining successes that maybe counter-intuitive to some cannot justly be forgotten as well.

Above all, Americans are human, with imperfections and flaws, but Americans are of a breed this world has seen in no other civilization. We are defined by our diversity and our acceptance, by our optimism and perseverance, by our honor, integrity and courage. We have a uniquely American spirit, which I believe can never be abated.