SHADES OF THE HUMAN BEING: EMBRACING OUR RACIAL DIFFERENCES

Photo Credits: grossmont.edu

You may assume the red-petaled rose plant to be a lone specie with beautiful bright petals and sharp thorny stems. I thought so at some point. It appeared to flaunt such luxuriant beauty that had me captivated. However, it may interest you to know there are green roses too. In fact, there are rainbow, burgundy and cream roses. You may be awed to know there are an astonishing 150 species of the rose plant.

On a similar yet comparative lane, I fell in love with the Pomerania and Chihuahua breed of dogs here in New Zealand. They are so petite and cute almost to an exponential degree. However, don’t be startled to discover there is a plenitude of over 340 dog species in the world. Just so you know, there are variants for virtually every single plant and animal specie. In converging our perspective for deeper insight, this illustration simply tells you the Creator, in relaxed pleasure, yet quite frankly, takes gratifying delight in variety and yes, humans are no deviants from that agenda of diversity.

There are three prominent human races: Caucasian (European), Negroid (African) and Mongolian (Asian). These all have sub-races descent from them. The great Creator who loves diversity, could he have fumbled in error by making humans differ in appearance yet not in anatomy? Could he have introduced an inner malignancy by these varying differences? Maybe the earth would have been more tolerable or even habitable if we were a bunch of Caucasians or Negros or Asians. We differ considerably in appearance but should that make us differ in knotting genuine connections? Could an All-Powerful God who weaves speed, excellence and precision into one tangible whole ever go wrong? We love the palm tree and so do we, the date palm—plants of the same family, was that a creative ingenuity gone awry? The competence of the Creator can never hold sour in the works of his hands. Our native flaws aren’t the fracture and disconnect of a sound and well-tempered design but a pollution of pure, ethically-balanced reasoning.

No human was born with an ideation of racism. To substantiate this fact, tour kindergarten classes. Watch how Caucasian, Negro and Asian kids mingle in a healthy and congenial mix. Where are thoughts of, ‘I’m more attractive than you are?’ Where are notions of, ‘I’m more intelligent and you’re less?’ Where are arguments of, ‘My race is a leading one and yours is subjugate?’ They are nowhere because these absolutely don’t exist before a child. That untainted, childlike mind-frame is what promotes such cordial interracial relations. Why must we lose this pristine thought formation?

From the mass racial clashes in the US in the 50s - 70s, to horrifying Apartheid in South Africa in the mid 20th century, to the gory Holocaust of the 1940s, all these can be traced to a chip deeply embedded that powered the signal, ‘I am more superior than you are.’
It is fatuous and so absurd the ideas people pick from this defective mentality. Currently scientists are striving hard to propound the theory that some races are more intellectually brilliant than others. You know what I think? An egoistic trash fed from an illogical basis. Inasmuch as we may have distinct differences in our bodily features I honestly don’t believe it transcends beyond that. It may as well be skin deep. Environment plays a more fundamental role in moulding an individual than the hereditary component of genetics. It may simply be that the less privileged races have been divested of a stimulating environment, resources and propelling influence to bloom or maybe they’ve eclipsed the potency of certain instrumental factors. Whatever.

I strongly believe there are certain aptitudes which different races have been gifted with and may have bearing because of their descent. However, in no way do I insinuate this to be cast in concrete or completely comprehensive. Though we’re all humans we may still differ physiologically. In medical pathology, some races are prone to certain kinds of illnesses than others. So likewise we may assume races possess certain abilities innate to their descent. I call these, ‘racial imprints.’ Negros are physically strong, resilient and can be very ambitious; Caucasians are given to arts and adventure and Asians could be well devoted to study, mind science and culinary activities. These are my personal observation and you don’t have to agree. However, let’s refrain from seeing people under a censorious and fault-finding light but rather let’s embrace their inherent virtues. If you look for flaws you’ll definitely find them but choose to look for good; choose to welcome beauty in the midst of heterogeneous and conflicting diversity.

As we submit to the Creator’s plot of contrast over similarity let us take into account the immense beauty that can stream from diversity. Racially diverse nations can be one of the most virile and formidable because they tap into a neglected power grid. We may not all look the same, however, this doesn’t negate the fact that we can’t maintain a peaceful coexistence with buoyant acceptance for each other. Destroy that chip of superiority. Bury the monstrosity of racism perpetually. There are grave and perplexing problems which the world is embattled with. Let’s not make this one of them.