If you believe that there are really white, red, black, and yellow people, you may not understand colors that well.
This morning I woke up in Ferguson, MO. For those of you who don't know, Ferguson has been a recent focal point for the popular "race wars" ever since police officer Darren Wilson fatally shot Michael Brown on August 9, 2014. Because the police officer was "white" and the other man "black" riots broke out the day after. Taking a stroll through the neighborhood this morning, I couldn't help but contemplate how foolish this whole "race" and "racism" thing has gotten.
Personally, I do not even believe in "races." We are all one race, the human race, in my opinion and we all have one blood. However, those who like to divide and conquer and promote tribalism have been hard at work promoting the ideas of different "races" and stirring up "racial conflict."
While I certainly understand that humans have different levels of melanin in their skin, hair, and irises which leads to different shades because of the varying levels of pigment, I have never seen a person who is black or white, or red or yellow. I also think that choosing to associate or not associate with people based upon their skin tone is one of the lamest things I have ever heard of.
Still, situations exist these days and people are still being hated and killed just because they are a different "race." Whether it was when I lived in the heart of the "Black Pearl" in New Orleans for more than a year, passing through Ferguson, MO on a regular basis, or living near Klu Klux Klan members outside of the Harrison, AR area, somehow these false ideas about "race" continue to be an ongoing problem in the world around me.
This morning I recorded some thoughts about it, and this will be the beginning of an ongoing series that I will begin to post. Until we realize the real issues and fight against ignorance by helping people understand reality, these problems will continue to grow as the flawed mentality continues to exist.
Enjoy the video and stay tuned for my first official post in this series. This video is just to get the idea and intent out there, and begin our discussion on this issue.
Until next time…
Don’t waste your time online, invest it with steemit.com
"The truth will set you free"
Thank you @papa-pepper!
Indeed it will @otage!
You lay it down so right, I just have to thank you. Very informative
I am waiting for more.
Keep on informing and steemit.
You're welcome.
Good topic sir @papa-pepper
And glad you are speaking up about it.
Also glad you pointed out that THERE IS ONLY ONE RACE. To have any heart felt idea of the worthiness or goodness of one color above another shows a deep ignorance to the reality of the world we live in.
It also shows an ignorance to the reality of sin in this world. The Christian Bible teaches that ALL are conceived and born with the cancerous effects of sin affecting their lives and souls. And this bears true in reality when you can trace history and find evil and dumb and destructive people of every nation and skin color. Racism is really rooted in a denial of sin. If one people group can be born naturally better than all others apparently sin didn't affect them(or not as strongly).
No, we are all a broken people that depend on each other for support and 'building up one another.'
Racism is real. But it is built on lies. And every person can fall victim to these lies. Those that think they are better or less bad than any others are, at least minutely, affected by racist ideology.
And what is more, this current rise in racism, I believe, is orchestrated by those that would keep the majority of the people subjegated. I had seen, over my 35+ years, racism as a reality and contagion on the decline until the last 5 years. Now it is back....and back more strongly than I ever could have imagined. It is so sad and depressing!!
I hope that neighborhoods and organizations and communities (like STEEMIT) can rise to the occasion in harmony and self-sacrifice to show that we are one people. We are one people that can love each other and help one another. I have seen it here already. And I hope that more can rise to the occasion. (And Christians, be an example to your neighbors!)
Peace Papa Pepper and all the Steemit community!!
Peace!
It seems a shame that this Post has much lower upvotes/payout than some of the game posts.
I know @papa-pepper doesn't do ones like this for the money, but still.
This i one of the best documentaries about humans I have ever seen. It basically proves all humans are the same with DNA testing.
You are not doing my help although i am voting u
I hate racism also, I am still hurt from that in my life because I am an Algeriean that is living in Russia, 7 years I am living here, my mother is Russian, my wife is Russian, and recently my son was born, he is also Russian, but I can't get Russian citizenship, and people are treating like a stranger and some people just hate me because I am not Russian.
I am sure that's can happen in any country and a lot of good people get hurt from racism and I understand them very well.
Racists may think that they are better people but hell no, they are the worst people on the planet. A lot of wars are because of them and a lot of people have many problems because of them. They don't usually believe in karma, but it exists, I am 32 years old and I am sure that's exist, so they will be punished somehow for sure.
You should remind Russian bigots that Alexander Pushkin, the father of modern Russian literature, was the great-grandson of an Ethiopian prince adopted by Peter the Great (the grandfather received an excellent education and military training: he later became a Russian general).
Pushkin was proud of his African heritage (he had noticeably dark skin), and you should be, too.
More details:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pushkin#Legacy
https://www.rbth.com/arts/literature/2016/06/06/pushkin-birthday_600561
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/secret/famous/pushkingenealogy.html
I am proud of course of my self and everybody know that I am Algerian, my skin color is white and I look like Russian, but when people know my name they change, so racism is not related to skin color or apparence, it's something inside people.
I think it's a negative energy that they can't control, racists are sick people !
Wow! So many things like that still happen these days, and it is very unfortunate. Ultimately, we each have a choice on how we view others, so situations like that must change one person at a time.
I think the racism exists even in steemit, a lot of Americans here don't like Russians and Arabic people, and some of them told me bad words and they even found me on facebook and did the same, but I don't like to argue with such people and I just block them, one of them is even a very famous guy on steemit, so we have to deal with racism even in steemit. ☺
What a great thing to post about, I can’t wait for the series.
I agree!
@pjcswart what happened to our coffee at starbucks? Cheer$;)
I don't know!
LOL sigh !
Agreed,Nice post buddy keep it coming. I see you are an avid gardener too? Check out my aquaponics systems if you wish. Take it easy brother. Cheer$;)
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Thank you!
lets see each other as people. evil will try to create differences to make problems
That's right! We are all human, nothing more, and nothing less.
Race is a social construct created to keep us divided and separate. There is only one race...the HUMAN race. Melanin is evolutionary and geographical, not a point of superiority or inferiority. Keep it coming papa!
I'll keep it coming.
Good stuff right here my friend! This is on point! Thank you for sharing! Please follow me!
Hi @papa-pepper.
I agree, but unfortunately like you said most governments is keeping race issues in the media to divide people and to keep people from standing up against them.
I stay in South Africa and our country had a long history of racial issues.
Take apartheid as an example which abolished in the end of the 80's beginning 90's. The whole apartheid system was wrong to begin with and should never have lasted as long as it did.
Something that most people don't even know is that Apartheid as it existed in South Africa is actually a legacy of the British Empire when they tried taking over South Africa. Most of the laws that made apartheid what it was introduced by the British before they left our country.
I am sure if you ask anyone on the streets of South Africa about apartheid they will all tell you they are glad it's gone and wish it never existed in the first place, but unfortunately the previous government had it going for so many years.
Now our current new ANC government is just using the race card and blaming all their own wrong doings on a system that ceased to exist more than 20 years ago.
It makes me sad that people had to fight so hard to end one wrong system, just to be handed into another wrong system.
Great article and video as always.
wow what a post bro..you are really a nice man..yes many people suffers from racism.It is very bad..
I was just talking about racism a short while ago. https://steemit.com/discussion/@sostrin/what-skin-color-is-superior. Racism is related to money
I think its pretty fantastic that a loud voice like yours is taking a stab at this subject. It's up to each one us to fight the bad ideas with good ones... I've been echoing the same thoughts on equality for years now and do whatever I can ti shed a little bit of light and love when I can.
Cool, thanks for the encouragement.
The worst invention yet!
Divide and conquer is right. That is their goal and they know how to do it with force or finesse. Just don't take part...that's it!!
Right! Thank you!
Well said, I couldn't agree with you more and always beautiful to see others with the same mindset and values. Cheers!
Thanks for the encouragement! Cheers!
Different colours but one people, you are an inspiration @papa-pepper
Thanks @collinz!
I agree, its not quite the same as having blue or green eyes, but it doesn't matter.
When we are born, we have no race, no belief, etc. It is the society that surrounds us that divides us and is the irony of society.
The best thing to cure racism is to travel and to know, to explore the world beyond your safe place. When you do, you discover wonderful things that obscure prejudices.
Fear is crippling when you let it control you. Sadly so many let it happen. Racism is fear masked with an excuse.
Melanin the only chemical that give skin color (brown) variations based on dna and climate. Every human has it whether its deep in the skin or rise to the surface to give more tone. Either way we all are of one blood. If you take a true and biblical stance you can look at Acts 17:26. It is the false evolutionary paradigm that breeds separations of races this sort of thing. Those who stick to the fullness of survial of the fittest will look down upon those who they think are less of or not a human at all. Worldviews matter. Divide and Conquer has been the motto for the evil one all along. The govt, the media plays on the people like a game to reach the agenda.
slavery had deep roots in religion, as far as I know, no evolution book ever permitted slavery but many religious books do.
there always will be differences between people, the problem starts when a group of people try to use these differences as a tool to their advantage.
sitting outside of the ring I see racism coming from all sides, the only thing is worthy to fight for is equality, the fights I see right now is for privileges.
Can open, worms everywhere!
Watch your back @papa-pepper the powers that be don't like people talking sense and tearing down their fabricated reasons to hate each other.
I grew up in a small town. one of my best mates was a maori. His dad was a maori and his mum was a pakeha (white). Growing up, this meant nothing to me. They were just people I knew and played with. I stayed at his house, he stayed at my house. We got into trouble together...
The neighborhood where I live now is filled with people of all sorts of different creeds, colours, ethnic backgrounds etc. It's pretty cool. We have women wearing head scarves - they may be muslims or they may not. who cares? We have disabled people, mentally challenged people, gang members, and little old men running in lycra shorts, all in one suburb.
Diversity is a good thing. The only reason not to embrace it is fear. So the question that should be asked is - what are you afraid of?
Yes, I've successfully opened a can of worms. Here they come!
It's a good discussion to be had, but very few will thank you for it, and those that do will probably not be racist to start with.
I think the best cure for racism is travel. Go and live somewhere else, in a different country, in a different society, and you quickly learn that we are pretty much all the same.
I was lucky enough to travel the world when I was younger, and met people from all over the world. And the one thing that nearly all of them had in common was - once you got to know them, the were really nice people.
We are all born with some characteristics 'hard coded' into us. We identify ourselves with 'our' group and take a defensive position towards people outside that group. Groupthink is human and it's probably not going to disappear soon.
I'm not big on the bible, but love thy neighbor is a great rule to live by. As steemit shows us the world is being more and more connected to each other. Our neighbors now live on the other side of the world. We are all the same race.
I'm interested to see where this series goes. Perhaps it will open some eyes. :)
We will see. All I can do is share what I believe and be open to refining it!
Please, NO RACISM!!
I agree.
Colours are colours...humans are beings..avoid racial discrimination...upped
As you wrote, we are all one race, the human race. I'm so sorry when I hear about racist facts or words, it's really wrong to judge people just because their skin or religion or other :(
I too agree that we are all one race. The "race relations" and extremists from both ends of all the racial issues portrayed on the news are non-existent in my town. It seems to be the top story on the news.
When I walk through my neighborhood, I can't find the hate, the attitude, the resent, or anything else that the news media seems to magnify.
It is non existent in my town and in my fellow citizens.
To stay out of trouble don't go where trouble is.
If you go looking for it.
you WILL find it.
Great job. Here what I say to all racists: If you think you are better than me just because of your color, race, or nationality … What did you do before you were born, to be born the way you were? If you give me a convincing answer I will be your slave for the rest of this life because next coming to life I am going to do exact same thing you have done..
we are all the same regardless of body color but many dont see it that way. great post bro
It is such a foolish thing to divide over or treat others differently over. Thanks!
Yes but they don't see it that way, they see it as if they have an evolutionary advantage over the others
If it is not called Racism, they call it tribalism or ethnicity. These drive the world hell crazy. Your idea is commendable. The thief who came to steal, kill and destroy introduced all of these to destroy humankind. It is not the almighty creator's idea. Lets spread Love.
blood may be different hearts remain one ,,
hostility is meaningless, friendship is the best,
looking for the enemy is very fast, but looking for a difficult friend,
buddy do not equate themselves with those who are evil ,,
It matters not what colour the skin is, be it yellow, red, black. brown, tan, white or purple with yellow polka dots. We are all the same on the inside. We all bleed red blood. We all feel love, hate, sorrow, pain and joy. All people are created equal in the eyes of God. Racism exists because of narrow-minded ignorant people. They are people who are unhappy and insecure in their own skins and project this onto others. My husband and I taught our children to be tolerant, accepting and charitable towards all people. We lead by example. Please continue with your posts Perhaps you may be able to enlighten someone...
My blood gets boiling just whenever I hear the word Ferguson. Look at what all happened over that. All those buildings and properties burned and destroyd over a lie! That officer had to move his family out of state and go through hell because of a lie. All of the racial build up with BLM was over a LIE! That is what makes me sick to my stomach. How someone could even knowingly,uggghhh....I don't even want to talk about it.
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Preach it bro!!!
Preach!!!
Glad you will be taking this on. Even though I think most people on here are forward thinkers (or maybe that is what I want to believe) racism is strong - everywhere. Used to justify actions which are not justifiable.
I respect you a lot Papa Pepper, and I do believe we are all one race. I'd love to just say I'm just a human, however society does not treat me the same. I have experienced things both direct and indirectly that tell me that.
There is no double standard. You say BET is a double standard, but every other channel is WET. We have black history month because every other month is white history month.
At first, I was like oh here we go again. Another debate about race from a white perspective, but I will be patient an see where this is going.
I find it kind of disappointing that there are no comments here. There are usually many.
If you are ever in the Richmond VA area, hit me up.
I understand your point about BET, I'll let you know if I am ever in Virginia!
Please do!
I actually am not a fan of BET. It was supposed to show black people in a better light than the media portrays, but they sold out to Viacom so it perpetuates the same false images that other media outlets do, but it is actually worse because people think "black" people own it.
It really pisses me off when bigots talk about racism. I really don't believe in it, as you mentioned it's just a way of divide, conquer and control.
There is only one race....the human race. There are many types of dogs, they come in all colours shapes and sizes....but they are all dogs. Same with us. I see no evident difference.
Race and religion are two major cleverly constructed ways of dividing and controlling people, and too many stupid brainwashed sheep buy into it. It never ceases to amaze me as to how people can't see that they are being manipulated.
Toni Morrison said that race is a social construct. Unfortunately, it's embedded
Long time ago when I first came into the Corps, we were "green" and "dark green." Soooo we are all one color! Now it is not PC to say that. It is sad that racism is still a part of lives; highlighted more so than ever before. I am hoping one day during my life time or my children's life time that racism will only be discussed as a history topic.
We can be more beneficial and productive as a society if we work and celebrate together.
Hopefully the ignorance ends soon!
Solid words papa.
For him that has ears, let him hear.