MUSINGS - My Racial Views, Good and Bad

With this online art community, we have a unique opportunity to connect with our kindred. We must avail ourselves of this experience, for, once it's gone, it may never come again.

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- Personally, I believe that each of us is poisoned by racism, internally and externally, as it permeates our society, as it programs us from an early age via the stereotypes propagated by the media, via the disgraceful ignorance of previous generations, and via the woefully skewed presentation of history. It is through nature, nurture, education, and experience that the measure of our inner racism is combated, even quelled.

But the good side of racial distinction which I embrace is a rejection of the politically correct perspective that promotes the absence or insignificance of our differences exclusively, in favor of focusing on our sameness. This perspective may be well-intentioned, but I think it's disingenuous and mistaken. To suggest that we should not SEE color, that race doesn't matter is illogical. The problem is when people use our differences as justification for hatred and fear, resulting in a blight of inhumanity. The fact is that humanity is blessed with a deliberate and wondrous variety. We are a celebration of ethnic diversity. My own discomfort stems from the clumping together of racial groups among nations, and communities. This foments an "us against them" mentality. It cultivates suspicion, alienation, and gross misconceptions about superiority and inferiority.

I grew up with a spiritual background which exposed me to blacks, whites, latinos, and Asians in blissful equality. But I SAW our differences, and thoroughly delighted in this. It was a precious and fascinating learning experience. My high school sweetheart was Chinese. My best friends were blacks and Puerto Ricans. I once lived with a Mexican family for over a year. I have worked closely with Jews, Filipinos, South Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, Cubans, Russians, and so many others. I have three "chosen brothers," one black, one part Filipino/part German-American, and one white. The singular commonality has been that they were and are ALL beautiful people, full of good humor, kindness, intelligence, creativity, love, and an open mind.

I see race. I SEE our variety. And I LOVE it so very, very much.