Essay/Term paper: Creative writing: destroying racism

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Racism and Discrimination

Creative Writing: Destroying Racism


As the snow covered the house that my grandma occupies, I looked out the
window to the neighbor's front door, their mailbox, and the circular driveway
they had. It was just another home, where kids could build a snowman or throw
snowballs on the front lawn. But there where no children or snowmen here. And
beneath the snow, the word "N-I-G-G-E-R" was written in the grass. A family- a
home- where they had bothered no one. One night someone decided to take weed
killer and burn it in giant letters into their lawn. This is why our nation, the
melting pot of many races, needs to confront the problem and deal with what
really is in front of us.
When I first really thought about this, I thought, this is not
Mississippi, or Alabama; this is Michigan, and it's in my grandma's neighborhood.
And the thing is, their a normal family, just like any other. They went on trips
in the summer, and spring, and this time came back to a message on the lawn.
I sat there that day watching cars go by their house as if it were
haunted or something. I guess it can happen anywhere. But this snow-covered
house is still a reflection of America, white on top with a hatred burning
underneath. I go to a college, where the races meet every day. Colored man helps
white man; white man helps colored man. Doesn't sound right ? That's how bad
our society has gotten. Disturbing? Of course. But what is more disturbing is,
lately when these issues of racism have come up, there seems to be impatience
and annoyance. "Does everything have to be racism?" people ask. And they're
always complaining that "It's just a little thing." No, it's not.
People are always saying that there is little prejudice. But how is that
true ? It's like saying you're a little pregnant; can't happen. But this is
nothing new. How many times have you heard "He's fast; for a white guy." Or
"White men can't jump," Or "All black guys can jump and dance." And in reality
these are all hateful things to say. As whites, we are the majority, and don't
always realize it. And whenever there's racist complaints, we say "OK, we'll
change" with a sigh. It's the white's who go crazy to get black athlete's
autographs. They say "We love you!" yet how many would let them date your
daughter?
Although I say this, I do believe that some progress has been made. But
I do think that when you're the majority, you do have to guard against
insensitivity. But you can't drag it half way up a hill and then abandon it,
because it will fall down. I believe that "we," as a society, have made a
considerable effort to decrease racism, but no matter how hard you try get rid
of it, there will always be prejudice brewing in the air. And even though we
would like to forget about the problem, we can no longer avoid it. Racism is an
issue that should to talked about and explained, so that people with little
understanding to the issue can finally open their eyes.
The next time I went to my grandma's, I walked her dog down the street
past the neighbor's house. A lady was out in her garden, and I yelled "HELLO!"
She smiled and waved. I felt awfully good after that, like I had done something,
something good. It wasn't much, a simple "Hello" but it felt like a thousand
words. But as I walked past the house, the snow reminded me of what was beneath
it, the message spelled out in weed killer. A message so horrible and torturing,
that people don't realize what it's like until your put in their skin, in their
situations, in their minority, in their minds, and live the experience. But this
doesn't mean, however, that they should be treated better or differently than
anyone else because they're a minority; I believe in equal opportunity for
everyone and that terrorizing or vandalizing a different race than your own
shouldn't be tolerated.
To put race into terms, I believe "racism" and "prejudice" intertwine
with each other. You basically pre-judge a person because they're not the same
as you, wether it be their color, how they speak, or even the way they walk or
go about their everyday life as a human being. We then treat the people who look
the least like us differently, like they're from some other planet. But this is
not so; we need to understand that because America is the melting pot for many
kinds of races, we, as a nation need to take more care, to be a little more
sensitive to others, so that all the ingredients can be melted together as one,
instead of the whole batch separating from each other and eventually ending up
with a mess rather than an example for other nations to follow on.
Although I speak strongly on the fact we need to sharpen up as a nation,
I don't think it's up to a particular race or group of people to set the
standards for the rest of us. In order for racism to dissipate, it has to be a
decision we all want to contribute to. I think we are still a long ways from
getting everyone on the same page, although we have made great progress from
what we were, we still have many miles to go before someone can say "What is
racism"? For being racist isn't power, it's ignorance, and if you could be of a
different race for a day, you probably would never say a bad thing again.
Racism has become one the biggest issues in society today, and many
people--from the President to a kid off the block-- are trying desperately to be
heard, and make that difference come to life. Many people don't actually think
about racism they just use it, as an excuse or as a way out of dealing with what
the actual problem is. Most of us know the problem, but it's up to us to try to
find the ingredience to solve it, it's a case that you can't let slip from under
your arms or it will get away on you, quickly. But we must first face reality,
and deal with what we can day by day and step by step. For it's the only way to
try dissipate the bold strength of the word "racism".