Saturday, November 16, 2013

Color Blind: The Truth in Black and White

“To be truly positive in the eyes of some, you have to risk appearing negative in the eyes of others.” ~Criss Jami

I am becoming increasingly aware of how we judge people by their appearance without considering the person underneath. We are all guilty.  It is something in myself that I am trying to be aware of and change by considering the value of all human beings.  Ironically, I may even be judged by the color of my skin because it is white.  Some look at my skin and think they know the person inside.  My past generations have made many stupid mistakes. Because of my white skin I have received many privileges, almost all of which I have not earned.  I am a White Anglo-Saxon heterosexual Christian male.  I have no idea what it feels like to be lied to and run off of land where your people have lived for hundreds of years.   I have no idea how it feels to be an immigrant in a land with a strange language, or someone whose night walks receive locked doors, whispers, and the undo caution of worried passers by. I will never know what it feels like to be called a fag and spit on, or be judged for the value of my body and rated by the size of my breasts.

What conclusions can I draw about my heritage?  Thankfully the story of my life goes much deeper than the sum of my predecessors’ ignorance.  I am a unique individual.  I did not commit those past atrocities.  I am generations removed. I feel no personal guilt, but only introspection and sadness. My personal evolution is one of redemption and a changing heart.  Though unknown to me, I also have a genetic heritage.  You cannot discount my heritage any more than any other soul’s.  I am shaped and molded by my own story and strive for a prosperous future just like my neighbor.  No matter what color or nation or ideology we share, all people have hopes of making ends meet, feeling the touch of a loved one, or smiling at the joke of a friend.  We all share the color of humanity.

Why do you think you know the heart and mind of anyone? Because you see someone in a suit or on the street begging for food?  You must walk in their shoes and know the reasons for the person they have become.  Not all rich people are rude and uncaring.  Not all poor people are nice.  Religious people are not all fanatics but neither are they all saints.  Many people see life as one extreme or another.  For them, every event, perspective, and modern problem is a dichotomy—a definite truth in which they have the ultimate revelation.  I remember how Jesus looked at the crowd and felt compassion for them.  He did not judge them for being poor or hungry. He looked at the heart.

As I age I increasingly learn how much more I have to learn.  Just like everyone that has ever lived, I long to make a difference in my short time on this earth.  I hope, in the second half of my life, I do something to help the underdogs catch up with those they lag behind.  I hope I can help others see their own prejudices and convince them that change begins in the mirror.  I will do my part to help others see that it is not about color blindness, but about growing a heart that sees equality as a necessity.
 
May our hearts be ruled by tolerance, love, and compassion, not a pursuit of justice for those that don’t fit our mold. This may be hard for some to understand, and change is a long process.  May it begin with those of us who learn to see beneath the skin.


When I look at you, what do I see?

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