I believe racism is learned from our parents. A child will act and have the same views as their parents in most cases. So if you're parents are constantly talking about how they hate this race and that one, those children will pass it on. So as parents we should teach our children that it doesn't matter. It starts with us and should end with our kids.

Wow...we have the same experiences as well.  I grew up in the Central Valley of California (70 mins from Oakland/SF) and now also live in the good ole homogeneous midwest aka Bible Belt and have seen the same thing.  Things are the same across this great land.  Can't really add much more to what you said.  Well written. 

I have to agree (maybe because I grew up in the same place )  I feel what GiantUnicorn said it a big part of the problem, and also exposure.  If you grow up and your friends from kindergarten on are asian, black, white, jewish, vegetarian, having gay parents, whatever, then you know they are just like you, with an extra language being spoken by the parents and different food cooking on the stove sometimes when you come over to play.

It's really annoying. I can't STAND it when people make something out of the color of a person's skin. Like my brother. I'm going to be working for some people of color. My brother said, "Why would you want to work for a bunch of niggers?" I gave him the look, and said, "What does that matter? Their skin color doesn't prevent them from paying me, and my skin color doesn't prevent me from working. What are you, some sort of racist?"

@edlives - Racism is, in a way, a manifestation of a biological tendency to generalize. We do it instinctively in order to protect ourselves when we have insufficient information regarding the situation at hand. Of course, while it does its job, what happens is that we end up making more poor decisions based on bad info rather than prudent ones.

And as a minority myself I have a big problem with other minorities playing the race card, especially when it comes to getting financial aid or affirmative action, etc.

Wow, thank you! This was an amazing post! People focus SO MUCH on race, it makes me so sad. We are all just people. The color of our skin makes absolutely no difference, it's our character, heart, and actions that make us who we are.

I completely agree with you 100%. I'm all for learning about different cultures, but the racial pride thing just promotes separatism in my eyes. It goes toooo far. Unfortunately I think as human beings we will always find a way to separate ourselves and belong in groups, whether it be religion or race.. we will find ways to belong to some group and it's not just belonging in it that is the problem, it's the idea that a certain group you identify with is better than others. Very egotistic. I hope we can start breaking down barriers and chains and just start living as people and debate over active ideas rather than meaningless banter about why one race is better than the other or vice versa. I agree that discrimination still goes on, and that should be discussed, but I also thing that radical opinions on either side is just as bad. Generalizing any race or group, of course, is a false thing to do.
I did take a class on the history of race and ethnicity in the US, and it is true that socio-economic statuses are often linked with race because of past redlining and grouping of neighborhoods, however, there is a certain extent to which that still applies today. There is responsibilitiy to be considered by all parties, and often times it is very very specific to an area.. not a whole race living in America. There's a lot of factors that go into that, however, such the education level, the funding, and really it is very specific to the town and state.. with that said, I reiterate that I don't think it is fair to generalize a whole race based on this.. I agree it is easier (hence the affirmative action), but it doesn't solve the problem.
I hope with all the race mixing, the generation after this can improve.. I do think it will become meaningless in the future..
So all I can say is, let the race mixing begin! =]

I agree!! I think our President and his followers have made the issue about race and everyone's scared to say it. Skin color is not important, character is.

Change begins with ME. Every individual perosn is responsible for his or her little part of change. Good entry and good point.

By the way thank you for getting this song stuck in my head.

"...and all the girls say I'm pretty fly for a white guy"

I come from a mixed raced family so I have observed a great deal of racism first hand.

I think that a few really racist post is not the real issue here.  I think what Jaawan (sp) was talking about was all the comments on the post.  He was concerned about all the more subtle forms of racism that he felt were coming out in the comments.  I am sure there were people he liked and trusted and he saw them making comments that made him wonder or revealed to him where they really were on the issue.  It is one thing to see blantant racism or even trolling.  It is another thing to see subtle forms of racism that reveal a person's true heart.  I think he was making reference to the subtle form of racism which is what most minorities are upset about.  They feel slighted here and there.

My brothers are Hispanic and they handled it pretty well.  They just went with the flow.  Both of them dated white girls which was a lot more controversial in some circles over 20 years ago than it is now.

I guess we have two problems.  One is racism in a subtle form.  The other is an anger that doesn't allow us to respond to racism in the best way.

Perhaps we need a balance.  Perhaps we need to watch out for subtle racism in our own heart. And perhaps we also need to make sure if we are a victim of racism that we make sure we are handling it correctly instead of allowing it to push us down.

@Undercover_Librarian - It still blows my mind when people use the n-word. I work in a restaurant and its nothing but stereotypes, people get mad when they get tables of black people or any other race than a rich white american. I got caught up in it for a while while working but for the last year i've moved on, i give everyone the same exact service and if someone does leave me a bad tip, then oh well thats life....... 

Very true. The fight against racism begins inside of each of us.

This rant is not as "rare" as you think.