racism and sexism

ok, let me set one thing straight: i am a white guy. theres nothing i can do about that. well, maybe superficially, but i will still have the mind of a white guy. sure, we may wish we lived in a world where no one saw race, but we do. its inevitable. all we can do is try not to let the bigotry of previous generations infect us.

race and sex do not make anyone more or less capable of doing much of anything. ok, so maybe guys can reach stuff on high shelves, and lift heavy stuff, but i dont think that those are prerequisites for president. and really, thats what im talking about. Obama is black and has a scary, vaguely Muslim name. Hilary is obviously a woman. but both are dynamic intelligent progressive people.

i recently moved in a primarily black neighborhood. i was a little afraid that i might not be accepted, but the neighbors are the friendliest i have known since i left my home town. its really been great. i wonder at times how safe it would be to walk home from the bar, but thats not really a reflection on race, but the fact that i know there have been muggings and whatnot in nearby areas.

things we dont know are always a little scary. the unknown can be terrifying. to be able to understand things, we fall back on whatever familiar signs we can find to figure out how to react. take any group of people on a street corner. if they are wearing ties, theyre waiting for a bus, if theyre in t-shirts and jeans, theyre loitering. a guy with a shaved head and tattoos on his shoulders in a tank top is intimidating to most. put a shirt and tie on him and hes clean cut. and none of this addresses the man himself.

my point is that we should all strive not to judge based on the surface of someone. especially a presidential candidate. theres plenty of evidence to judge all the candidates out there. im not just talking about their senatorial records, but a lifetime of what they have done. you can look online at their websites to see exactly where they stand. the truth of the matter is that in policy Clinton and Obama differ very little. i hope that Hilary supporters come to see that by November.

anyone who votes based on race or sex isnt going to be swayed by anything of substance. thats what scares me. im scared of rough men taking my money if i were to walk home from the bar, i dont care what color they are and i dont think they care what color i am. as for president, i dont care about color or sex. i do know that McCain's stances scare me, and i would never vote for him. i think Hilary can be a great leader, but from what i have seen, i like Obama better.

i hope that in my lifetime racism and sexism are outliers, and non issues. i know that there are many who still hold racist and sexist beliefs, but they are fading. i do my best to treat everyone the same when i meet them. generally, i hope for the best, brace for the worst, and expect something in between. remarkable often, people fall near the best end of the scale. and assholes come in every shape and color.

life is too short to live with hate in your heart. like John and Paul said, "all you need is love."