Racism, it's all perspective

As someone who is mixed race, I can generally see both sides of an argument about racial issues pretty well. I am going to tread very lightly with this post. At least, those are my intentions. The issues going on in the US have deeply saddened me. I am everyone's only "black" friend and have been getting a lot of pressure to give my opinion. I have yet to do so in a social setting, but want to share my thoughts on here.

I believe the huge difference in opinion about the current race war is perspective. We have been somewhat trained by TPTB to view the black community as ignorant, oppressed, angry, violent, "ghetto", etc etc. Even those among the black community who preach of peace and love are viewed negatively as radicals. I'm not saying for one minute that there are not plenty of black people who fit those stereotypes, and do their best to pass all of that on to the next generations, but there are people in every race who fit those stereotypes. There are unfortunately different classes of people out there who are these things and more in every racial/ethnic group.

I have experienced racism from every angle under the sun. Black women don't like me because I'm "light skinned with light eyes". Apparently I'm a threat to their men, and they get jealous of my hair (??) Black men don't prefer me either because I'm not white enough or black enough. White women don't like me because I'm exotic looking and a threat to THEIR men. I freak white men out because I guess I'm a scary black woman. I get a lot of grief from hispanics and latinos because they generally don't like black people. I've mentioned in a few posts that I have dealt with racial profiling because I'm "dark" and drive a nice vehicle. I get pulled over regularly for "following too closely, etc" and my info is ran and I am let go without incident. I have dealt with profiling all of my life. Whether it be people assuming I am Mexican and handing me literature that is in Spanish, people trying to "relate" to me about being in the "system" not being taken seriously with the business I run, not being accepted by a significant other's family, not being given a chance. Racism is real and alive. And my examples above are just a mere look into what some people have to deal with on a DAILY basis. And this goes for white people too! White people experience just as much racism from blacks and hispanics. My point is, if you haven't experienced it personally, it is difficult to understand it. I will forever have an experience burned into my memory. I was riding bikes with my dad as a child and we were crossing a busy road. We had the right of way. A man almost ran into us and yelled "Stupid ni**er and your stupid ni**er baby!" It wasn't the words that hurt. It was seeing the look on my dads face and the look he gave me. I've never seen him cry, and he was doing everything he could not to cry in front of me. My dad has worked incredibly hard in his life to overcome racial oppression and not fall into patterns that a lot of African Americans do. He is a highly successful and well known member of the community (not black community, THE community). And he deals with constant reminders of how much people view blacks so negatively. So yes, racism stings. More than anything anyone could possibly say. Because nobody can choose what race they are. You CAN choose to be an asshole, or a bitch, or a thief, a liar, etc. But you don't get to choose your race, nor can you make any changes.

So I have stayed relatively mum until last night when I viewed the video of the little boy in Cleveland being murdered by our men in blue. And then I read the comments... "he deserved it." "Thug kid" "Oh my gosh he could have shot the surrounding houses! I'm glad they took him out!" And so on and so on. I understand your privileged suburban mentality. I too live in the burbs and get worked up when there is something amiss. You saw a kid up to no good with a gun. But I saw a child. A child who wasn't taught how to behave in public, losing his life because of our inability to HELP and TEACH and MODEL.
I am a mother to 3 boys. 3 very bold boys. One is 11. And that could have easily been his life lost. My oldest two will play for HOURS like that child was doing. My middle one loves to go outside and play "zombies". He runs around and stabs and shoots the air. Obviously they do not do this in public and we have had hours of conversations about what's appropriate and what isn't when it comes to guns (dad went to Columbine). But what I saw was a little boy just playing in the park, being slightly obnoxious, lifting his shirt to show it was probably a fake gun, and being shot and killed. I was horrified. It is a police officers job to gain control of a situation. Not just eliminate. That would have been an excellent opportunity for those officers to TEACH this young boy (who clearly wasn't taught by his parents) about gun safety and what can potentially happen if you're outside, waving a gun around, fake or not. They could have done something positive in light of all of this tension going on. It is our job as adults to model for the generations growing up below us. We are all so selfish and self absorbed. Out of sight, out of mind. Not my problem. But where is that getting us?

I know the majority of my thoughts posted above isn't going to change anyone perspective on how they view certain ethnic groups. Or how they viewed these recent events in the media. We all have our own ideas and opinions and ways of thinking. But it wouldn't hurt some of us to REALLY get to know someone of a different race. You can learn that they deal with the same BS you do. They have a husband or wife who annoys them just like you do. They have dramatic teenagers. A crazy toddler. A double masters degree. It's enlightening, and it also takes away the fear, and the stereotypes. We want to open our minds to so much... we should be opening our minds to eachother as well.
I may look different, but I am human. I love, I laugh, I cry, I get angry.
JUST LIKE YOU. Does it really matter in the end anyway?

I like ya! You have been around and see things few see. You share them and talk about your feelings like a responsible adult. Teach your children that. Expose what your life is and they will learn from it. You will be subject to Trolls. Ignore them and press on. The more we talk about issues and understand them for what they are the better off our children will be. The real fight isn't on the streets. It's in the mind.

Man, I'm sorry that there's people out there that treat you like that. I haven't seen that video of the kid, but that's really sad. You're completely right about the cops needing to teach children about then, rather than shoot first ask question later. I wish people could understand that the only difference between races is the colour of their skin. We're ALL human. Like you said, we all laugh, cry, love and feel anger. We bleed the same colour and our internal organs are the same. We live then we die. And there's bad people everywhere in every race, just as there's good people within every race.

I understand to a smaller degree what you've been through when people treat you like garbage (I'm mostly Caucasian, with a bit of middle eastern in me, people could never peg what nationality I am because with my looks I could pass off as anything), I've been called so many racial slurs. All that did when I was younger was build up more hatred/anger inside of me, I became aggressive and started to try and make others feel like crap so they'd understand how I felt. Now that I'm older I realize I was just continue the circle of hate.

That little boy who was shot? Bet you his parents and family are going to build up a hatred of whites and cops and lash out at some point in their life's. Theyre (most likely) just going to continue that circle of hatred and cause someone else pain, to get revenge, make someone feel like them, etc. It sucks. They need someone to blame and rather than the person who did it (because realistically most likely there will be little consequences for the cop, no justice will be served) they lash out at the easiest targets, most likely that's going to be all whites.

Amazing post lady, I wish I could give you a thousand Stars & Flags

Me and my sister were the only mixed race kids in our schools, when we was young we didn't really notice/care about different coloured skin everybody was equal & didn't notice the difference. It wasn't until high school that I realized, apparently I'm a 'n-word', a coon, bounty bar, half bake or that when god maid me I was told to stand up, put my hands against the wall and then get sprayed, apparently that's why my hands are white and my body is brown.


Its a #ed up world out there, people need true education. The masses are just sheep with a linear thought process that's on auto pilot from the brainwashing tactics of the media.

A perfect example of media manipulation within how people think about certain races, is that when people from the West Indies came to England the media ran a hate campaign about jobs & houses that they would be taking. TV programs that were straight up racist towards black people, programs like Love Thy Neighbor, Till Death Do Us Part, or Mind Your Language (if you haven't seen any of them, please go check them out for your selves) - These programs then made the public think the behavior was normal and accepted, and thus, racism was pretty bad back then towards that particular race and continues right up to this current day, but no way near as bad.


Then in the mid 90's we see a shift, a shift from the media that points at Muslims. This shift took allot of the race discrimination of black people because as time goes on, the younger generations didn't see them #ed up shows or the mass media manipulation that the older generation seen, so they don't have a preconceived idea of how a black person is. But that new generation of white AND black people that didn't get brainwashed that bull# are now getting brainwashed bull# about Muslims..And thus, look at how Muslims are now perceived.

If the media aren't ranting on about Muslims, then they're ranting about how some Eastern European family is taking our jobs, taking our council houses and robbing us blind by sending all their money back to their home countries.

The bubble that they (the elites pulling the strings) have created, works. Sometimes I am really ashamed to be human.


Again lady, very nice post post.

Fantastic, you are amazing what a great post, thanks for that, I Whole heartedly agree with you, and I have mixed race children and my children go to this really awesome multi race and multi cultural school it's fantastic to see all the different mixes. My daughter just performed in the Indian dance group at the inter school multi cultural dance competitions, she is not part Indian, she could have chosen the Polynesian group or the kapa Haka group or the Tongan group but she chose Indian. Tis a sad world we live in. Have a great day reply to: alishainwonderland

a reply to: alishainwonderland

Extremely well written account of what i guess is the problems faced of someone of mixed race .My eldest son is and has been for 2 years dating a girl who is half Somalian also my wife has recently just found out she may be part Aboriginal . But has any of this changed our lives ,nope . The real reason i am replying though is that given time their is hope . My workmate gave me a book printed in 1966 that was a fishing almanac . In one of the sections the author says " i observed the n####r folk using weed from the rocks for bait" . This kind of stopped me cold as i could not believe this was published , but upon reflection i realised that this book was a porthole into how races were perceived back then in Australia . Hopefully we as parents and my son are the beginning of wiping racism out here in Australia . S&f