I'm tired of racism. I'm tired of the color of a person's skin having any impact on anything at all. It doesn't matter. Really... it doesn't matter at all. I'm tired of words one person can use but another can't. If it's offensive for racial reasons, then it shouldn't be used at all. There is no justification for its use. Words are not owned by anybody. Anybody recognize this? "In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence." "Dignity and discipline..." Do you agree with that? I think that's a great standard."Ho" is a detestable word. It denegrates a person. Why use it at all? Be the change you want to see in the world. Lead by example. I'm tired of grafitti just because a person can do it. Put down the paint can, whether it's in your hand or in your mouth. I'm tired of people making objects of others and viewing them as discardable. I'm tired of what is senseless. I'm sick of hate. If you didn't recognize the author of the words above, you might recognize the closing paragraph of his speech. "When we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:"'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'" It was a great speech. It was given almost 50 years ago. It could still be given today.I'm tired of racism, whether it's black racism or white racism. It's ugly, unnecessary, and wrong. We ought to treat each other like we want to be treated, regardless of what color we are. That's the standard. Anything less deserves an apology and a better effort next time. Anything less is juvenile and hurtful. 88 professors at Duke and Al Sharpton owe an apology to three innocent men. Don Imus and his producer owe an apology to the Rutgers women, and Imus has. Comedians who use race as fodder for "comedy" aren't as funny as they might think. Color doesn't matter. We're people. That's all that matters. We should behave accordingly. |