Land of the Free

Thirteen years ago I sat mesmerized before the television watching what I thought was a science fiction movie about as group of people in middle America who were so full of hate and prejudice that they felt all non-whites should be terminated. One scene in the movie portrayed the execution of a white female and her "half-breed" child. She was viewed as a traitor because she has married a Hispanic. The real eye-opener was after the conclusion of the movie; statistics were given of the numbers of chapters and the members of the various hate groups in the United States. A shiver of terror ran down my spine. I was pregnant at that time with my third child, whose father, my ex-husband, is Hispanic.

Raised in the Deep South, in a racist home, I was well aware of the bias, prejudice, and the outright hatred many whites harbored toward blacks. The magical sixties and the Civil Rights Movement coincided with my adolescent rebellion, and the ideas that I adapted during my defiant rebellion became a permanent part of my philosophy of life. I was aware of the existence of the Klan, but I felt it was no longer a dangerous organization. After all, aren't we a civilized nation with equal rights? I guess it is always easier to be oblivious to something hideous when it does not affect you personally. I was not prejudice or biased, and I guess I closed my eyes to the discriminatory acts of others.

While married to my daughter's father, I became enlightened considerable. I experienced first-hand what prejudice and hate can accomplish; and the feelings of sheer helplessness and injustice when you see someone you love being discriminated against. I swore to myself at that time that I would never sit idly by while someone was being discriminated against. And although it has gotten me into some "dangerous" situations at times, I never have. I have always spoken up and took action when I witnessed someone being treated unfairly. I also vowed that my children would be raised "colorblind." They would be taught that when someone was different, that was not a reason to fear them, it was an opportunity to expand their knowledge and understanding of the world.

While talking with a loved one last night, he related an event that had occurred to himself and a friend earlier yesterday. It seems they went to a local Denny's Restaurant in a city in Pennsylvania. The restaurant was not busy and the employees apparently had time to conduct personal conversations with other employees. My love and his friend stood there for an indeterminate time waiting to be seated, as is the policy in Denny's. My loved one is a very patient man, but after a long wait they decided to leave and find another place to eat. A customer from the restaurant followed them to their car and stated that he was angered over their treatment by the staff. Apparently the night shift at this particular Denny's Restaurant has a habit of discriminating against African Americans and foreigners, for this is not the first time this has happened at this particular location to either of them.

When I learned of this incident last night, I was outraged. I told my loved one that first he should contact the management of Denny's and complain, then he should take it a step further, though my sense of reasoning was a bit impaired by my anger and the pain I felt at having someone that I love so dearly treated in such a manner. He calmly said, I am not from here, I am a foreigner and what I can do is limited because of that fact. He continued by saying, "Sometimes it makes me think 'What the hell am I doing here?'" You see, he is from India. He is probably the most gentle, caring, understanding person that I have ever met. He does not judge others, and he always looks for the good in people, so he didn't want to believe that he and his friend had just been ignored by the staff because of his race, until it was confirmed by several other people.

Incidents such as this occur hundreds of times every hour in this "Great Nation" while people watch and do nothing to correct the situation. I cannot help but wonder why. Unless you are a Native American Indian, your ancestors were "foreigners" in this land at one time. But yet we sit by and allow others to be treated in this horrid manner because "they're black" or "they're foreigners and don't belong here." Unfortunately the United States is not the only country in which discrimination is blatantly allowed to blossom and grow. But, the United States is one of the few nations born from immigration of "foreigners." The United States proudly claims to be a "melting pot of different cultures and races." What makes this nation great is the diversity of the people who have brought their unique cultures and values together to form this country.

Ironically the incident that has me so enraged took place within the same state where Lincoln gave his famous "Gettysburg Address." An address which began with the words: "Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

The knowledge that this type of discrimination still occurs haunts me hourly. So what can I do about it? I can continue raising my children to believe everyone is equal, that people are people regardless of their race, culture, or religion, and that having a different culture or religion does not make a person inferior, but makes that person a potential source of information and understanding. I can continue to take an active stand against discrimination and take whatever steps I feel are necessary when I see acts of discrimination committed against someone. As a teacher I daily reminded my students of the horrors of discrimination and tried to enable them to develop understanding, tolerance, and finally acceptance of everyone regardless of race, religion, culture, or gender. My students were assigned projects in which they had to research and interview someone from another culture. The student was to have a clear understanding of the culture upon completion when they presented their "facts" to the class.

It is only when parents and teachers have changed their attitudes and taught our young people understanding, tolerance, patience, and acceptance of others that hate and discrimination will be eradicated in this nation. No, we have not had mass exterminations of people like in Hitler's Germany or in recent day Rwanda and other countries in the world. So tell me, what can YOU do about this problem?

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SLG
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