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Family Values
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| Yes | 87% | 186 votes | Total: 214 votes | |
| No | 13% | 28 votes |
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Add to FavoritesThose of us within the United States enjoy a rich mixture of cultural, ethnic, and racial groups. Over the years, we have thankfully seen a drastic reduction in segregation. Those with adequate intelligence have finally realized that people are people; regardless of skin color, and that anyone can fall in love with anyone else and wish to spend the rest of their lives with them.
It's quite refreshing to see television shows made for kids on networks such as the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon that portray not only close friendships; but also romantic pairings among those of different races. The classic 1967 film; Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, with Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Houghton, was perhaps the first major cinematic representation of interracial marriage. The "problems" Tracy's character warned the couple of are not as relevant in today's world, for in 2009,such a pairing will only produce tension among those who are sadly closed-minded. Moreover, the movie reveals its age by depicting the potential son-in-law (Poitier) asking the girl's father (Tracy) for her hand in marriage. Who actually does this any more? Even for 1967, such behavior was already outdated.
A short time later, we saw the first interracial kiss on network television. In an episode of Star Trek, Captain Kirk (Bill Shatner) and Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nicols) lock lips. We have come a long way since those days. The curious stares that mixed couples once got are no longer commonplace. Ignorance has transformed itself into acceptance. Beautiful (or handsome), compassionate, and loving individuals can be found in any culture.
As a parent of a teenaged daughter who could likely be married before another decade passes, I would have no objection whatsoever if she were to fall in love with someone who is not of the same race; provided that my wife and I viewed him favorably. Our son-in-law's cultural or racial background would be of no relevance to either of us. Rather his character; his ability to augment our daughter's well-being and happiness, would ultimately be what counts.
Forbidding one's offspring to marry someone of a different race is as frivolous as disallowing a wedded union between two people with dissimilar religious backgrounds. In the end, the love that two people share for one another is what is of utmost importance. For parents who remain apprehensive in regard to their child entering into a mixed marriage, there is another fact to ponder: Think of what both families could learn from each other! If the boundaries that separate differing cultures could be erased, our world as a whole would be a far better place to live.
Wouldn't you agree?
Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
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No
The main reason I do not thing it is a good idea for any child to marry a person of a different race is because they do not really understand what they are doing. I know this is something that happens almost every day, but young people do not think about that. A child needs to know how different race life styles affect all the people that are involved. I know that love has no race and because of this families will fall apart. I have seen a lot of people change the way they feel about their families because of marrying someone from a different race. I have a lot of friends who are a different race and I do a lot of things with them. There is also a lot of things I do not do with them.
The reason I don't do everything with my friends who are a different race is because I do not believe their life style will fit my life style. If your child wants to live with a group of people that are a different race, they must understand that all races will not want to have the same group of people wanting to do the same thing at a family outing. When children fall in love with a person of a different race there is always someone in both families that will have hard feelings about the relationship. Most of the time these feelings will not be known until it is too late. I have seen a lot of mixed marriages work for the couple that got married. I also know there are a lot of cases where mixed marriages work. A male friend of mind married into a different race and he only called me once after he got married.
Most children do not believe things will change if they date a person of another race. They don't really change, the people around them change. A lot of parents will not say anything to their child because they feel the child will drift away from them. A parent will find themselves not asking their child to do things they would have asked them to do before they started dating a person of a different race. Most parents will never admit to doing this because of how it would affect their child.
I did not have to talk with my children about dating a person of another race so I never had to deal with it. I did ask them once if they would date someone of a different race. My stepson and my daughter both told me they are not sure what they would do. They also told me they were not sure if they would tell me about it.
Learn more about this author, Charles Johnson.
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