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It is interesting to ponder this question: Did one individual discover that fire could be produced by rubbing two sticks of wood together and then show others how to do likewise until the practice was mastered worldwide, or did several different people stumble upon this revelation more or less at the same time? Nobody knows for certain, but in either scenario, the technique had to be taught. If one solitary person stumbled onto this practice, then it could be said that he taught himself and then proceeded to teach others. On the other hand, if several people simultaneously learned that friction and the subsequent reaction of heat would produce fire, they still had to teach themselves how to do it. In order for a skill or trait to be learned, it must first be taught. There's no getting around it.

Racism is a trait that I suspect has been around since man first roamed the earth. As a species, we have been conditioned to feel uncomfortable if others are different. We make assumptions. We fear those who are different. Worst of all, we develop feelings of superiority over those who are not like we are to mask our ignorance. In turn, some of us will embrace this ugly disposition when it is handed down from our elders. When parents are openly and remorselessly racist in character, their children are taught to follow their example. Sadly, this can be passed from generation to generation.

Racism comes in many different forms, but in the United States, the relations between blacks and whites are often a hub of tension. Hundreds of years ago, European descendants sailed to Africa and tore random people from their families by chaining them into shackles aboard ships, and then transported these innocent victims hundreds of miles across the ocean to a strange land and forced slavery upon them. That is, those who were fortunate enough to survive the journey in the first place. It is hardly surprising that these atrocities spawned hatred of Caucasians among those of African heritage. Although tremendous strides in interracial relations have been made since the days of slavery, it still remains a very bitter issue in the minds of many. Conversely, many white people remain ignorantly prejudiced against African Americans. As long as these closed-minded attitudes persist, so unfortunately shall racism.

My wife and I are vehemently opposed to bigotry of any kind and find all ethnic groups of humanity fascinating. We gave birth to our sole child; a daughter, in 1996. When she became old enough to play with dolls, we intentionally bought her representations of all races; white, black, Asian, Native American, and Hispanic. We wanted her to realize that there are many diverse kinds of people who come in all shapes and colors. I am also delighted to see children's TV programming such as the Disney Channel featuring all different kinds of people on the various movies and sitcoms. This network teaches our young that interracial relationships are OK, whether the parties are simply friends or dating one another.

Perhaps some day in a distant future, a person's skin pigment will become irrelevant while his or her character will instead be judged. I sincerely hope so. Hatred is something we can live without.

Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
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