Racism and inequality are as alive and well in America as they have ever been. From the disparate ways of stopping, arresting, prosecuting, and sentencing people for crimes, to the not so disparate ways that some of the largest racial harassment and discrimination settlements in history are still being paid, I would say that there is no shortage of racial inequality and oppression.

Anyone can go into Google forums and find racists in the food group, racists in the celebrity gossip group, and racists in the auto care group for any car. Anyone can go into Google forums and find whole groups dedicated to the celebration of White Racism, which is the predominantly loud and active racist group these days.

Merely saying that "everyone is racist" is, first of all, not true. Not all people are racist. Only racists are racist, and they represent a pitiful subset of the 300 million or so American citizens alive today. Second, since everyone is not racist, the recent activities and impact of the racists in America are far out of proportion in relation to their minority status.

Racism is evident when there are talks of four or more states that want to "secede" from the United States. Those who talk of secession would rather die as traitors and enemies of the United States than to have an African American President. They would also rather starve to death, as many of them live in states that take in far more Federal tax money than they contribute to the Federal Tax coffers, or "welfare states". As a result, states that survive on the charity of the more prosperous states want to throw away their meal ticket, rather than to have a Black Man in the highest office in the land.

It will not do to say that racism is not alive and well in America by denying that racist jokes, cartoons, lies, posters, and radio talk show monologues are just "free speech". A racist act is what it is. When racism is aimed at the first lady, the first children, and the President, they are elevated to the level of vile racist acts.

It is incorrect to say that "True Americans" or "Real Americans" want this or demand that from our society. Those people who identify themselves as such are anything but, because they are vastly outnumbered and surrounded by a whole lot more Americans who consider themselves to True and Real Americans also. And they come in all colors, sexual orientations, races, creeds, and national origins.

Even though we make progress toward becoming a land where there are judges, lawyers, police, soldiers, and others who maintain law and order that does not conduct or tolerate oppression and overt racism, there will never be a day of complete reconciliation. There will never be anything but incremental progress toward a racially fair, equal and free society.

Learn more about this author, Elizabeth M. Young.
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