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There are people in our society who have been racist from generation to generation. The extent of the cruelty to others is unbelievable and unfounded. Many people of different races and cultures have become victims of such cruelty. Racism is not just about whites against blacks or black against whites. Racism is everywhere around the world. It's hard to believe it still exist, even though we are so well educated through school, media, books and even church.
I read a story written by Shirley Jackson called, "The Lottery". This story was about a lottery that was preformed once a year, every year, for generations. The people cast a lottery to wee who would be stoned to death. It didn't matter if it was right or wrong and that it didn't make sense. It was part of the social system.
I read a story about such a meaningless tradition. It was a factual story about a man named James Byrd Jr., he was a 49 year old father of three and grandfather who died a horrible death at the hands of three men in Jasper Texas in June of 1988.
The men that committed the crime were said to have been part of a white supremacist group. These men showed no remorse and performed an age old ritual. They placed a rope around Mr. Byrd s head, and dragged him for miles on the rural roads outside of Jasper Texas. Mr. Byrd fought a good fight for his life; using his upper body and elbows to keep his head from slamming to the ground. He lost his battle on that dirt road, when he was decapitated.
This crime is not the first of its kind. There are many crimes against humanity committed by person who are just following age old traditions. It is said that racism is not something you are born with. It is something we are taught as children or even as young adults. Sometimes we just want to belong to a group and be accepted, even though it may go against every belief system that we posses.
We have many groups such as the: Ku Klux Klan, Black Panthers, Banditos, Chinese Mafia, Gangs and many more. Statistics indicate that most people who join such organizations are uneducated, unemployed, poor, and high school drop outs. It's no excuse for these horrible crimes
But then again there are people who are educated and have such belief systems. These systems rarely work out. People are tired of the hate crimes and crimes in general. Mothers and fathers are tired of burying their children. Children wish they could have their parents back.
It is without a doubt traditions that needs to be eradicated. We need to grow as human beings and move onto a better way of living. We need to learn from one another, grow and change. We can continue to cast the stone and bury our dead or we can change our way of thinking. Cast the stone? That is a good question.
Dreaming and hoping for world peace.
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Written by Donna C. Ledesma
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