Saying that racism is over in America (or even the world, for that matter) always will get you a hearty laugh from me. I’m white, yes, but not blind. I see color. I see what happens when you’re the wrong color in the wrong place. 2014 should have been a wake up call for those who were on the fence, and with them the rest should have been pulled over to greater realization. However, a great many people still suffer from privilege goggles. They believe that if they don’t see it happening, then there is no problem. The problem with this elitist thinking is that those in the privileged class WILL NOT see it happening. That’s part of being privileged. All those ugly things are kept well away from you, and you get to benefit from the double standard (jobs, income level, safety, housing, goods and services…the list goes on). If you can’t see how the population is dispersed, when was the last time that you noticed an affluent neighborhood boasting multiple people or families of color in their ranks? Aside from the token family, the cities that have diversity at upper incomes are few. Most live in lower income areas, ending up there by legacy. It’s all well and good to tell someone to pull themselves up by the bootstraps, but let’s get over that saying. You can’t pull yourself up when there is nothing to grab onto, not even boots that might have straps. The saying is tired and elitist–and insensitive. It expresses the speakers ignorance of the real issues at work behind economic inequality. The opportunities simply are not there for underprivileged families and every day the programs that were put in place for them are being cancelled because voters refuse to fund them, but are okay with giving millionaires subsidies for their companies (which are poisoning the land, air and water around them).

What I find to be the most telling proof of racism’s existence is the actions that people take around racially charged issues. Take for instance the shootings of African American teenagers and adults (even children). In reaction to the poor public safety service that a community has been given by police, the people have a right to come together and demand higher quality. Yes? I would think we can all agree on that. However, when the people of Missouri town banded together to make a change, the police responded a la DiBlasio…they turned their backs on the public they swore to serve. They dared to elect a black mayor. Oh, the humanity! They didn’t even get to replacing elected law enforcement officials, just the mayor. If this reaction doesn’t scream racism, I don’t know what does. Read more….

80 Percent Of Police Force Resigns After Missouri Town Elects First African-American Mayor