Blog #114--Racism Often Secondary To Other Issues

I was born Caucasian in the United States, so I had a decided advantage. Racism is as much an issue now as it was in the mid 20th century, but I have not usually been on the receiving end of the pain and suffering caused by intense bigotry due to my skin color. It is often difficult to appreciate the destructiveness of racism when we are not facing personal persecution.

However, my one experience as a minority gave me a brief glimpse into the way many dark-skinned people feel when discriminated against, and I certainly disliked it. I had been seeing doctors at a clinic set up for the poor and those without health insurance for a number of years. The staff and management were mixed racially, and all races were welcome.

That all changed when a group of black people gained ownership of the facility. Suddenly, I was persona non grata. The negative energy some of the doctors and nurses shot my way was palpable. I was uncomfortable every second I was in the building. Normally, I would have to schedule a monthly appointment in exchange for free samples of a blood pressure medicine I needed. I was charged based upon my annual salary, but it was at the lowest level since I wasn’t receiving a physical exam.

However, during the ownership change a black doctor charged me at a much higher level than normal despite doing nothing but give me the medicine I needed. When I asked him why he charged so much, he said my clothes suggested I could afford a higher fee. One must understand that I feel more comfortable in cheap clothes than expensive ones, so I was wearing old, care-worn clothing to the appointment. His real reason for the high fee was likely my skin color.

This particular ownership group didn’t survive long, and the racism ended with new owners. Despite the brief experience, I will never forget how badly I felt being around people who resented my existence. I understood why they might wish to behave this way. After all, their race had experienced several hundred years of overt racism, discriminatory laws and unfair hiring practices. Perhaps they felt a need to balance the scales of justice by behaving just like white people behaved around them.

Regardless, they were just as racist as white people had been toward them. Racism is usually a byproduct of fear, ignorance and self-doubt, whether it comes from someone at the top or bottom of the food chain. Not all white people discriminate against minorities, and not all minorities discriminate against whites. But those with the most money and/or power often have biases secondary to the fear that some other group might eventually rise up and replace them. And those who do successfully reverse the odds often behave the same way as their previous persecutors. It may seem to be justice in action, but in reality it is simply perpetuating injustice.

A school experiment I read about several years ago taught its students a valuable lesson regarding racism. I don’t remember the exact details, but the students in a grade school class were divided into two groups. One group was given all sorts of advantages not available to the other. It didn’t take long before the imbalances led to distrust and discrimination. Feelings were hurt, and normal pecking orders were disrupted. Those who were discriminated against found out firsthand what it was like. As a result, there’s a good chance they have spent the rest of their lives trying to prevent a reoccurrence.

It is a shame more people don’t have a chance to learn these lessons. There are both good and bad white people. There are both good and bad black people. There are both good and bad Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Wiccans, Hindus, Taoists and the like. Some black people think just like white people politically, religiously and in many other ways. They have far more in common than they have differences. But our egos can only separate, not unite. We assume some people are inferior to us so we can feel better about ourselves. If we can’t prove our superiority, we make something up. Such is Life.

Some rich people would benefit from living in a ghetto environment. They would begin to empathize with the plight of the downtrodden and be less likely to discriminate against them. Poor people would love to be rich, but that attitude might change once they find out the limits of wealth. They could lose it quickly and become poor again. Or they could discover themselves separating from the rest of the “rabble” through various means. Either way, they would have a chance to understand how rich people think. Plus, they would be hounded by “friends” wanting to extract some of their wealth from them.

Some black people have become tremendously wealthy. Not surprisingly, a number of them have become much more conservative in their political views than when they were poor since they have wealth to protect. Some try to forget their modest beginnings. In doing so, they also forget what it feels like to be discriminated against. Instead of reaching out to raise others out of the mud puddle, they become more and more like their oppressors.

We can try to teach everyone these lessons, but people have a wide variety of interpretations to any lesson. A veterinarian for whom I worked lived in a mansion within a lower middle class area. Just like the main character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book “The Great Gatsby,” rumor suggested he got his start by trading favors with a crime family.

He told me he grew up on a farm. Across the road was a farmer whose poor money management caused him to go bankrupt. Not wanting to suffer like his neighbor, he swore he would never be poor. So instead of opening his heart to those less fortunate than himself, he cheated his way to great wealth at the expense of others.

I’m not sure there is any way to eliminate all racism and discrimination. After all, we live in a world of opposite polarities, and those who wish to unify are balanced by those who are separatists. Those capable of seeing the good in others are balanced by those who judge differences negatively. Even if we could help everyone accept the logic of our natural equality with people from all other races, religions and cultures, our fear and need for self survival prevent some of us from embracing those who seem different than us. We have cycles where racism is less prevalent than others, but it is a back-and-forth process.

Maybe someday we will stop judging others and accept them as our brothers and sisters. After all, we are all created equal. But we are probably no closer to that possibility now than we were previously.

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