Good and Bad on Race in America

I thought this would be a wonderful month as I think about how far America has come in treating everyone equally. Yes, I know that racism is still alive today but I keep hoping it is getting better. The current presidential elections are a great example of how far we have come. The majority of Americans are looking at issues and not gender or race. Yea! No matter who is elected just that fact that race, gender and even to a certain extent religion, are not the big factors they once were. For that, I am happy and excited.

At the same time I also want to scream. Maybe after I get over the headache. I have spent two days at work listening to a co-worker talk about my son as if he was property. He referred to adoption as "leasing" children and that he isn't really a part of my family. Yes. I told him to stop and corrected him but it didn't do any good. He just voiced his opinion to another person who chose to ignore him.

As if that weren't bad enough, I have seen and heard racism like I have never heard it before after an African-American man was promoted. Yes. I told people to stop but once again no one listened. I finally was able to find a place to hide for awhile but not after the migraine was full-blown. I really don't know what to do. My supervisor has made it very clear (by threatening to discipline me) not to say anything and just live with it. I do know that I need the job for at least awhile and that quitting is not an option now. It may be in the future and I am certainly looking.

Until then, I'll take the advice of a co-worker who found me hiding. I will come home and hug my son every night. I will thank God that we have a more diverse group of people to choose from for president. I will be grateful that the greater American society is more advanced and less bigoted than a small number of people I am forced to work with today. And, I will continue to tell those few co-workers to stop with the hateful and disrespectful comments.

For the rest of my co-workers and society. Let me say this. If you don't speak out against racism and are willing to sit quietly and listen to some spew hateful comments, you are a part of the problem. You may not be racist yourself but just sitting by and accepting it is saying that you are accepting of the person's views. Please. Don't tolerate it. It is too important for all of our children regardless of race, religion, gender or political views.