Donald Trump faces strident criticism from those who believe he has not distanced himself far enough from Neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. If he won’t allow a single Muslim to immigrate to America because he fears terrorism, then how can he tacitly accept the support of people like David Duke? Or so that line of reasoning goes.
Debate over the issue sparked one of the most illuminating and honest exchanges about race in America that I’ve seen on televised news. All sorts of issues arise, but I find the rhetorical (has Trump distanced himself from those groups adequately?) and the philosophical (should we make connections between race and behavior?) most interesting. Should America strive to be a nation where people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character? I doubt there’s an “either/or” solution to the question, yet it seems that many people want there to be one. But I wonder if it’s that simple. Do people actually want to live in a color blind society? What would people have to give up in order to live in one?
Of course the idealistic answer to the first question is that people do actually want to live in a color blind society. Is it realistically possible? No. There are too many factors in a person’s environment that affect racial views implicitly, whether it be the school they attend to their parent’s view on race. These factors subconsciously affect our racial views. Even if people consciously believe that they have no racial prejudice, there may exist implicit racial views. In regards to American effects, yes, America should strive to become a nation in which every race feels at home. I think it starts on an individual level. Our society can not change as a whole unless the majority of our population believes the same thing concerning race. Of course there are always going to be people that blatantly disagree with racial equality, but that should not stop our efforts. People have to learn how to give up their old views. They must be open to new ideologies and accept those who are different than them because deep down, we are all people. This may be hard for those who grew up in environments that pressed racist views, but everyone is capable of change. We just have to be willing to change.
As I watch the Republican debate, the issue of immigration always arises, and I believe this is very closely connected to living in a color-blind society. A large number of people want to immediately kick out every illegal immigrant, but are these immigrants not people? Are they not people pursuing the American dream like everyone of us? Of course, illegal immigration is, obviously, illegal, but we should grant amnesty to these immigrants and provide them resources to become a citizen. That’s another step to becoming a color-blind society. We have to get rid of racist ideologies that surround illegal immigrants. In order for them to become a citizen, they have to pass a very difficult citizenship test that not even an every day high-school student could pass. It includes in-depth history questions, and the interview is held in English. How do we expect immigrants that know no English to grasp the language in the matter of a few years and pass this test? I feel like another step toward a color-blind society is changing the citizenship test. We should be looking at this person’s character and passion to become a citizen. Of course, American history is important to know as a citizen, but missing a few history questions should not determine if a person becomes a citizen or not.
I wish we lived in a color blind society and racial issues didn’t exist. People should be able to freely go places without the burden of people judging them for the color of their skin of cultural background. Telling Muslims that they cannot enter the country due to the fear of terrorism only causes more problems because then there will people trying to smuggle themselves into the country. People need to be willing to get over the fact that everyone is different because that is the way God made them and stop being judgmental. As numbers grow of those who choose to accept all people, more will eventually realize that’s what it will take. To answer the question addressing what people would have to give up, people would have to give up the idea that they are better then someone because they are of a different race.
It is probably nearly impossible to live in a color blind society. No matter how many laws and rules are set against discrimination, there will always be a stratification of social classes, mainly race and ethnicity. All I can think of to get rid of the racial discrimination to live in a color blind society is to forget about the events of the past. Many events that take place today are because of past actions which cause retaliation of another. It is impractical to create a color blind society because people will always remember the past, causing them to respond with the same attitude. If we all lived by the “Golden Rule,” then I believe that the world would be “perfect.”
I think that most people would like to live in a color-blind society because living in a color blind society would allow for everyone to be judged equally and without discrimination of their skin color. This, however, is not realistic because of those who do not want to live in a color-blind society because they would have to give up their past in which they have benefitted from the color of their skin. Everyone would have to give this up in order to live in a color-blind society which is just not practical.
In a perfect world, we could live in a color-blind society, but sadly, this isn’t a perfect world. And we wouldn’t get to experience a color-blind society in a million years. Even though different races can get along with one another and treat each other as equals, those who have benefited from their race are not willing to give up their benefits. Living in a color-blind society means that the people who were at a higher stand point would be knocked lower. In order to live in an utopia where we can live as equals, we’d have to forget the past and that’s not possible for those who have suffered because of their race. But even though we can’t have a color-blind society, we should still strive for one.
I believe MSMS can (almost) be seen as a color-blind society. We don’t look past our peers different cultural backgrounds, but rather, we embrace them. We don’t need to be “blind” to the skin color of the people we encounter; we should all understand how our skin color does not define us, but is just a phenotype. So maybe the solution would not be to have a color blind society, but to have a community of individuals who accept each other for who they are.
Maggie,
I agree that MSMS can be seen as almost color-blind. Just about everyone gets along and everyone has the opportunity to be an individual. No one should be defined or put it a certain ranking because of their race and MSMS does a great job in preventing that from happening because of the positive accepting attitudes.
Even if we did live in a “color blind” society, people would just find something else to use to discriminate against one another. We will never live in a perfect world because of this. Also, things , like a person’s race, are what make people unique and taking that away from a person can possibly take away part of a person’s identity. Living in a color blind society sounds like something that would happen in a book, and we all know how books set in those types of dystopian societies turn out. Also, to live in a “color blind” society, people would have to give up the mindset of being a part of a certain race
Tia,
You’ve brought up a great point. Ignoring someone’s color equates to ignoring someone’s race, and I feel as though race should be something that each and every one of us is proud of. People of different races (and nationalities) all have rich heritage behind them, and it’s something that we should embrace rather than repress. After all, America is the world’s biggest melting pot. People emigrate from their homelands and come here to seek the illustrious American dream. In the end, race should not be the determining factor in considering someone’s character. The fact that someone is a pacific islander or any race rather should be embraced, but the prejudices and stereotypes that come with race should not.
The simple answer to this question would be yes, people should live in a society where they are judged by the content of their character and not by the color their skin. Yet this answer could only be true, if we lived in a Utopian society where things were all “peaches and cream”, but we simply just don’t. There will always be people, like Trump, who believe that a negative action, like terrorism, which is associated more so with a single group of people, the Muslims, encompasses the entire group of people. This way of things, is why America has been divided in some form or fashion since its Independence in 1776. This worldwide phenomena called persuasion and upbringing is another reason why this great Utopian society of colorblindness will cease to exist. How people learn and what they learn has a grand affect on how they perceive the world and the various groups of people who inhabit it. Stereotypes play a very big role in this issue as well, for the stereotypes provides vehicles that carry this particular way of thinking through generations of people!. Maybe this is a one sided way of thinking, but people now and days hold their religion, morals, and sentiments far too close to heart, and these are only a few of the many mechanisms that consist of ideas that are in need of complete eradication or strict and thorough modification in order for the people of this world to live blind to the “color” of a persons skin (because people are not only bound to a way of life by society by color, but by ethnicity and hereditary roots as well, so color is used as a supposed umbrella term), and ebulliently pay closer attention to the contents of that person’s character.
I would argue that society wishes to live in a colorblind society, but because of one’s culture, they are unable to do so as they have been taught various stereotypes and archetypes that litter their judgments of others. It is nearly impossible for one who has connotations associated with a multitude of people groups to address them as if they had not experienced anything previously. Even when basing a person’s character, you are comparing their kindness or quirks to those of another person. When a person may be talking with someone and that someone insults the person multiple times, the person should may suspect that there are issues between them and that someone, because previously when this happened, the result was unpleasant. This is logical as they are basing this judgment on a past experience. When one say they do not see color, they most likely will still base their ideas off of past experience, but mostly personal experience, rather than the second hand details given by a third party.
I hate the term “color blind society,” not because I love racism, calm down, but because race is not irrelevant. The past should not be forgotten, and someone’s race should not be dismissed. The thought of seeing all people as one is lovely, but inconceivable due to the acts of hate our ancestors faced and inflicted. Race shouldn’t be washed away for the sake of a more comfortable society. We should see people for who they are, this includes culture and heritage, whether it be good, sad, or ugly. Do not let the past shape your judgment of others, but don’t forget that some people have it a lot harder than you. To become color blind would undermine the hard work of some, because they didn’t receive as many opportunities and privileges as others.
Kate brings up a good point about starting to smuggle them across. The strict restriction on immigration would call for desperate measures on their part to get in to the US. Although people have their own personal opinions on other races, I feel society for the most part has integrated every race. We all can eat at the same places, go to the same school, and hang out in the same places. Getting all humans to not discriminate is impossible. Everyone should be able to live amongst each other peacefully regardless of personal opinions.
In life humans make decisions to help them live healthy and happy lives. These decisions may not be as easy or as morally sound as others, but they get them through the day. Is it wrong to be happy? Donald Trump is using his political and economic standing to do what he feels will make him, as well as other US citizens happy. This may not be the correct answer as some would say but, “Is he wrong for standing up for what he believes in?” As a citizen of a “free” country, Trump should be able to observe and participate in expressing his ideals without intervention from big brother or other citizens. Is he wrong for generalizing an entire population because of some have been give a certain characteristic? Yes, the point of living in such a diverse society is to learn about new cultures; if you would like to exclude yourselves from things like this then their are communities in America composed of similar believing people living in harmony. Moral of the rant, do what makes you happy as long as it isn’t illegal.
In order to be able to live in a color-blind society, you get to give up automatic segregation of people. There is no longer the “better” grouping of people due to the color of their skin, but maybe by their wealth, social skills, or personality. Everyone can be born without a caste system (aside from the occupation type) and build themselves up from there.
A color blind society might stop racial issues like identifying all muslims as terrorist but it will not fix any problems for America. If Donald Trump want less terrorism in the US, allowing zero Muslim immigrants will not fix his problem. I think immigrants should be allowed into the country if they can pass strick background checks. The government should keep close tabs on them for a few years. The best way to keep Americans secure would be to push American citizens to buy weapons. Studies have proven that less than one percent of legal gun owners have used their weapon for crime.
I believe a color-blinded society, to an extent, is impossible. If one was to ask an amount of people whether they would be more scared of a white person walking down the sidewalk or a man in a burka, they would find it very difficult to respond honestly “both”, or some answer of that sort. Many people, myself included, try as hard as possible to avoid making assumptions based on race, but the bottom line is that racism is sort of build into our society, in a way. It is near impossible to not make assumptions or pass silent judgment onto people due to first impressions.
I do not even believe that a full-fledged colorblind society is even necessary. While people should not be shunned, feared, or have judgment passed on them just because of what race they were born into, it is important to remember the backgrounds people come from to address the issues at hand. For instance, assumptions about the character of black people should not be made on first appearance, but there ARE underlying issues involving black people which enforce these racial stereotypes, such as the fact that there are more homeless black people than white people due to black people, in general, receiving less education. Food for thought.
To live in a color blind society is to lose aspects of each race.
There is a tremendous difference in saying, “everyone is equal,” and saying, “everyone is the same.” If every race is viewed as the same, then important cultural traditions and customs are lost. We shouldn’t have to give those things up in order to have an “equal” society, in which there is no racism or discrimination.
Well, since Ted Cruz has dropped out of the election, it appears as if our next president is going to be Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Yikes! The thought of our country being controlled by either of these people is pretty scary. Who knows what these next few years have to hold for America…
Discrimination would continue in a color-blind society. Our society is so creative and hateful that they would create a new basis to group its citizens. Whether it’s height based or based on the area you were raised in, people will hate you because of something that you can’t change.
I think if we lived in a society where everyone was truly given the same opportunities with different races would be good. I don’t believe living in a color blind society would be too beneficial because then America would loose it’s sense of diversity and different cultures that make the nation so unique. Donald Trump has tried to devalue other cultures, yet they are the ones who supported him and have influenced America the most. People should stop judging others based on their stereotypes as well.