I am a racist. Yep, that's right. I am guilty of having an adverse judgement or opinion of people formed without facts. (Thanks, dictionary.com, for your help with that.)
The other night, I was driving on a segment of road near my house. This piece of road has been under construction for some time and is now being finished, but the lanes are a bit confusing.
I was driving behind someone in a Honda who ended up in the right turn lane. He didn't have his turn signal on and didn't end up turning right. In fact, he almost ran me off the road trying to merge into my lane.
I honked at him, then changed lanes. As I was driving by, I caught a glimpse of the driver. My immediate response was "Oh, DWA." (Driving while Asian) It's Brian and my designation for Asian-American people with lackluster driving skills.
It seems funny as I'm writing it, but I am mindful of the impact my negative ideas have. I studied for two years at a university whose student body predominantly African-American. I was the minority. It was an interesting experience.
I will say, the professors and curriculum at the school was fantastic. I learned more about politics there than anywhere else. I saw a glimpse into the psyche of minorities. I learned that they are inherently suspicious of the government.
I didn't, as a Caucasian-looking Mexican-American, understand why they would feel that way. I mean, the government, as I understood it (from my 19-year-old, middle-class perspective) wasn't out to get anyone. They have everyone's best interest at heart.
Unfortunately, as I've gotten older, I have come to understand that that's not true.
Last week, I was impressed to see President Obama re-elected. Even though I have been lambasted by my fellow Christians for voting for him, I hold my head high. I am ecstatic.
Even more, I can understand why Fox news and others of their ilk (read rich, white men) are so upset. See, for them, racism and prejudice are alive and well. For them, the scapegoat is the brown and black-skinned person.
It's easy to see this on social media. I've seen (more than once) the posting about waiting in line behind someone talking on their iPhone and paying for their purchase with food stamps. The implication is that there is someone receiving government assistance who really doesn't need it.
Let me tell you something. In my two years at Chicago State (and my years since), I've shopped many thousands of times. The few times I've been in line behind someone using food stamps, I've seen the demeanor of someone who is not altogether proud of using food stamps. They do not wave their Link card in the air saying, "woohoo, I'm gaming Uncle Sam."
In fact, I have a girlfriend who used food stamps while she was in school. She was trying to obtain her graduate degree in counseling. As a single mother, she couldn't find part-time work that would fit into her schedule. She and her two blonde-haired blue-eyed children were living hand to mouth.
She was only able to receive a pittance of food stamps. It, along with regular visits to a local food pantry, allowed her to put herself in a position to become fully employed and able to provide for her family. This was not a point of pride, she talked openly about how frustrating the process was and it was something she used as a stop-gap. Would it have been easier for her and her children to go hungry? I personally don't think so.
It's easier, though, if you are rich and white, to think that all recipients of government assistance are "gaming the system." It's easier to convince people to do away with what seems like a spendy, rambling government program if the perception is that all people are taking advantage.
It's easy to lambaste the Affordable Health Care Act (aka Obamacare) as another way to ruin America. Rich, white men have no problems with access to healthcare. In fact, they have primo access to healthcare.
My same friend, who was putting herself through school, had no healthcare. If she got sick, it was tough to get in to see the doctor-they won't see you if you don't have insurance. So, the rich white men say, go to the ER. Sure, that seems feasible. Unless that visit results in a diagnosis of a serious health condition.
Let's say, for example, that pesky rasp in your chest ends up being lung cancer. You came to the ER because you have no insurance. What will happen to you? I assure you, the hospital will not offer to treat your cancer for free. You may have some chance at having your church help you; the problem is, churches are feeling the strain of more people needing help and less people being able to help.
So what happens? Really, nothing. You have a chronic health condition? Need maintenance medications? Good luck. Let's stop and remember, for a minute, that the largest number of people receiving Medicaid are the elderly and the disabled. Rich white men would rather you not realize that, but it's the truth.
So now, many years removed, I understand why minorities are inherently suspicious of the government. It is run by a group of people who see them as a threat. It's descendants of people who used their descendants to build their wealth. Of course that's a threat.
In my mind, rich white men are like my toddlers. In their mind, everything is about them. Taxes are great but not for them. Benefits for the underprivileged? Why? No one gave them any help (except for the fact that they had steady access to education, healthcare, food, shelter and other amenities-there are millions of American kids who don't have all of those basic necessities).
In their minds, America would be so much better if it weren't for the pesky poor people. It would be easier if everyone just took care of themselves. The problem is that, like toddlers, their favorite word is "mine."
They don't want to pay people a living wage (or make healthcare accessible) because it eats into their profits. They would rather be wealthy in a country of poor people than be less wealthy in a country of people who can take care of themselves.
I see these rich white men for who they are. Scared. They hide behind their faith. They claim that liberals are eating away at the moral fiber of our country. At the same time, they dictate their number one goal as making sure that Obama be a one-term president.
They didn't work on that goal while simultaneously trying to get people back to work. They didn't work on this goal while still trying to fix the problems this country was facing. They simply sat down, crossed their arms and said they didn't want to.
I have to tell you, the best way to deal with a toddler is to take away something they love. In this case, it meant taking away their chance at the White House. Hopefully, the time-out will do them some good.
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