Only one race - the human race

What if every person in America saw a human being before skin color, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social status, age, disability, weight, mental illness? What if every person in America disagreed with the hot-button issues while keeping passion, but applying tolerance? What if every person examined her/his fear of differences?

Close your eyes. See each individual without your sight. Freeze discrimination, prejudice, and bigotry. Suspend hatred, fear, and hardness of heart. Imagine the person as your mother, father, sister, or brother. Imagine the person as your child. Just imagine.

Keep your eyes closed. See biracial couples as human beings. See gay couples as human beings. See homeless people as human beings.

Before you open your religious books, before you pull out your morals, before you voice your political opinions—see a human being and disagree with respect.

As Dan Aykroyd proclaimed, “We must come to the point where we realize the concept of race is a false one. There is only one race, the human race.”

Use the First Amendment to debate and not destroy others with words. Question the issue and not the person’s value as a human being. You can stand up for your beliefs without tearing down another person’s right to his/her own belief system.

Pro-life or Pro-choice. Express your beliefs. March in Washington, DC. Vote at the polls. But, respect the First the Amendment. And see a human being.

Activist or opponent of same-sex marriage. Express your beliefs. March in Washington, DC. Vote at the polls. But, respect the First the Amendment. And see a human being.

Advocate or opponent of the death penalty. Express your beliefs. March in Washington, DC. Vote at the polls. But, respect the First the Amendment. And see a human being.

The legalization of marijuana, immigration, guns, environment, tax reform, and the list goes on. Red-hot issues will be around as long as human beings are living on planet Earth. I don’t adhere to a one-world government, a one-world religion, or a unisex bathroom. But, I want to see a human being before I debate issues. I want to see one race—the human race.

How in this world can we teach children in America to see one human race—when many adults don’t or won’t? It’s no wonder youth think adults are ignorant, hypocritical, and hatemongers. How can we teach our children to debate hot-button issues with a tamed tongue when we won’t? Knowing how to see one race—the human race, is vital.

Children are not born knowing how to discuss or debate strong opposing viewpoints on hot-button issues. They learn or don’t learn in the home, school, or society. Knowing why you believe what you believe is important. Knowing how to stand up for your religious, political, and fundamental beliefs is important. Knowing how to see one race—the human race, is vital.

According to a 2017 article in Newsweek that revealed information about a study on the beliefs of college students, “Amazingly, 53 percent of students say that schools should effectively be “safe spaces” where students are protected from speech they find offensive. Only 47 percent want to have an “open learning environment” where all kinds of ideas are openly debated…51 percent of students believe that it is just fine to shout down a speaker with whom they disagree and prevent them from presenting their views.” www.newsweek.com/ .

Melissa Martin, Ph.D, is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist in the U.S. www.melissamartinchildrensauthor.com . Contact her at [email protected].