By Maegan Rocio
Just last week, Americans went out in droves and exercised their right to vote.
While many people were pleased that Barack Obama was re-elected for his second term in office, others were less than ecstatic and expressed their disappointment.
And by “expressed their disappointment,” I mean debasing the President by using racial slurs.
Just a day ago, an ice cream store worker in California was fired after posting a racial slur about President Obama’s re-election on her Facebook page.
To further sweeten the deal, she also included her hopes about his “future” assassination.
Even worse, because similar threats have been made time and time before, she claimed she is not racist.
Last I checked, showing animosity toward a person because of their cultural background, race, ethnicity and/or skin tone shows a propensity toward bigotry.
My main concern over this occurrence and the many other similar instances, is the fact that we, as a nation, are still stuck in the past.
I’m not trying to claim that I am a saint by any means. I’m just wondering why we aren’t closer to simply accepting each other as we are.
I feel as if we are at a standstill because for every two steps forward, we take the same two back.
Social progression among our fellow man is at a standstill because of unfortunate occurrences like this, events that we take at face value as normal because it is so ingrained into our national history.
Why can’t we all as Americans change that?
Why can’t we make it so that such slurs and degradations are obliterated completely, on both sides?
Instead of reacting neutrally to race riots and acts of intolerance because it happened in a certain area in a certain state, why can’t we change that?
It may seem as if I am asking for a worldwide overhaul, and maybe I am. But it can start small and work its way up.
Anytime you find yourself damning your neighbor’s habits, ways, looks, anything, stop yourself and just accept them.
Realize that their are similar to you because they are human, but they will never be completely like you.
Make an effort to throw out the concept of “the Other.”
At the end of the day, we all bleed red and I think it’s time we all start to realize that.
Maegan Rocio is a sophomore professional writing major from Beaumont. She is a staff writer at the Baylor Lariat.
