Life is meant to be a journey filled with happiness, lessons learned, and finding our purpose in this world. With today’s Presidential Election, we will witness history where a black man will be President of the United States of America or we could see our first Female Vice President.
After discussing prejudice with a few friends this weekend, I tried to evaluate in my mind why some think they are better than those based on race, gender or sexual orientation. It also goes further than the typical stereotypes as some consider themselves above or below other individuals because of their income and lifestyle.
Consider these scenarios.
What we see….
The suburban white male and female with a family of three goes to church every Sunday. They host book clubs and church related groups where they have developed a large amount of friends. They are always smiling and make people feel welcome in their home. They are an ideal family..a family to admire and look up to…..
A 46 year old black man who aspires to be the best that he can be. He dabbled in cocaine, marijuana and alcohol in his teens. Brought up mostly by his Grandmother, he strived to be a success. After attending university, he is married with two beautiful children.
In 1996, a 50 year old woman changed the television world by her declaration of being a lesbian during a time where gays and lesbians were mostly hidden in the closet. The disease Aids had the world scared due to the widespread media coverage.
There are thousands of business men who provide financial security to their families. They are well respected and are viewed as a great success to the greater population. They travel often and despite providing financial security to their families, time is a precious commodity.
What we don’t see or know….
This couples ambition in life is greed. Despite learning the scriptures of the bible and knowing that living life is not for personal financial gain, they do the unfathomable. They break one of the ten commandments by NOT honouring their father or mother. They decide to place her mother in a nursing home where they drain her bank account and take over her land and home by holding a power of attorney. Oh yes, this happens daily and I’ve experienced it firsthand. The family is torn apart and what was once a loving family is now gone forever due to greed. Of course, they do not divulge their actions to their friends who continue to befriend them based on what they see. Are they proud of who they are?
This black man considers his biggest personal failure was his teenage years where he dabbled in drugs. He has accepted the fact that his life could be on the line should he become the 1st US President based on the continuation of racial discrimination. He moves ahead and is proud of who is he. Will he be a good President?
We will see if he gets the opportunity.This woman brings laughter and smiles worldwide. She had her share of struggles on her road to success as after dropping out of University, she held many typical jobs that we all have today. She publicly married Portia De Rossa this year and openly displays their wedding pictures on her website. She is proud of who she is and stands up for what she believes in.
Not all business men are like this….but there are several men who are “sex tourists”. They travel to Southeast Asia with the concept that they are “helping the children and families of the children” by satisfying their sexual desires of sleeping with young children…some as young as 10 years old. They do not run home to their families and disclose their indiscretions and their obsession for pedophilia. Are they proud of who they are?
What we see and what we know about others are two totally different concepts. Do we have a right to be prejudice based on race, gender, or sexual orientation when there is so much corruption in this world? Shouldn’t mankind think before we speak? Shouldn’t we evaluate our own lives and own faults before we take prejudicial action against another?
I view people in one way, we all come into this world the same and we leave the world the same. What we do in between is basically our personal choice despite our upbringing. I enjoy highly motivated people but will extend positive reinforcement to those who require a self esteem boost to move forward. Some can be motivated, while others are stuck in the predetermined mindset of themselves.
Ultimate success is being proud of who we are.
