Common Sense

Black History Month. Miss Black America. The United Negro College Fund. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. What do all of these things have in common? Well other than being inherently racist they smack in the face of Dr. Martin Luther King's vision of a future where a person is judged NOT by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

An argument can be made that these organizations and events are the result of racist oppression against people of color over the past centuries. It is an historical fact that people suffered all throughout history. Suffering, however, is not an affliction known only to those of color. Racism is alive and well today and is perpetrated when anyone judges another based on their race or color. White people do not have a franchise on racism. White farmers in Africa have been disposed of their land, raped mutilated and murdered simply because they are white. For that matter, Arabs routinely subjugate Asians for manual labor and Caucasians for the sex trade in Dubai.

Growing up in California I learned of Dr. Kings vision and thought "well duh?!". It made sense to me. When competing for anything in life, professional or otherwise, one should always be judged on their individual merit and aptitude. So, like Dr. King I am for equal rights to all and special rights to none.