shalom says:
i find your name pretty ironic, given the meaning of the work shalom.
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what's with all the hate-- between
all the races/ethnicities/backgrounds/religions here?!
So much for a
united greek community.
I'll tell you what, I think
every last one of us has their own prejudices. And they are
learned behaviors, from family, friends, society, regions, media etc.
I can remember growing up and going to a pretty large baptist church. There were a lot of white kids, and a lot of black kids, and some other races as well. I don't recall
ever thinking of any of them as being different from me. They were just kids. But as I grew up, I became aware that society made some differences, and then by the time I got to college I realized that they we all
are different: we all come from different backgrounds and cultures. There are some African-American friends of mine who are much more like me than some 'white' friends of mine--> it's all relative to our experiences.
I am the first to admit that, yes, I do have prejudices. But I can recognize them and I know where (and why) they come from. And being aware of them, I can also curb them before they affect my personal opinion of an individual.
I still stand by everything in my previous post, from the political stance during the Civil War to the way things are today. I know some of you will flame me for saying I have prejudices... does that mean you don't? Because obviously some people here (of a variety of histories/races/etc.)
do. And if you think about it, I'm sure you'll think of at least one of yours.
I've been discriminated against. That doesn't mean that I hate all of those people forever because of the behavior of some of them. No, I don't have to deal with being African-American on a daily basis. I do deal with being a female. (If you think females aren't discriminated against, especially black females, you are just in denial).
The point to all my ramblings:
bad things happened in the past. bad things happen today. bad things will happen in the future.
we have the power to make good things happen now. we have the power to make good things happen in the future.
What am
I doing to help ratify race in the states? I don't hate all blacks or chinese or Native Americans, or .....
I was involved in some multi-cultural organizations in college. (In fact, I supported a lot of the African-American student organization's events now that I think about it). I don't, nor have I ever, limited my friendships/relationships to any one race/religion/creed/etc. I've made a point to learn about the cultures and histories of my friends so I
can get a little of their perspective. Never underestimate the power of education.
My GLO has different religions, nationalities, races, and genders, and is supportive of campus events such as 'World Week' and our Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Learning. I'm happy that the brothers and sisters of my chapter weren't filled with hate and bitterness.
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SilverTurtle@greekchat.com
Phi Beta Fraternity
Phi chapter