5. RACISM

I know its weird to say that I do racism better than you, and that you probably wouldnt even contest that, but its true. I do racism better than you.
Racism, unfortunately is still alive and kicking. As I mentioned before, being from the south is no Southern fairy tale. Atlanta is a unique place. It's the largest city in the Southeast, the most economically charged and probably the most black too. By black I mean people with dark brown skin. People who probably come from Africa at some point in their genealogy. During a normal work day you see white people (people with light skin like mine who come from who knows where) walking the streets with suits and briefcases or golf shirts tucked into pleated khakis with sunglasses hanging by a strap down there around their silky-ish, polyester-ish, golfy collar. You see homeless people who are mostly black people, you see college students at Georgia Tech (asians abound here, white people too, and then a minority of all other types of people), and you see just everyone else doing their daily thing. Then rush hour (more like rush three hours) hits and after the smog has cleared a new Atlanta emerges up into the muggy night. Its dark. The buildings are dark. The sky is dark. And the people are dark. Excluding a few areas such as Midtown where all the multicolored gay crowd lives and hangs, the college campuses and the "nicer parts of town", everyone is black. At least everyone you see is black. The indie kids zip by in the dark on their stupid fixies unnoticed on their way to Little Five Points to quench a vintage western wear craving. The outer perimeter suburbanites flood the Lucky street, Olympic Park section of town, wearing cleavage friendly tops and 90's friendly bottoms, hopping down Peachtree street to find someone or somewhere to help them forget about their boring life up in Sandy Springs or Alpharetta. But if you get in a car and drive around Atlanta aimlessly, and you're white like me, you're going to feel alone.
Is this racist? No it is not. Its factual observation. You see, people are equal. We all are. But we are not the same. Black people are different from white people. Europeans are different from Asians. Mexicans are not the same as South Americans. I know this. Do you? People who know me know that I make a lot of very funny racist comments. Well they think they are racist comments. But some of those same people freely make use of the "N" word in public and private conversations as if it has no history or meaning. Is this racism? What is racism!? What is Racist!?
I'd like to think that I have not one racist bone in my body. Some might disagree. However I can say this. I've never discriminated against someone based on their race. I used to, but slowly overcame, making rash uneducated judgments about people based on their looks, although I still fully agree that you can tell a lot just by looking at a person. (Ex. Fat people eat a lot. See?) But if I'm so perfect and colorblind, why do I only know and talk to one or two black people, having all white American friends? Why am I more attracted to a pretty little red head than a beautiful black woman, or a dark haired Asian gal? The answer is simple. We are different.
Different is good, folks. Life would be pretty boring if we were all the same. We need to accept that and cherish it, not deny it. Black people, for the most part have dark skin. For the most part they have nappy hair (see Chris Rock's Good Hair documentary if you dont believe me). White people have softer hair, lighter skin, different body types. Asians have dark hair! Russian People look a lot alike. Australians talk weird! I love it all! Where we start getting into trouble is when we deny those things or deny that those things are acceptable. Black people cant be human because they dont have skin like white people. This type of thing is racism obviously. But what is the less obvious racist comment like? White men cant jump? Black guys are better at sports? Indians all smell the same? Asians all have flat butts? Every illegal immigrant in U.S.A. is Mexican? Or even less obvious... That black guy is married?! That Asian is majoring in history not math!? That white guy talks like a nerd!?
The cure for racism is simple. Judge for yourself not people as a whole, but on an individual basis. One black person is not all black people. He is a person, with skin, with a heart, with a family, with a life, with goals and dreams, and with a purpose. That White guy is not just a kid who cracks racist jokes to make people feel uncomfortable and to think about their own morals and question their own ethnic views, he is a person with skin, and a heart, and a family, with goals and dreams and a life. Also.... he likes Fried Chicken, hates watermelon, and drinks Kool-Aid in the summer constantly... and still has a nerdy voice.