Racism, Trayvon Martin, & Philosophy

I think it would be very ignorant of me to say that racism doesn't exist. My opinions on the matter at hand - Trayvon's death - seem to indicate that it sure does. Hatred is very real and very alive, and I think that no matter what color or gender or race you are, there is someone or some group who'd rather see you dead. I don't mean to generalize, but being a woman in certain countries such as Iran could be even worse than death. Being a child in Uganda. Being on the wrong side of an ethnic cleansing in Africa or the Middle-East. Being against government oppression in Syria. The list goes on and on.


I, too, have been a victim of racism. I was an Asian kid in white-trash middle-America, and I was physically and verbally abused and descriminated against for no other reason than I had slanted eyes, and was too small to do otherwise. Even though I continually proved my academic prowess, I was almost held back a grade in two different schools. I witnessed horrific racial and gender-based threats and discrimination to my very small Asian mother. My family has been the target of death threats and religious descrimination, even forced to leave a town by vote of a church - where, you know, Godly people supposedly attended.


In short, while I don't claim to understand EVERYONE'S problems or be THE authority on racisim, I think I can safely say I understand some measure hatred in a very real way. This is something I have rarely shared with anyone, so please understand I am not trying to make excuses, only establish a basis of understanding.


What one DOES with that understanding, however, is where I think I philosophically differ from others. For all the hatred I've seen, witnessed, or just read about, I've also witnessed incredible acts of love and random kindness. For every racial slur I've had hurled at me, I've had as many words of kindness. For every teacher who tried to hold me back, I've had another teacher at a different time or place to encouraged me. And though hatred has often reared it's ugly head, I've CHOSEN to not simply ignore the good and the love of others that DOES exist.


As someone once wiser than me once said, Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you choose to respond to it. While that may not be completely true, as Trayvon's family learned, I choose to believe in this philosophy because I believe that GENERALLY, at least in this society - this holds true. While a lot of things are out of our control, and while we don't have as much say in the way our lives should go as we would like, the ONE thing we DO have control of is how we choose to respond. I choose to keep my eyes wide open to that small slice of reality of which I am blessed to be aware - both the good and the bad. And while I will not dismiss or ignore the darker side of humanity, I CHOOSE, rather, to focus on the good that I've seen and witnessed, and the love that I've felt and shared, and the great people that I've been absolutely priviledged to get to know and love.


I fully acknowledge that there are those who have it, and had it, worse than me. I make no claim to understand their plight, or that my philosophy is for them. I do my best to empathize as best as I can with anyone who claims hardship, and I can only hope that, in general, people approach the world with their eyes open, seeing not just the black or white, but the full spectrum of complexity and color that is the world we live in.