It’s really tiring to hear people make excuses for others racist behaviors. We often hear things like, “Well, she didn’t really mean it that way,” or “What he was trying to say was…”. But if you are forced to try and find a way to explain a comment that comes across as racist, then it usually is a racist comment. Period.
Don’t think for one minute that your kids are not listening while you’re watching CNN, FOX News, or the Today Show. All the hateful comments that are being spewed by folks in leadership positions are being absorbed by our kids. Our family listens to the news on the radio as we drive to school each morning and they always have lots of questions about what’s going on in the world. However, they also hear a lot of comments from their classmates at school, which makes us raise our eyebrows to what those kids are being taught at home. We always try to remain unbiased when answering a question and focus on teaching them what we think is right. Our explanation to them has nothing to do with politics, but how we feel all people should be treated.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those parents that say we should be color blind. I think it’s necessary to point out differences between people and cultures, because that’s actually how kids start to learn to value those differences. In fact, many experts think that teaching our kids to be color blind is a bad idea. In the article, “Are we born racists? The talk you must have with your children,” an expert addresses the myth of color blindness. “Instead of ignoring racial differences, parents should call them out explicitly and discuss them — just like they do with other differences,” says Po Bronson, co-author with Ashley Merryman of “NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children.” However, the problem I see today is people are not embracing or valuing our differences, but using those differences as scapegoats to justify their personal issues. America’s issues. I’m quite sure those views are being passed on to our younger generation.