I am originally from the Caribbean of Indian descent (ancestors from India).
I grew up being told if I brought home a black man, I will be disowned. When I asked why, the response was always "because I said so." When I asked if I could bring home a white man, that was just fine.
This never sat well with me as I started to go to high school. I ended up meeting so many great folks, of all descent and races. Some were idiots as well but nope, not of a certain race, found them in all groups. So the confusion of the rules set grew and grew and I started to ask myself am I really going to allow myself to be a racist because my parents said so? Was I going to limit my experiences because of them? Was I going to allow a preconditioned fear to determine my life?
The answer was obviously no. I made lots of friends, some I still have to date, some I moved on from since our situations changed.
So what's racism all about?
I believe it's the brainwashing of children at a young age due to incidents occurring in our parents or ancestors lives. Can't really blame my parents since I don't know how far up the line it went. All I knew was it was stopping with my generation.
OK, so maybe a long time ago they had a falling out with a black person and they couldn't see past it. It may have even been a huge falling out. Hate whatever other negative emotions were developed. But what does that have to do with me? Or you?
I have had so many falling outs with my parents, siblings, aunts, etc and I always made up and forgave them not because they were family but because that's life. People make mistakes, people change, people say things they don't mean. Yes, people, not a particular race.
I have also had so many falling outs with friends (just to be clear, I have friends from all races, different levels of friendships) and I have also forgiven them for the same reason. I will keep anyone and fight for anyone who helps me become a better person, who helps me grows, who can sit and listen to me rant (vice-versa).
Why are we allowing our parents/society/politicians anyone really to limit our exposure to the type of people we have in our life? Everyone has something to teach us. Some good, some bad—walk away from the bad ones because they don't serve you, not because they aren't the same race as you.
Maybe I am crazy but that sounds so simple. People today spend so much time being racist when they can spend their time getting to know people and actually enjoying life.
C'mon let go and go live your life.
P. S. My relationship with my parents isn't so great today because, like I said, it's simple, it's either you're serving a good purpose in my life or not. I have forgiven them but that doesn't mean I have to keep them in my life.
About the Creator
C ams
The pieces I submit are various thoughts and fights with myself I go through to try to not allow society to define me.
If my rational can help even one person reading then I would have contributed something good in this world :)
Well-Intentioned Whistleblower or Opportunist?
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By Carl J. Petersenabout 9 hours ago in The Swamp
Rivers of Death
Rivers bring water the element essential to all life on Earth but wherever rivers flow they also bring death surprise attacks Savage kills and brutal fights every day is a battle for survival on these rivers of [Applause] death I'm under the African Sun Staying Alive is hot thirsty work and among the ranks of animals jostling to get a drink lurk Killers waiting to strike but while Lions may be fearsome and the huge Nile crocodiles ruthless Predators one of the continent's deadliest River Killers is mostly vegetarian renowned wallowers spending up to 16 hours a day lounging in the water hippos could be mistaken for relaxed creatures and yet the river horse as their name translates from ancient Greek can be a very angry pony indeed with tusks up to a foot and a half long hippos are literally armed to the teeth and a charging bull Hipp can impact with the weight force of a pickup truck what's more hippos May brutally defend their territory an Impala has been chased into a muddy Watering Hole by a lion it's stuck but for fortunately for the stricken analou the lion is reluctant to follow it into the Meer unfortunately it finds itself in the domain of a hippo ill disposed to uninvited guests the hippo's not stealing the watching Lion's meal she's most likely just aggressively defending her calf and the Impala pays the ultimate price for crossing a doting mother hippos are thought to kill more people each year than the rest of Africa's most dangerous animals combined and during mating season their ruthless aggression is directed at other hippos two bulls square up the pod's dominant male and a Challenger at stake the Riverbanks Prime mating territory and a Herm of females the dominant male puts on an aggressive display posturing to show he will not yield but the interloper Demands a fight finally the dominant male is Victorious the Conqueror celebrates with a dung shower marking the border of the territory he has successfully defended while the vanquished suffers more than just the agony of defeat his back is carved open and by Sunset the crocodiles are watching closely they'd be unlikely to take on a bull in rude Health but now they Circle an expectation the hippo breathes his last the price of insurrection is life his Hulk will not go to waste the crocodiles move in swiftly to Feast on the corpse for these voracious Predators it's a considerable meal but one dead hippo is a mere snack compared with the annual Feast provided by a particular African river each year the serengetti vast grass Plains filled to the Horizon with grazing animals taking part in one of Nature's greatest spectacles around 1 and2 million wilder beast join 700,000 other herbivores on the Great Migration around 1 in six of these migrants will die before completing the 500 M circuit many are outrun and taken down down by Africa's formidable array of Savannah carnivores their Journey coming to a Grizzly end but one of the deadliest single obstacles the vast herds must Traverse is the mara River after 3 months on the move the wilderbeast are exhausted and emaciated all that separates them from the Fresh pastures of the msai mara is the width of the river and a whole bunch of huge ravit Nile crocodiles despite the chilling threat posed by these powerful Predators some of the herd are either oblivious to the danger or so thirsty they dare to take a drink anyway for an unlucky few it will be their last and these witless victims merely wet the Croc's appetite the true Feast begins when the first of the herd Braves the river in the crush and Chaos of the crossing the 16t Crocs grabs scores of victims when 1,600 lb of musc futile the marus Crocs survive on meager rations for most of the year so take full advantage of the great migrations time of Plenty they Gorge themselves eating up to half their body weight in one sitting and with so many different species crossing the river the banquet is as varied as it is Bountiful but not all Africa's Crocs have such an easy meal ticket on the banks of this Kenyon River a Croc has got too close to a pack of feeding Lions a move it's about to regret it's a fierce attack but the Crocs skin is covered in bony armor plating eventually the Lion's Uninvited Guest Retreats having taught the Crocs and dinner manners the big cats return to the carcass the Amazon is a giant of a river and and conceal some monstrous Predators which kill with a crush and in a bloody frenzy draining a lowland Basin of close to 3 million square miles around 1/5 of the water that runs off the earth's surface is carried by the Amazon this giant of a river is renowned for its oversized residence both prey and Predator around 4 ft long and and weighing as much as an adult human capibara are the world's largest rodent they're
By cacloaidongvat3 days ago in The Swamp
The Business of Nature
Dew drops reflected the light of the sun. The inhabitants of Whispering Woods woke up to the golden droplets of water on the leaves of the flora. The oaks particularly enjoyed the light and the maples did, too. Happiness enveloped all who lived there, even the rocks that cried out in the night delighted in the morning.
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