2016 Postmortem

What ALWAYS gets left out of the equation is that sometimes people just don't like another person because that person is behaving like an asshole and it doesn't have a damn thing to do with race or religion or anything like that.

The issue is far more complicated than most realize and it turns into a viscous circle because people take the worst possible approach and least helpful attitudes.

I am going to illustrate my points and explain myself using the black/white race issue.

There is absolutely plenty of overt racism out there. It is harder for black people to find good housing in good neighborhoods. It's harder to find good jobs. The legal system is not fair and has a bias and there is DEFINITELY a problem with black men who are unarmed getting shot and killed by police because of the institutional biases. Anyone who denies these things is not being honest.

Putting up with this on a day to day basis must get extremely old. After awhile I would imagine that anyone who is black grows to just expect this kind of bias and for many they may even start to look for it. Ultimately, that can and often does, lead to black people looking for racism and sometimes imagining it where it doesn't exist.

Many times a white person can be a vocal opponent of racism and STILL be accused of being a racist over some perceived slight or intent that never existed. This HURTS people because the issue matters to them.

Just like when a black person who experiences racism enough times starts to notice every potential slight, white people who are unfairly accused of being a racists when they aren't WILL start to feel unfairly persecuted too. Over time resentment may build and the seeds of racism is born at that point.

Now there are also cases of people being insensitive without it being intentional. Those people are not racists. They are just unaware and need to be engaged in conversation.

Now that I've said my piece...I never judge anyone by their race, gender or anything else. I judge them based on whether or not they are an asshole.

And to anyone who thinks I don't understand the pain and fear from Trump being elected...I had to hold my own child while she sobbed, fearful for herself and our family members who are black, hispanic, LGBT and disabled. I cried when he won and was deeply sickened by the hate crimes. I bitched about them profusely all over social media, too.

I will say it again...calling ALL Trump voters racists and attacking them only PERPETUATES distrust between races. If the pattern continues it's only going to get worse and worse. It's GOT to stop.