Colorfully color blind by Marian Casillas, Ed.D.

 

Mr. Azul and Mr. Rojo are next door neighbors.

Mr. Azul: “Don’t you just hate all this systemic racism in the United States.”

Mr. Rojo: “If there is systemic racism that means that you and I are racists, but I know that I am not a racist, then that must mean that you’re a racist.”

Mr. Azul quickly retorts, “Well I’m not a racist. It’s all those other people who are racists.”

Mr. Rojo: “So is your spouse a racist, are your parent’s racists, are your children racists, are any of your family members racists, are your other neighbor’s racists, or are your co-workers racists?

Mr. Azul: “Well I don’t think so.”

Mr. Rojo: “So where are all those racists?”

Mr. Azul: “They’re out there; they’re in all the institutions.”

Mr. Rojo: “Like the institution of the Democratic Party, the institution of Planned Parenthood, the institutions of colleges and universities, the institutions of Big Tech, Big Entertainment, and Big Sports?

Mr. Azul: “Well I guess they could be in all those institutions.”

Mr. Rojo: “But don’t you support all those institutions I just mentioned?

Mr. Azul: “Well, yes.”

Mr. Rojo: “So you support racist institutions?”

Mr. Azul: “No, you’re twisting it all around to make me look bad.”

Mr. Rojo: “But you’re the one who said that racists were in all the institutions.”

Mr. Azul: “I meant other institutions, the ones I don’t support.”

Mr. Rojo: “Oh, so racism is only in the institutions you don’t support?”

Mr. Azul: “I know cops are racists.”

Mr. Rojo: “Since when?”

Mr. Azul: “Since always?

Mr. Rojo: “Did you always believe that cops are racists?”

Mr. Azul: “No, I guess I was naïve.”

Mr. Rojo: “What does it mean for a police officer to be a racist?”

Mr. Azul: “That they treat minorities differently, in an inferior manner. That they respond to them differently and think they are bad people just because of their color.”

Mr. Rojo: “But aren’t we told that a person’s skin color matters.”

Mr. Azul: “Well yes, because we have to make reparations to them for all our mistakes of the past so that there will be racial equality.”

Mr. Rojo: “But isn’t that setting people apart, instead of bringing them all together?”

Mr. Azul: “Well when you put it that way, I guess it doesn’t make any sense. But when I hear them talk on the TV they seem to make a lot of sense. But now that we’re talking about it, and I’m really thinking about, it looks and sounds a whole lot different than when they’re explaining it on those news shows.”

Mr. Rojo: “Why do you think that is?”

Mr. Azul: “I haven’t really thought about it.”

Mr. Rojo: “Maybe you should really think about what you’re saying before you simply go off spouting what you hear others say on TV?”

Mr. Azul: “Yeah, I guess I should do that. Sounds like a good thing to do.”

Mr. Rojo: “Well, have a good day!”

Mr. Azul: “Yeah, you too. It was great talking with you!”

Moral of the story: Simply spouting slogans is senseless.

 

Marian Casillas, Ed.D.