Racism: The Self-Sustaining Beast

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines racism as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.”

What defines someone as a racist? The lines are not as distinctly drawn. You do not have to cause a negative impact to be considered racist. It is possible to be racist if you are helping someone based on race.
When examining media, if racism is found, is it really racism? Everyone sees everything differently. If you are looking at an article in search of racism, you will probably find it do to your skewed perspective which is based on your objective. In this cycle the prosecutors become the guilty.

As long as people actively seek out racism, it will always exist. What do we do to become neutral? Treat everyone with respect and equality. If we stop trying to apply hidden agendas to everything there would be a lot fewer.

America's Trademarks

The other day after a concert I found myself chatting with the bassist for the Swedish band The Hives. He said if you are going to write a rock ‘n’ roll song, you should write it in English. His point made sense to me. Rock ‘n’ roll came from America therefore it should probably stay in its native tongue.

My point is if a popular genre of music is tied so closely to America then what else could be a symbol of our nation? Fast food, Hollywood, and the American dream are all part of our culture and represent us to the rest of the world. While some of these trademarks hold great merit, some may only taint America’s reputation. Perhaps we should pay closer attention to what we purchase, support and do because who knows, the neighbors might be watching.

The Escalation of Decency

In the 50’s Lucy and Ricky of I Love Lucy slept in separate beds. It was simply inappropriate to imagine them in the same bed. In the 70’s two women shared a living space with a man in Three’s Company. While it pushed the line of decency people still accepted it. Today, shows like Project Runway use transsexuals as plot twists to attract viewers.

In a relatively short time period we as a culture have gone from the word "lousy" being taboo in film to hearing the word "damn" in most every primetime sitcom on TV. If America has gone this far, how much further will it go? Will the generation Y’s that are enjoying movies like Superbad today cringe when they see the movies their kids are watching in twenty years?

While redefining the definition of decency over and over can be considered progressive, it can also be perceived as detrimental to American culture. I believe one of the most important parts of maturing is not letting it happen too fast. Kids learning every curse word in the book, the lifestyles of transgenders, and the latest sex positions before the age of ten does not seem like a natural progression of exposure to all the world has to offer.

Slowing down in any subject is not a popular idea these days. However, in this field, maybe America should pace itself. What do you think?

Sarah Palin's Skeletons: Relevant or Not

As most people know by now, Sarah Palin of Alaska was recently named McCain’s running mate. As most people also know, Palin has a few skeletons in her closet. One of these skeletons being that Palin’s daughter (Bristol, 17) is five months pregnant.

The point of controversy is whether or not this family issue is relevant to the politics. In my opinion…no. You can be the best mom, politician and even vice president in the world but that will not stop your kids from making dumb decisions.

Look at Palin for the real issues. Do not judge her on the issues that we as human beings struggle with as well.

What do you think?