It’s not the same nation it was in the 1950s and 60s. For some that’s good for others it’s bad.

I attended college in Texas in the early 60s at the height of the civil rights movement. Blacks did not get a very fair shake during that time.

Segregated schools, movie theatres, gas stations and water fountains were a fact of life and had been in that part of the world since the late 1800s.

White Life vs. Black Life

The 50s and 60s were a great time to be alive if you were white. Great advances were appearing on the horizon. Mother’s didn’t need to work to make ends meet.

Kids played outside without fear of being taken. Church attendance was high for both races.

Life was not so great is you were black in the south. You had your own restrooms at gas stations. You parked in the back of the drive-in. You attended black only schools.

You stepped off the sidewalk if you were meeting a white person coming your way. That’s just the way it was during that period of time.

Are Things Better Today?

In some ways yes and others no. Blacks are more equal today yet there seems to be more division between the races than ever before.

Yet, at the same time, we have black senators and representatives in congress, a black and Hispanic on the Supreme Court and a black president in the White House. That seems like we’ve come a long way — but have we?

We seem to have an affinity for labels. White, Black, Gay, Liberal, Conservative, Muslim, Jew.

Before we can decide if we agree or disagree with you we have to pigeonhole you based on our own individual prejudices.

Some Final Thoughts

Rodney King once said, “Can’t we all just get along?” Apparently we can’t. Or perhaps a more accurate interpretation would be, “We don’t want to.”

We seem to be just as happy liking one group while rejecting the other. And based on that you are once again labeled.

Racist, bigot, homophobe, Islamaphobe, libtard, teabagger, etc.

I don’t believe prejudice is permanent. It’s just permanent for some people. All each of us can do is try to get along. Sometimes that’s not always easy if the other side won’t let you.

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