One Nation, UNITED

This blog is in response to Shelby’s Blog entitled Beer Summit: A promising day for American race relations.

After I read Shelby's blog about the meeting President Obama had with St. James Crowley and Henry Louis Gates I could not help but smile. Shelby did an extraordinary job of explaining an area that our country is lacking in. The first part of the article is well put together as it gives a brief background of the definitions of racial diversity in different countries. I was very unaware of how other countries define races by eye color and hair color. I mistakenly assumed that the rest of the world groups races together by the color of their skin and where you are from. I also did not know brothers and sisters can be classified as different races in certain cultures.

I believe that Shelby makes a point that should be heard by citizens throughout our country and the world for that matter. President Bush sat down for a beer and peanuts with members of different races at the White House just a few days ago. Shelby states "This is something that was not even imaginable just decades ago." Unfortunately, she is absolutely correct in her statement. I also would argue that this sort of event does not occur today as often as it should. Races should interact in more ways than just being in the same line at a grocery store or being placed in the same class together. We as Americans should want to learn more about the different races that are a part of this nation. Personally, I enjoy hanging out with all different races and cultures. I have close friends who are Hispanic, Asian, African America, Jewish, and White. Race is one thing I could care less about in a person. Unfortunately, this is not the same way all Americans feel.

America is all about freedom and opportunity. Both of these words should go into the mindset of Americans when it comes to meeting new people. We are lucky that our country does not discriminate against other races. However, millions of Americans are still afraid to approach a person of a different race then their own. We are one of the most diverse countries in the world and we should take advantage of this by getting to know others around us. We have the chance to work, play, and live with hundreds of different cultures and we should embrace the opportunity, not run from it.