While researching the HR 40 act
that congress, thoughtfully, ignores every time it hits the floor, I kept
thinking about the so-called “reparations” that the Native Americans were
given, and the outcome of that. While Native Americans do have some benefits
such as paid tuition in college and hunting rights throughout the year, the
treatment of Native Americans is still slightly negative, in the fact that many
of them are still subject to racial prejudices and are still stuck on these
reservations.
Since the HR 40 act on the
reparations for African Americans includes further education on the serious
struggles that African Americans have faces throughout history, would this, in
a way, “correct” the problem that still exists with the racial prejudices that
Native Americans face consistently, and would it make racism and hate crimes
decrease towards African Americans?
Because white parents, and of
course children, are so uninformed about the sincere struggles of being a
minority, the reparations bill may not be taken very well because they are
taught that “it’s all alright. There’s not slavery anymore, so we’re good!”
This thought that being a semi-decent human being by “freeing” slaves was
enough of reparation is all too common, to the point of trying to justify
everything that happened after that (such as the murders of Eric Garner,
Trayvon Martin, and Tamir Rice).
Basically, I just wonder how it
could even happen when racism is just too common of a thought and practice. We
still treat Native Americans as inferior by using ignorant and incorrect
stereotypes, and we still “thugify” people of color and ignore the crimes that
keep occurring against African Americans. Should we make a step before the
entire HR 40 act and just make an Act that makes it absolutely necessary to
inform and educate children on the harsh truth of American history? I feel that
creating specific courses on African American history and Native American
history that are necessary for the curriculum could possibly help the future
generation, but then again many Americans couldn’t possibly stand to do so
because America admitting it’s faults is just too difficult.
Reparations while a good start definitely would not be enough to end racism. I used to think that we could just "generation it out"--raise our kids to be better and hope that the world would slowly turn kinder. I'm not sure if I believe that anymore. Or rather, I believe we should definitely raise our kids better and hope, but I don't think our generation is going to be the one that breaks the mold. I just heard in one of my other classes a girl say that Hillary Clinton shouldn't be president because she's a woman. Then she went on to say that she wouldn't trust herself to be in charge of the country while she's on her period and that's why women shouldn't be president. Too many people my age still lower their voice and go "You know *whispered* black people" and it's ridiculous. Clearly we are not the enlightened generation that will pave the way.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't know what can or should be done.