Who You Lookin’ At?

I have always felt strongly on the topics of social equality. My parents taught me to be open-minded. I went to a very unique elementary school. It was located next to Maxwell Airforce Base, one of the largest Air Force bases in the south, and service members from all over the world would enroll their children into the school. I made friends from places like Russia, Portugal, Costa Rica, South Africa, etc. and it taught me how to interact with these children without bias. We were all transparent to physical and cultural differences because all we were to each other were classmates and friends.

As an adult, I appreciate that experience even more as I see such a large cultural divide in the most multicultural country in the world. Discrimination has been nothing new in my lifetime; everyone that I know has been discriminated against in some sort of way. Unfortunately, I have experienced class, racial, as well as, gender discrimination for most of my life.

The media's platform has really shined a light on the issues of discrimination in this country. From Barack Obama's presidency in 2008, to Black Lives Matter (too) speaking out on discrimination and police brutality. Donald Trump has recently been a representative of discrimination and pushing bigotry during this presidential election; the first election that I will be voting in. Because I am at the age where I am registered, I cannot neglect my duties of allowing these poisonous methods of fear and power into the Oval Office. 

One of the oldest sayings that so many people ignore is "never judge of book by its cover."

The most recent encounter involved me working as a ticket taker for college games. It was a very simple job, all I had to do was sit in the press box and make sure fans were in their correct seating. One evening in particular, I worked with another student who was of another race. Every fan greeted her and gave her their tickets as I sat across from her. We made small talk during the game to break the awkwardness of facing each other for 3+ hours.

 I teased her and told her, “You must be a ticket magnet!” She giggled in response and agreed that all of the fan traffic had been going in her direction. I told her that I did not know what to do seeing how taking tickets was my only task. She laughed and told me that I can just continue to sit there and look intimidating.

I doubt she meant anything by it but I was insulted. I did not understand how sitting in a chair could make me look intimidating. I greeted every fan that came into the press box; I assisted any questions that were brought to me; what was so threatening about me doing my job.  I saw her as a student like myself who was trying to make easy money over the weekend.

Transparency is so significant in the society that we live in, it always has been. We interact with people of mixed backgrounds and religions every single day. Fear and preconceptions make our differences evident. Politicians have used this fear tactic to keep society divided throughout history from Jim Crowe in the South to Mr. Trump’s push to build a wall dividing Mexico and the U.S.

Do not live in the confinement of fear or allow group-thinking to deter you from loving your neighbor. Live openly and unbiased. You will be amazed of some customs that you think are so different because they may be very similar to your lifestyle. Don’t cheat yourself from the beauty of mankind. Get to know who you're looking at!