Lets Make Changes

Let's Make Changes

Have you ever judged, or were prejudice towards someone because their different? Was it because of their race, gender, or even lifestyle? In America judging isn't a crime but is it right? When you judge someone you're not giving that person a chance. In the first Amendment to the United States Constitution states that we have the freedom of speech, press, religion, and petition. The government also has the right to limit free speech in cases of overly racist or sexist language because our failure to address such abuses would effectively suggest that our society condones such ignorant and hateful views.

I read an article about an African American fire fighter named Marcus Lloyd. The article was called "Seeing People as Individuals." He worked in unit six along with other white fireman. Marcus was the only black man in the unit and stayed to himself most the time. The other firemen were very prejudice and made racial jokes about blacks. One fireman named Hermon always picked on Marcus. For example, Marcus was eating with a spoon and Hermon said "This is one of our spoons. You keep your filthy hands off of it". Another example is when Marcus was relaxing in a chair when Hermon came over and said "If you don't get your foot off that chair, I'm going to punch you in your black nose." For months Marcus kept persisted until one

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day he was caught inside a fire and that he was going to die. Guess who came to save him? Hermon saved his life that day and after that, they became the best of friends for a lifetime.

You know that old saying "Don't judge a book by its cover, or you won't get the whole story?" well that's what Hermon did to Marcus until he could got to really know him. I read another article called "A Violent Racist Game Claims More Victims." It was about African American teens playing a game called "Knock Out." The teens would get together and look for a random white person. Once they have found their victims they attack by kicking, stomping, and punches until the victim was unconscious.

Let's not point the finger though. It's not always a white and black issue. Many other racial problems occur between other races. Why? No one knows. If everyone could just get along it would be amazing but life doesn't work out that way. We all have choices in life, rather were picking which University to attend or what kind of car to buy. We have a choice. How long will we remain judgmental? How long will we remain unaccepting? How long will be prejudice? When will we change? The choice is yours?

In the book called "Why the Caged Birds Sings," by Maya Angelou describes her coming of age as a precocious but insecure black girl in the American south during the 1930s and subsequently in