Racism in the United States Part 2

An additional review of how prejudicial attitudes were changed regarding Syrian refugees were tracked both before and after the Paris attacks. Prior to the Paris attacks, 60% of Americans searches were asking how they could help volunteer and/or aid Syrian refugees, while 40% were negative and mostly expressed skepticism about security. After the Paris attack, the 40% rose to 80% of people that opposed the refugee issue. These researchers concluded that anti-Muslim prejudice is not only significantly on the rise per Google research but also correlates with the expression of anti-Muslim hate crimes. These researchers also looked at the number of Google searches during and after the recent speech by Pres. Obama in the Oval Office about his plea for tolerance, combatting the irrationality of hate, and the negative idea of imposing religious tests for Muslim immigration into our country. Not surprising, Pres. Obama’s self-meaning words, not only fell on deaf ears but actually seemed to have a noticeable increase of intolerance per Google searches. It wasn’t until our president talked about Muslim athletes and Muslim soldiers that Americans began hearing him. In fact, learning that Shaquille O’Neill was a Muslim elicited, in surprise, many favorable tweets. Sports has helped reduce racism in our country. We can now openly admire the black superstar in baseball. Jackie Robinson and the LA Dodgers can be proud of their groundbreaking statue erection achievement scheduled for 2016. Even the NFL, this past year, drafted an openly gay football player. An openly gay player in the NBA, made the news, positively last year. However, recently the NBA quickly suspended, for a game, a Sacramento Kings basketball player for making an inappropriate remark to a gay referee about his sexual identity. Mohammed Ali was an American icon and highly respected as was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. These two superstars are both Muslims and proud of it. Mr. Jabbar is also a best-selling author, cultural critic and extremely outspoken about the anti-Muslim rhetoric going on in our country today. He certainly is not an example of violence, hate and destruction. He is using his voice, his writing and his behavior, intelligently. In 1969, Coach Bo Schembechler brought together his group of players and formed a very formidable team. He preached about the team, the team and the team. He would say things to them like were not red, they were not white, they were not blue but “we are Michigan. “It didn’t matter if they were black or white, he treated all the same-like dogs. Coach Schembechler knew, according to, Reggie McKenzie, that the team wins and the team loses because it’s never about one person. No one individual can win the game. The team always comes first. In 1974, The Longest Yard, starring Burt Reynolds demonstrated that the black and white inmates came together, and formed one team. Their purpose was simply to physically hurt and embarrass the other, or the despised group-the prison guards. And they did. Professional, and college sports have figured it out and do a good job, not perfect, at overcoming or challenging man’s nature of being judgmental towards others. These coaches certainly utilize motivational principles of” us versus them,” within the rules of the game. There are exceptions as these athletes seek to destroy and dominate their opponents on the field of play. We humans accept this fact and yell and scream when our team does well and we have no difficulty yelling at our opponents. We even politely clap when the opposing star player is carried off the field and say to ourselves something like “that’s good, we now have a better chance to win”. Prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination exists in all thinking, feeling, living beings. It’s the acknowledgement that’s the challenge. When it can be admitted into consciousness, then a possibility for change exists. Happy Holidays.