Are the majority of the prejudices experienced in America a black/white issue or a young/old issue?

Bert’s Response

I do not think the majority of prejudices experienced in America are black vs. white or even young vs. old.  I think the majority of prejudices in America are more socio-economic based.  There has and continues to be a constant war of the haves versus the have-nots. 

The reason I say this is because most policies that are put into place have more to do with money than it does race or age.  Please note that I do understand that in making policies that primarily affect money, the groups that are largely affected will be people of color and people of older ages.  I also understand that if you are not a person of color or someone of an older age, but fall into that lower-class to lower-middle class socio- economic status, you too are affected whether you want to accept it or not.  In most cases it is proven that the rich always want to get richer at all costs; even it means sacrificing one of their own.  If you are a rich white person whose life is all about money and nothing else, you won't care that you discriminate against a lower class white person to get richer.  Likewise, if you are a rich black/African-American person who also has allowed money to become your idol, you have no problem taking advantage of another black/African-American person to get richer.  This is evident when you look at the drug situation in the inner city.  Although you have somebody at the top getting mega rich, the middle man out on the street corner is getting his share by exploiting his own kind.  On the flip side, you have a white businessman who sees a piece of property he wants to build on to get richer.  In order for him to get that property, he must invoke a policy like eminent domain to forcibly buy that person's property to build his money making empire.  He doesn't care that the person who loses his/her property is white; he just wants to make more money.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of black vs. white issues that are underlying to the socio-economic prejudices.  We must aggressively address those issues as such.  Using my eminent domain example above, if the person wanting the property offers a white person more money for their property than he offers a black person simply because of race, then that is racism underlined to the socio-economic reason that the person is losing his/her property.  Even the slave trade was more about money than it was color.  As well, the Emancipation Proclamation that ended slavery was not solely about slavery being wrong.  It was because the south would not conform to all that the north wanted, so the north took away the south's ability to make more money.  Slavery was ended to financially ruin the south.  It all boils down to "the love of money is the root of all evil."

Anthony’s Response 

The majority of the prejudices in America today are black and white issues. I think racism is at an all time high, especially when you look at the actions of the TEA party who thinks that this country is being run into the ground by President Obama.  Where was the TEA party when BUSH lied to this country and sent sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and their mothers and fathers to the front line to fight for a lie? He called them weapons of mass destruction.  Did we find any?

The TEA party has become one of the largest groups to protest President Obama and the Democratic Party’s ideas that have been brought to the table.  Are their views fueling the prejudices of today?  The Tea Party does have the right to assemble and protest, but at what point is it enough?  We all can agree that everyone in the world is not going to be happy about everything.  However, when your views bring out the crazy extremist I believe you should take a step back and look at your platform and make the necessary changes that will cause different reactions.

Prejudices do however go beyond black and white.  It can be conflict between young and old, party versus party, state versus state and probably one of the worst prejudices, black versus black.  In MY perspective, it is mainly a color thing.  I work in a building that used to have only 10 % of minority employees of any color.  In this building it was a white man’s world.  The company slowly allowed a few people of colors to become mangers.  Only when the chosen few did well, that others begin to get a chance as well.

America is a country that was built on the backs of slaves and immigrants.  We are one of the strongest countries in the world but yet we struggle to get along with each other.  We have proven to be prejudice of different races, ages and cultures.  If America does not open its eyes and the government doesn’t start working together for the sake of the ones that voted them in office, this country will continue to fall deeper and deeper into a spiral to the point that we won’t be able to recover.

Rhonda’s Response 

“…O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave…” (The Star Spangled Banner, by Attorney Francis Scott Key)

The Star Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States of America, ends each stanza with “O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” The Star Spangled Banner is sung at the beginning of many important events held in the United States (i.e. Sporting Events). However, as all who place their right hand over their heart and proudly sing the words to this song, the true meaning of why it was written may not always be understood.

The Star Spangled Banner was written in 1814 during the Battle of Fort McHenry. This anthem, originally a poem, was the accounts of the battle witnessed by Attorney Francis Scott Key. Although the soldiers fighting during this time were brave, slavery was still prevalent, prejudices were running rampant within America, and the country was being controlled by a small group of people who supported all of these injustices.

The Emancipation Proclamation was not signed until 1862 and slaves were freed in 1863. In 1931, the song was made the national anthem and during this time there were still forms of slavery going on in America. Jim Crow laws were very prevalent for the freed slaves. Black Americans were being slaughtered, hung, and not given the same opportunities as whites. No matter their social status, education, age, or profession; blacks were blacks and were disrespected constantly by whites.

However, we, Americans sing The Star Spangled Banner and close our eyes and proudly sing the last stanza with great enthusiasm “O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” This answers the question, are the majority of the prejudices experienced in America a Black/White issue or a young/old issue? I believe the prejudices experienced in America are a black/white issue. The most animosities reported regarding prejudices in various industries are those between blacks and whites. The foundation of our country started with a black/white issue (slavery) and will continue as we proudly continue to sing songs and recognize writings that were done during times when all Americans were not free and were treated as property.

We have to start anew and place old habits behind us and relish in the new accomplishments we have made as a country. Although we have come a long ways from the 1814’s, we still have a long ways to go which should result in new hymns to sing and new writings to be proud. No longer “O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave,” but the country who continues to thrive past incredulous prejudices and gets to the heart of all matters to make our country a free, safe, and proud place that all citizens (black, white, Latin American, Mexican, African, etc…) can call home.