In his May 25 column, “Prejudices exist, but we just need a solid dialogue,” Micah Rice talked about the need for a “solid dialogue on race” in this country. He gave good American examples of recent remarks made by Mark Cuban and Donald Sterling. But this dialogue is difficult for all of us. So some white Americans continue to insist, in the face of mountains of facts to the contrary, that there is no race problem and come down hard on any celebrity who blurts out anything that could serve as evidence of racism. Meanwhile, other white Americans call this obvious nonsense “political correctness.”
Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, said that the first step is for white Americans to “acknowledge (our) ingrained and at times unconscious attitudes of superiority.” We were born into an environment permeated with these attitudes, so it’s not our fault that we soaked them up as little children. But it becomes our responsibility to look at them, acknowledge them and put them away. Once we’ve begun this process, we’ll be able to face that solid dialogue. We will also be able to be respectful enough of others to actually listen to what they have to say.
Joyce H. Batten
Camas
