In search of colorblindness

This is in response to the Rev. Rick Matters’ letter published June 4 (“Work for America’s ideal”), lamenting continued racism in this country. He claimed that racism today is “institutionalized and legalized,” but gave no explanation of this.

I can imagine that many Americans thought we had made great strides in ending racism after the election of the first black president. Certainly, conditions are much better now than they were in the 1960s and before.

This is not to say that racism has been wiped out, or ever will be. It is part of the human condition, and not exclusive to any race or culture. Even in the worst of times in the United States, when slavery was legal, only a small percentage of whites were slave owners. We don’t often hear that there were also white slaves (“indentured servants”) in our history as well as black slave owners.

The best way to fight racism is to live together and focus on our similarities instead of our differences. Pointing out our differences only divides us. Part of the problem Rev. Matters points out is whites ignoring injustices inflicted on people of color. Victims of injustice are not exclusively black and perpetrators are not exclusively white. If someone is being bullied, for example, do we focus on the skin color or the injustice? Hopefully, it’s the latter. If we are to become a “colorblind society” that Dr. Martin Luther King promoted, how could we do otherwise?

Craig Detmer

Spokane