The quote that began this chapter struck me as important to keep mind while reading through the selection:
"America is not so much post-racial as getting-over-the-subject-but-not- quite-there-racial" (p. 88).
This quote opens an interesting discussion into where exactly our nation's status is on the issue of racism and inequality. Many think that we have moved on from old ways of thinking about racial distinctions. While we have made many imperative strides in creating equal opportunities for all ethnicities, lifestyle choices, and genders, there are still many steps to take in fully understanding where our inner prejudices develop and manifest.
Later on in the chapter, it is suggested that perhaps the solution to the racist issue is to find some way of forgetting or not acknowledging someone's color altogether. I find this to be a really ignorant assumption. By trying to ignore the fact that someone is a different color than you are, you are only making the fact more obvious in your own mind. It's a well known fact that if you tell someone not to look at something, they are just going to want to look at it even more. In fact, by choosing to ignore the racial differences people have, we are actually ignoring what makes our nation so unique. The United States has been called a 'melting pot' or a 'tossed salad' of different ethnicities and cultures. By turning our backs on this important quality, we are choosing to ignore the very backbone our nation is founded on: to be a land of equal opportunity for all peoples.
Image from:
http://www.jaha.org/edu/discovery_center/push-pull/img/Ellis01.jpg
I agree with your last paragraph, ignoring differences is not an answer, I believe we need to accept and embrace, or at the very least, tolerate, all our differences.
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