Racism is an ugly stain on our history, from which we must learn and not make the same mistake again. Americans have been vile to just about any race or group of people that we don’t like. For example: Christians, Catholics, Mormons, Muslims and Jews. Also we’ve been merciless to American Indians, African Americans, Portuguese, Cubans, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese. Terrible crimes have been committed against these groups of people. Lives were taken, property stolen, and their civil rights ignored. These groups of people were segregated and killed if they had the nerve to stand up for their rights.
I am a Mormon. My ancestors were beaten, killed, and exterminated from the land by their own government. Mormon property was stolen or burned down and they were forced to flee without adequate supplies to face the freezing cold winter. Many of them died on the trails. After many pleas made to the government for restitution, the Mormons were never paid for the property stolen from them and they never saw justice. So yes, I understand prejudice treatment.
My friend Brenda and I were talking about this topic some time ago. I was complaining about the ridiculous claim by some CHRISTIANS that Mormons are a cult and that they are not Christians.
I said, “I can’t believe the gall some people have to redefine Christianity — especially since the definition is very clear in the scriptures that a ‘Christian’ is a believer and follower of Christ. Who do these pompous people think they are when telling me that I am not a Christian because I don’t fit into their definition of Christian? I wonder how Christ feels about that attitude?”
She, being an African American, replied with a obvious response. She said, “Yes, but you don’t wear you’re Mormon on your skin. People don’t know you are Mormon until you tell them but people know I am black the minute they see me.” Her comment took the breathe from me. She was right, and the same is true with Indians, orientals, Mexicans, and Arabs.
The reason for why we are being mistreated and our civil rights violated doesn’t matter, the point is that we are either part of the problem because we say or do nothing to condemn it when we see it. We are all the same color on the inside and we all want the same things out of life. We are all human and all God’s creations. No one is better than another in His eyes so how can we think we have a right to judge someone by race, creed, or beliefs? Who do we think we are anyway?
Please watch this 57 minute video about Martin Luther King and apply it to situations that you see going on around you! This terrible evil is one we cannot afford to be unleashed again in America. We need to love and respect each other, which means blacks respect whites and whites respect blacks (and so forth). Today, we often see reverse discrimination and that is just as wrong. My prayer is that we learn from such times and grow to be a better society.
