I don’t often comment about the political climate in this country using social media. However, today I felt that being silent was no longer an option. In 48 hours, police at different ends of the country killed 2 more young black Americans. A riot broke out in Dallas; a sniper attacked 11 officers of the law, killing 6 at the time of this writing. In the United States, tensions between people and government are running higher than ever. It is a scary time to be alive. You would have to be a fool to not realize that there is a large amount of anger in this country. Some individuals who wish to spew hateful rhetoric that threaten the fabric of our society are tapping into this. I wish to offer my opinion on how we might confront this deep-seated anger that is simmering in our society.

All I ask is that every person in this country educates himself or herself about the people next to them. The world is never worse off for knowing a little bit more. If you are a white person living in America, ask people of colors, all colors that comprise the spectrum of the broad term “minority” (ironic, since black and brown people outnumber white people in the world. But I really don’t have the space on Mitch’s blog to talk about the power structures found in label construction) about their lives, their cultural identity, their norms and practices, and the fears and insecurities they have about what it is to live as a non-white person in the United States. But it shouldn’t just be white people asking People of Color about their lives. People of Color have a responsibility to help educate others about their culture and values. It also means respecting each other. Fun Fact, we are all human so there is no point trying to dominate over another group. You aren’t a conquering warlord. We don’t like those in the 21^st century. If you want to do that, build a time machine, go back in time, and live out your Attila the Hun fantasy.

The best part about education is that it builds respect. You may not like something, but that doesn’t mean you can’t respect it. Respect can change your entire decision and in turn has life-changing effects for others around you. My favorite story about that is: in the end days of the Second World War, American strategists were trying to decide on where to drop the atomic bomb and Kyoto was an initial target. It was removed since one of the men in the war room went on his honeymoon there and didn’t want to see it destroyed. He respected the city and its history. That action spared the city, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. So when you respect something, it changes it for the better.

We can all learn to respect each other more, and non-black people of color like myself can lead the charge. Men need to be raised to respect women. Rape is not ever acceptable. Brown guys need to stop using the n-word. It doesn’t make us look cool. We just sound super douchey in my opinion. I used to be guilty of this myself. But occasionally, being called out for your behavior is a helpful tool that allows you to respect others and changing that action lets others build respect for you.

I am confident in the American public, despite what tragedies befall us as a people. I really do believe that if we start educating the populace about the issues that people of color face, start respecting our neighbors, and ourselves and start working on unity and inclusion, that we will truly reach the Golden Age of humanity. Because lets be honest, when the asteroid that will wipe out humanity is gunning for earth and the space laser we built can’t stop it, we might as well let it take out the best version of humanity out there. The version that works to solve problems that can actually better us all, not just a select few. There is no fun in low ambitions people. So lets strive for the best in humanity.

Signed,

Sree Sarma