Roots

I came across this article about urban farming. I ran across it via fubar, which is usually full of interesting headlines and articles. This was no exception- but it was the first one I've found through this site (the scrolling headlines at the top of the primarily social-networking-based website) that rubbed my equality-loving self completely the wrong way. I am quite impressed by the overall idea of urban farming- it seems like it's much overdue, and I'd love to see more of this. However, the racial undertones of this article just stomped my principals. Why is everything about race?! These people have a great thing here, why do they feel the need to limit it to their race? I can understand that things haven't been even or fair in the eyes of history, but, seriously? Aren't we a little past the point that race has to be the center of every project? No one is banned to any part of the bus, no one is rejected from jobs, resteraunts or otherwise (in theory- there are some seriously "deep south" places that still practice this) due to race. Why does an agricultural project need racial undertones to be respected? Not all poor folks are black, not all rich folks are white, and it's about time everyone- minorities not excluded- stopped perpetuating the idea that anyone deserves pity based on the color of their skin. It's innappropriate, unneccesary and, oh yeah, illegal. 1959- segregation. 2009- inaugeration. It's time to show our children that race, gender and creed really don't have to hold you back unless you choose to let them do such.

It pisses me off more than I can explain when people look at me like I lost my mind if I talk about discrimination. I'm a white female. What would I know about discrimination? Screw gender, no one's ever been able to tell me a thing about what girls could or couldn't do. It was being beaten by three girls at the age of 12 for my race- and two of those girls I'd known since Kindergarten, if not earlier. They were hispanic- Mexican, specifically, as I grew up on a border town. I hear the phrase 'reverse racism' and it astounds me. What's reversed? It looks like racism to me. There's nothing different- racism works the same way no matter who it's pointed at. I grew up a minority, and I still am more comfortable being the only "white girl" in a crowd than in a crowd of people with the same color skin as me. I've dated fewer white men than any other race, which isn't that much of a shock to me, but has won me quite a bit of attention. I have friends of all races, have dated men of all races, and it really isn't that big a deal to me. Prejudice, and the abolishment of such, has always been of interest to me, because of my experiences as a child. It is intense to me, though, that if I get on a bus, and sit next to my black (male) friend, a fellow passenger finds it both neccesary and appropriate to point-blank state that she has no problem with interracial relationships. It's no secret that there's still some animosity towards these situations, but why is it still a big enough issue that people feel the need to go out of their way to show their support for it? I appreciate the support, but it saddens me greatly that there's still enough of an issue with something so personal and individual, and so basic, that people feel the need to put themselves on display as 'for' or 'against'. It's 2009, people! How is race still an issue at all?!