Open Racism Essay Example

Open Racism Essay Example Open Racism Paper Open Racism Paper When I think about is racism still alive today, a particular poem comes into mind its entitled:â€Å"Racism Is Around Me Everywhere†. I do recall There is no such a thing as a fair go for all. Though we live in a so called democracy Of racism we never will be free They judge you by where you come from and the color of your skin For many equality and respect seems impossible to win. Its been awhile since the days of Martin Luther King His name to it has a familiar ring If against racism he did not choose to strive Today the great man he would be alive. So many holding the reins of power not spiritually aware And racism is around me everywhere And racism only leads to division and war Just goes to show how ignorant some are. † (Frances Duggar) | | Racism is a belief held by some that there are characteristics and abilities can be attributed to people simply on the basis of their race and that some racial groups are superior to others. Racism and discrimination have been used as powerful weapons encouraging fear or hatred of others in times of conflict and war, and even during economic downturns. For people throughout the world, the election of Barak Obama to the U. S. presidency seemed to signal in a new era, that of the end of racism. Indeed, Obamas election was a momentous occasion and, one would have hoped, a milestone on the road to reconciliation. However, some recent, very ominous events cast a worrisome veil over the democratic process in the United States. These events points out how racism is still a problem in the United States. Racism occurs often times out of fear. Many people fear what is different to them and what they do not know. This in turn, makes it scary when you see people who look different than you do and sometimes, you treat those individuals differently because you do not know them. Racism occurs in different facets of society. Schools, the government and the workplace are sometimes the worst examples of racism. Racism in schools Millions of African American and Latino young people in the United States don’t get an education equal to that of most whites, partly because the urban schools they go to don’t have as much money as the schools in the white suburbs. This is because the country has decided that much of the money for schools should come from local property taxes. So in communities where the houses and businesses are less expensive, the schools don’t get enough money to provide a high quality education. This is unfair. This is institutional racism. If we financed schools differently every student, regardless of his or her race, could go to a high quality school that was the equal of the schools other students attend. The Government Hurricane Katrina: The government had known for years that a big hurricane was likely to cause dangerous flooding in New Orleans. The plans they made didn’t include any way to get poor people (predominately African Americans) out of the city to safety. When the storm and the flooding did come with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, much of the country saw on TV that thousands of people of color were stranded in the city without food, water, housing or safety. The government was incredibly slow to rescue people, to provide food and shelter, and to help them rebuild their houses. Many people believe that if those stranded had been mostly white people the rescue efforts would have been much quicker and effective. Racism in the Workplace Racism in the form of discrimination persists in society also. A case in point is that blacks have traditionally suffered from higher rates of unemployment than whites. In June 2009, black employment was at 15. 3 % compared to an 8. 8% unemployment rate for whites. Do blacks simply not take the initiative that whites do to find work? Studies indicate that, in actuality, discrimination likely contributes to the black-white unemployment gap. (Thompson) Critics will say how can racism still exists with the election of the United States first black president. Since President Obama took office he has been a rise of subtle racism against our president. It can be seen in the supporters of the new birthers movement, who stir up doubts about Obamas citizenship. During the 2008 presidential campaign, there was no impetus to question John McCain’s birthplace even though it was common knowledge that McCain was born in Panama; because he is white. The president’s birthplace should not have been an issue at all but yet to this day you still have a lot of Americans who still question his birthplace. Critics also say with electing our first minority president, and minorities reaching higher levels of education, obtaining more earnings and more distinguished careers, one might infer that prejudice is dead. I contend that it is alive and flourishing while lurking beneath the shadows of figures that naturally inflate with the growth of a burgeoning society. If racism does not exist then what accounts for â€Å" the wide range of disparities that still exist in society, most of which show black Americans with worse outcomes than whites in areas such as income, home ownership, health and employment, study researcher Samuel Sommers, a psychologist at Tufts University, said in a statement. When most Americans think of racism they think of the open racism back in the Civil Rights movement and during slavery times when crosses were burned in African-American yards. They think of the KKK when they think of racism which was upfront and in your face. The fact that the KKK and groups such as these that still exist prove the point that racism still occurs in the United States. While racism may not be as widespread as before, it exists, without a doubt. While we like to think that those unfortunate days of racism are behind us, it still exists. Today, racism is much less obvious and less prevalent. However, we are still reminded that racism is alive and well, and we must continue working to do away with it. Every day in the news there are stories dealing with the unfair treatment of minorities, women, and gays. America is the best country in the world because of the opportunity given to every individual and because of its constant struggle for equality of all. Any person, of any race, creed, or religion can succeed with hard work and determination. The problem is that the level of those individual’s success is sometimes determined, by the color of their skin. The race for social equality is persistent here, but there are still problems with the system. So, unfortunately racism does still exist today in the United States. References William-White, L. , White, J. (2011). Color Marks the Site/Sight of Social Difference: Dysconscious Racism in the Age of Obama. Qualitative Inquiry, 17(9), 837. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID: 2495960131). William March. (16 May). Researcher: Evidence shows racism in opposition to Obama. McClatchy Tribune Business News,. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 2348227321). Thompson Matthew (2011). Does Racism still exist today? Answers from Men. Retrived December 12, 2011 answersfrommen. com/2011/01/does-racism-still-exist-today/ Mosser, K. (2011). An introduction to logic. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (https://content. ashford. edu) Pappas Stephanie. (2001) Study: Whites say they are racists’ victims. Retrieved December 12, 2011. cbsnews. com/stories/2011/05/24/scitech/main20065864. shtml http://poemhunter. com/poem/racism-is-around-me-everywhere/ politicususa. com/en/political-racism

History of the Plymouth Colony

History of the Plymouth Colony Established in December 1620 in what is now the U.S. State of Massachusetts, the Plymouth Colony was the first permanent settlement of Europeans in New England and the second in North America, coming just 13 years after the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. While perhaps best known as the source of the tradition of Thanksgiving, the Plymouth Colony introduced the concept of self-government into America and serves as the source of important clues to what being an â€Å"American† really means. The Pilgrims Flee Religious Persecution In 1609, during the reign of King James I, members of the English Separatist Church - the Puritans - emigrated from the England to the town of Leiden in the Netherlands in a futile attempt to escape religious persecution. While they were accepted by the Dutch people and authorities, the Puritans continued to be persecuted by the British Crown. In 1618, English authorities came to Leiden to arrest congregation elder William Brewster for distributing flyers critical of King James and the Anglican Church. While Brewster escaped arrest, the Puritans decided to place the Atlantic Ocean between them and England. In 1619, the Puritans obtained a land patent to establish a settlement in North America near the mouth of the Hudson River. Using money loaned to them by the Dutch Merchant Adventurers, the Puritans - soon to be Pilgrims - obtained provisions and passage on two ships: the Mayflower and the Speedwell. The Voyage of the Mayflower to Plymouth Rock After the Speedwell was found to be unseaworthy, 102 Pilgrims, led by William Bradford, crowded aboard the 106-foot-long Mayflower and set sail for America on September 6, 1620. After two difficult months at sea, land was sighted on November 9 off the coast of Cape Cod. Prevented from reaching its initial Hudson River destination by storms, strong currents, and shallow seas, the Mayflower finally anchored off Cape Cod on November 21. After sending exploratory party ashore, the Mayflower docked near Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts on December 18, 1620. Having sailed from the port of Plymouth in England, the Pilgrims decided to name their settlement Plymouth Colony. The Pilgrims Form a Government While still aboard the Mayflower, all of the adult male Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact. Similar to the U.S. Constitution ratified 169 years later, the Mayflower Compact described the form and function of Plymouth Colony’s government. Under the Compact, the Puritan Separatists, although a minority in the group, were to have total control over the colony’s government during its first 40 years of existence. As leader of the Puritans congregation, William Bradford was chosen to serve as Plymouth’s governor for 30 years after its founding. As governor, Bradford also kept a fascinating, detailed journal known as â€Å"Of Plymouth Plantation† chronicling the voyage of the Mayflower and the daily struggles of the settlers of the Plymouth Colony. A Grim First Year in the Plymouth Colony Over the next two storms forced many of the Pilgrims to stay aboard the Mayflower, ferrying back and forth to shore while building shelters to house their new settlement. In March 1621, they abandoned the safety of the ship and moved ashore permanently. During their first winter, more than half of the settlers died of a disease that afflicted the colony. In his journal, William Bradford referred to the first winter as the â€Å"Starving Time.† â€Å" †¦ being the depth of the winter, and wanting houses and other comforts; being infected with the scurvy and other diseases which this long voyage and their inaccommodate condition had brought upon them. So there died some times two or three of a day in the foresaid time, that of 100 and odd persons, scarce fifty remained.† In stark contrast to the tragic relationships that were to come during America’s western expansion, the Plymouth colonists benefited from a friendly alliance with local Native Americans. Shortly after coming ashore, the Pilgrims encountered a Native American man named Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe, who would come to live as a trusted member of the colony. Early explorer John Smith had kidnapped Squanto and taken him back to England where he was forced into slavery. He learned English before escaping and sailing back to his native land. Along with teaching the colonists how to grow the vitally-needed native food crop of maize, or corn, Squanto acted as an interpreter and peacekeeper between Plymouth’s leaders and local Native American leaders, including Chief Massasoit of the neighboring Pokanoket tribe. With the help of Squanto, William Bradford negotiated a peace treaty with Chief Massasoit which helped ensure the Plymouth Colony’s survival. Under the treaty, the colonists agreed to help protect the Pokanoket from invasion by warring tribes in return for the Pokanoket’s help â€Å"to grow food and catch enough fish to feed the colony. And help the Pilgrims grow and catch the Pokanoket did, to the point that in the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims and the Pokanoket famously shared the first harvest feast now observed as the Thanksgiving holiday. The Legacy of the Pilgrims After playing a major role in King Philip’s War of 1675, one of several Indian Wars fought by Britain in North America, the Plymouth Colony and its residents prospered. In 1691, just 71 years after the Pilgrims first set foot on Plymouth Rock, the colony was merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony and other territories to form the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Unlike the settlers of Jamestown who had come to North America seeking financial profit, most of the Plymouth colonists had come seeking the freedom of religion denied to them by England. Indeed, the first cherished right ensured to Americans by the Bill of Rights is the â€Å"free exercise† of every individual’s chosen religion. Since its founding in 1897, the General Society of Mayflower Descendants has confirmed more than 82,000 descendants of the Plymouth Pilgrims, including nine U.S. presidents and dozens of notable statespersons and celebrities. Besides Thanksgiving, the legacy of the relatively short-lived Plymouth Colony lies in the Pilgrims’ spirit of independence, self-government, volunteerism, and resistance to authority that have stood as the foundation of American culture throughout history.