Racing from Rights

Ohioan Dreamscape

I was discussing with a close friend about when we're confronted with racism. She is all about speaking up for the right thing. What we believe is the right thing. When I see stereo typical hicks yelling at some foreign kid down the hallway, "GET OUT OF OUR COUNTRY!", and, "You damn nigger, why don't you leave", just because he/she has a different color of skin, I can't help but think those stereo typical hicks should be punished for what they've done. They made someone feel unwanted, when in all actuality they have the same right as any other kid to be in this school, but just because that kid has different skin color they "dislike them."(Well at least act as if they do). I told her that it’s not worth getting in any trouble over a few ignorant people. I don't want to be pestered or bullied for standing up for someone I don't even know. She disagreed and said she would have bitched at them for it, and that she would care if they started being violent. I said that telling them that they're wrong in calling someone a nigger or even referring to someone as a nigger isn't going to change that person, as if they would just look at you with sorry eyes and say, "I understand, I was wrong in doing that, I'll go apologize."

Sadly, media and the way people have been taught from family and friends has lead these people to believe--in many cases--that blacks or Hispanic people are not as important or not as worthy to live as whites. For some of these people, they've grown up racist because their father was. They don't look at it like us non-negatively racist people do. We compare from our morals, values, and standards which aren't the racist's people's beliefs. I believe that it's wrong in telling a black to get out of our country for many reasons, ex. It wasn't ours in the first place, but how is that any different than someone that lived in the civil war days, whose father owned slaves, and never even questioned it as being wrong--it was a way of life for them; it was life for them--.
Half of me believes these racist people should be shot or forced to believe otherwise, but the other thinks its life to them, that's what they know from being taught by someone.
My English teacher had brought up, how in politics, some politicians accept religion or faith as a good enough reasoning for someone or thing to be tolerated or not. For example, should the constitution include under god in it or not, or Arab women having to wear veils and not vote nor have the right to make important life long decisions (ex. children ect.)

How can someone know they are doing wrong if no one tells them?