All day, all over the news, all over social media, at the water cooler in the office, there has been talk of the video of the SAE fraternity chapter at OU that went viral. The video showed fraternity brothers, along with their dates, aboard a bus chanting a song full of racial smut. Obviously there are several things about this video that sadden me. For one, I am the mother to a biracial child and the fact that one day she will have to face such idiocy is sickening. Two, the fact that people actually still teach their children bigotry is beyond my comprehension. Racism is taught people, and it is disgusting. On top of this, is the fact that this happened in the town I call home.
I believe the reprehensible actions of these students at Oklahoma University are not a reflection of the school or of the State that I am a product of, but a reflection of the subculture and messages behind the closed doors of the homes these kids grew up in. Maybe I am wrong; maybe their parents are just as appalled and ashamed as the majority of the nation is. Maybe this is a result of these boys having the need to fit in so badly that they are willing to sell their morals and values to be part of a fraternity that apparently was established on deep seeded hate for color.
Will racism ever go away? The answer to this question is no, not as long as we continue to add fuel to the fire. We will never be able to get past the color of our skin as long as we continually keep ignorance, illustrated by this video, in the forefront of our days and our minds. Are these boys wrong for this? Absolutely. There is no excuse for this kind of behavior. Is the media wrong for shoving it down our throats every chance they get? Absolutely. The only thing they are doing is angering people, widening the gap between race, and bringing fame, albeit detrimental fame, to these frat boys. Am I wrong for adding to the media pool of articles on this subject? I probably am – but I have a reason for writing this and since I’m an opinionated mommy of 6, I’m going to continue.
I shutter at the thought of my children having to live in a world full of ridiculous hate. I feel sorry for my daughter that one day she may have to face this reality. I struggle every day to teach my children how to love fully and without reservation or restrictions. I want my children to grow up and see people for their heart, not for their color, religion or sexual orientation. I do not want my children to have to live in a divided world. The only way we can truly combat hate is with love. I mean love for everyone, including those that have filled their hearts and heads with hate. Love for those that walk in darkness. I believe that the only way we are ever going to grow as humans, and as a nation, is to shine bright with love. Love that doesn’t judge one based on their beliefs and actions, but one that sees the need to pray for others and be the light to guide them out of their darkness. If we continue to fight hate with hate, we will continue to shut out everything that may shed light on the darkness and we will find ourselves lost in the process. Be the light, speak the truth, spread the love.
