We are more than this.

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I mentioned my son started kindergarten, he and my niece are both in kindergarten this year, in the same school but a different class. I found out via my niece that a little boy in my niece's class has been bullying all of the other kindergartners. My son only deals with him at lunch and recess. A couple weeks ago my niece informed me that said kid hit my son, and my son told me that he hit him in the back. The little boy more than likely has behavioral issues, but it still needs taken care of, because I will not tolerate my son having to deal with being picked on and hit on a regular basis, my son isn't singled out, the boy does this to all of the other kids, but he shouldn't have to deal with it at all, regardless my niece and my son were trying to describe this kid to me. They told me he had dark curly hair and that's all they could tell me about the kid, then they saw him getting on the bus and pointed at him. He was a little black boy, and it was in that moment that I could definitely tell that kids are not born racist. They never thought to tell me what the color of his skin was, they weren't judging him by color, just by his actions. To them he was just a little boy that was picking on them. I smiled at their innocence, and hoped they could keep it awhile longer before the world does what it inevitably does, and harshly rips it away. They don't prejudge anyone, they like people based on how they treat them. I wish we could all keep that level of innocence, I wish that it were possible to keep it, that we didn't have to live in a world where you have to watch your back every second of every day, but we do, we lose our innocence when people give us a reason to, and it happens too young. Much the way my son and niece are already learning about bullies and they're only 5. We can't help but lose our innocence, but we can help turning into racist jerks, by not judging anyone based on their skin color, and holding people accountable for their actions and not for the actions of others. Personally when I say black I use it as a description and not as a stereotype, much the same way I say I'm white. If I wanted to be technical I'm Irish, German, Scottish and who knows what else, but mostly I'm American. And in Americans come in all kinds of different backgrounds. It would be great if we looked at each other as equals, and if we like children could look past skin color or any other prejudices. If skin color really was just a description and not a type, which honestly that's what it is. I get so tired of this color war that's going on. It's getting to the point where no one can feel safe. In America we're supposed to be free, not afraid that every little thing we say will offend someone, not fearing to walk out into the street for fear of being killed. I thought we were supposed to be past this. This whole color war is ridiculous, we should stop fighting each other and start coming together to take our country back. Stop fearing someone based on their skin color, and just see a fellow human being. I don't care what someone's skin color is, only who they are as an individual. I think Martin Luther King Jr. would be ashamed if he saw how we are handling things now. He was against violence, unfortunately it was violence that took his life, but he wanted more for us, he wanted to see us all united as one, and we aren't. We are all at each others throats based on religion, politics, and skin color. We are better than this.