Mounting Tensions

For the first time in mankind's history we can definitively say, without hyperbole, that we can change the world. Why? Because we don't have a choice. 2005 was a hell of a year in race relations with a little of the old (police beating caught on tape in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath) and a little of the new (Hispanics are now the largest minority group in the United States). The developments of the past year include Oprah Winfrey being turned away from a store in Paris because the store had been "having a problem with North Africans lately," or the Minutemen, a group of border patrol volunteers in Arizona who will kindly shoot anyone attempting to cross the border. Who could forget the head of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP essentially calling Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb an Uncle Tom for not running the ball more? Does George W. Bush care about black people? Why are Muslim kids rioting in France? Where did all of these Hispanics come from? The questions of yester-year get better and better.\nThe recent controversy surrounding potential racial innuendos in the movie "King Kong" is the cherry on top of the race relations milkshake that has been 2005 (white guys traveling to an exotic island, bringing back a big black ape in chains, in the bottom of a boat, with the black ape's downfall being a beautiful white woman ... I'm just saying). \nBloomington hasn't been able to escape its fair share of controversy. As recent as July 2005, here in Bloomington, a local mosque was firebombed. In September 2005, IU police pulled guns on unarmed black males who "fit the description." Currently, race is on the minds of many IU community members who question the dealings of President Adam Herbert.\nAre these issues legitimate grievances or the unneeded pulling of the race card? The answer is both, depending on who you ask, as perception is often reality. Who's right, who's wrong? Traditionally this cycle has been ignored largely because of mankind's uncanny ability to skirt the issue. But the reality of the issue has developed into the proverbial 800-pound gorilla that can no longer be ignored.\nThe kettle is full and overflowing; no more dirt can fit under the rug. We have quietly and inevitably reached a crossroads in world race relations. According to The Economist, for the first time in the history of man, the majority of humanity now lives in urban communities and the numbers are increasing. We are all closing quarters with people who have different experiences, perspectives and backgrounds. No longer can we hide among our own -- ignorance can no longer be bliss. The combination of urbanization and globalization is going to force us to deal with each other sooner rather than later. Clash is coming, whether you like it or not. The big question is, how do we deal with it? Well, we've tried political correctness, assumptions, ignoring the issue and pretending that there is no problem or that it has already been dealt with. What did that get us? Let's see ... slavery, race riots, terrorism and more fun stains that have consistently spotted the fabric of the human existence. \nSo you see, we will change the world, whether you like it or not. \nEither we have to continue to bitch, argue and kill each other like we have been doing for the existence of mankind, or we must stop and treat each other with respect. It has come down to this -- now or never, all the chips are on the table. Take your pick.