ANAGNORISIS

As we go through life we tend to change in more ways than one. We change our style, we change friends, we change personalities, we change what or who we like, the list can go one and on. However, the greatest metamorphosis we can go through in life is when we suddenly go from ignorance to knowledge, something that Aristotle would have called "Anagnorisis".Once we go through such a conversion, our whole outlook on life may change, thus affecting our entire future. The severity of the situation at hand may vary, but the importance will always be there nonetheless.

As tough as it may be to admit, we are all ignorant in some way. Possessing this quality causes us to make truly dumb statements, hurting people (whether intentionally or not) in the process. Sadly, today, one of the most obvious ignorances present is racism. It has been something that has existed for a long time, and for some reason, we can't get rid of it.

Some people may choose to never go through anagnorisis, choosing to remain stubborn and believe that their view is the only correct one, and for that reason, something like this may never change.

Although our nation has come a long way, we still tend to be racist, and not in the way you may think. Back in the day, when the nation was just discovered, we were racist against the Native Americans, then, as time passed, we began to, for some reason, dislike the African Americans, and so racism towards them sprang up. By the 60's radical movements were being made in order to rid the nation fully of racism, and it seems as though by the 80's people's efforts pulled through.

However, as I live in the world today, I feel as though racism is all around me. Today, racism isn't just hating on other races, seeing them as less significant (which, sadly, is still going on), it is also ISOLATING that race, and pointing out blatantly that their race is "different". Many individuals tend to do this towards African Americans, pointing out that they were the minorities, and treating them differently, afraid to say something that may spark any sort of conflict. However, if we were all equal, would there really be a need to isolate them and state this? Can't our nation realize this and just simply MOVE ON?