Racism, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is not a theory of superiority or inferiority.  “The theory that distinctive human characteristics and abilities are determined by race.” However, in our more modern world superiority and inferiority became the very root of racist thought.  Racist thought (to include gender) conceives a race either better or worse than people of a differing race.  Racism divides people to a point of hatred and rebellion.  The very core of racism led the United States to monumental moments in the 1950s and 1960s. 

Today, in the U.S., racism is kept alive by those who tend to profit from the concept while there is a growing group of people who seem bent on killing the destructive beast.  Many leaders, non-profit organizations, and media outlets are served quite well while racial comparisons or racial issues can be maintained.  The very career of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and David Duke would be difficult to imagine if it were not for racism being alive.  Think of the different organizations that base their very foundation on racial difference and you see more proof these organizations would not be to happy if racism dies.  Network pundits would sure have to scamper for a way to report things if they could not simply focus on the race or gender ‘issues’ they love to use in analysis.  Racism is very convenient for creating angles on the news and for creating profits.

Listening to the political pundits report on exit polls from the South Carolina Democratic Primary last night really opened my eyes.  At one point, on CNN, the map was drawn with a percent of black vote in Super Tuesday States compared to South Carolina.  The talking head was discussing how Barack Obama would have to figure a way to win besides carrying the black vote since it would not be there in high enough numbers in key States.  Yet, just a few minutes earlier another pundit reported white men under 30 years old was a group Obama won last night.  It was actually only the oldest white male voter he clearly lost.  Also, it appears they have already forgotten Iowa is a 93% white dominated State that Obama won!  I found myself wondering, does Obama need to figure out something or is it time for older citizens and the media to figure something out?

Soon it was time for Sen. Obama to deliver his victory speech.  As the cameras took us inside the location the crowd was going nuts.  Why not?  Their candidate had just pulled off the first real route of the campaign on the Democratic side and he was far behind Hilary Clinton just a couple of months back.  I couldn’t help but wonder if the racial innuendo by Former President Bill Clinton didn’t help Obama.  Clinton is of the older generation now and he and his appear to be unwilling to pull racism off life-support.  But the youth are not buying the message as we older folks too often do.  There they were, as the camera panned the crowds, a true mix of all races, genders, and spattered about were even some older folks with the younger folks.  It reminded me of the mix of people I witnessed during the Ron Paul rally I attended.

In his eloquent and moving speech Obama was talking about the diverse nature of those supporting him and the audience clearly supported his words.  He also warned how difficult the struggle would be to overcome old thoughts in order to bring in change.  “The assumption that African-Americans can't support the white candidate; whites can't support the African-American candidate; blacks and Latinos can't come together...But we are here tonight to say that this is not the America we believe in... The change we seek has always required great struggle and sacrifice. And so this is a battle in our own hearts and minds about what kind of country we want and how hard we're willing to work for it.”

Racism is one front in the battle he talks about as I see it.  Racism is on life-support, kept alive by an older generation who has grown in their hearts a bitterness that divides.  It’s kept alive by people, organizations, and the media which benefit most from its anger.  Today it is growing more apparent the death of racism, pulling it off its critical life-support, is a part of a youth movement demanding change in this country.  I don’t have the racial bitterness of my parents, my children have far less, and their children may finally be as close to free as a people can be from divisions and hostility of racist ideas and separations.

I have seen it in the Paul campaign and I saw it clearly last night in Obama’s campaign.  The youth of this country are on the brink of pulling the plug on racial division.  They are attempting to KILL racism once and for all.  I only hope I live to see the day their hands control the power to pull that plug, it is long past time racism dies and ALL people unite to survive.