What is racism? When people think of racism they may think of hatred toward another person who is different, but it means much more than that. Racism is an unneeded hatred that stems from people's own insecurities.

I have never been a racist and I will never be. I don't understand how one could ever hate another race. As the quote goes "All men are created equal." People hate because they don't understand. This is a stupid reason to hate because instead of hating what one doesn't understand, one should learn to understand.

I'm an African American, and unfortunately people have been racist toward us for many years. Since the slave era, we have always been discriminated against. African Americans have been denied the basic God-given privileges everyone else has. Even though racism has declined, the thought of racism still lives in the back of people's minds.

Recently I went to the store to buy a sweater, but apparently the store owners didn't think so. As soon as I walked into the store, they kept a close eye on me as if I was planning to steal something. The thought of stealing was not even in my mind, but just the thought of them thinking that I would steal angered me.

Why do people have to be racist? Do they understand the emotional implications they are placing on the group discriminated against? In a world with so many problems, we should join together instead of tearing each other apart. Life is too short to waste time hating someone else; the group that's hated could someday be yours. c