Hello Racism

This - http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2012/03/26/dear-trayvons-mom#.UeHSS_e34zg.facebook - is a beautiful letter from one mother to another. I love her heart and she really made me think about some things that I never did before. I have to say that I don't 100% agree with her, and other articles (like this one - http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/july/3-things-privileged-christians-can-learn-from-trayvon-marti.html) I've read these last few days. Yes, racism is alive and well in America but it is certainly NOT just whites towards blacks. Heck, Rasmussen (I believe) did a poll recently that asked specific groups of people how racist they themselves are and BLACKS think that THEY are the most racist! Statistics also show that 93% of murders in the last however-much-time has been black on black. There are a ton of VALID reasons WHY blacks are the way they are...the government keeping them down, racial profiling, etc. When you're told something about who you are - whether true or false, positive or negative - you're very likely to believe it and live up to it. BUT my question is why is it that anytime racism is addressed it's always when it's something done TO the black race and whenever it's something done BY the black race there's always a "good reason" (because of how everyone tries to keep the race down, etc) so it's no wonder they respond the way they do. Don't get me wrong, I believe there is some truth to that. I read through some of the comments in the Jen Hatmaker article and one in particular really jumped out at me. Here it is: I am a 6'7" white guy...My son is autistic and looks as if he will be as tall or taller than his dad. I read this with a conflicted heart. This article was obviously heartfelt and filled with an outpouring of love and shared fears that all parents have if something were to happen to their children. "What I really don't understand is why racism is overshadows everything in this article. My son is special and sometimes when he has issues in public people look at him in fear or disgust because he is different than most other kids. I guess when I look at the things that you linked in your blog I am wondering why it just had to be blackcentric. That just feeds into racism in its own way. I didnt see one thing in it that I would not teach my son even though he is white. I have white friends with tattoos and facial piercings and guess what, they are followed by store security simply because they look different. Is that racism too? There is nothing that is said by this article that wouldn't be truth for all races but this form of racism is accepted because you accept the victim label for minority groups. I am not stupid. Racism exists but I have seen it from both sides. Living in a predominately black neighborhoods at some times in my life I can guarantee you that black racism against whites is alive and well, but that cant be confronted because whites cant be victims. I guess since I have worked hard for everything that I have in my life I don't understand your white guilt. I am not racist simply because I am white and neither are you. WE are part of the solution...raising the next generation with less racism than the one before it. It will be a slow process but that is the only way to change things. I guess what disappoints me the most is that as Christians I have heard all of the outpouring of love and prayers for the family of this youth, but I have yet to see one cry in the midst of the desert to pray for GZ and his family. I have prayed and begged for God to comfort the family of Trayvon, but according to God's word and the values that I hold most dear I pray for GZ and his family as well. Pray for your enemies and since everyone in the world has made GZ into public enemy number 1 for this I beg you to pray for him as well as trayvon's family. Pray that GZ faces justice but not persecution. Pray that he seeks forgiveness and pray for his safety in the face of the mob that is ready to cast those first stones. Pray for his family and their safety and comfort as well. Pray for Trayvon's family. That they receive comfort from the only source that can bring them comfort, God the Father. Pray that they seek justice and not violence. Pray for them to have the strength to grant forgiveness if it is sought. Pray for their protection from those that would use this tragedy for their own purposes. Pray for the police. They obviously have mishandled things and are being crucified for it. Pray that they do their best to correct any mistakes and execute their duty to uphold the law. Pray for the New Black Panthers. Pray that they rescind their bounty that is only making a bad situation worse. Pray for the predators that are looking to profit from this horrific situation either politically or monetarily that every effort they make to exploit Trayvon fails for them. I don't pretend to know what happened nor can the outcome be changed for Trayvon at this point but don't let color blind you to the needs of everyone involved because then racism will have truly won." Another comment (made by Hatmaker and had a few responses) was how stores don't carry dark skinned (black) dolls (or not enough of them...side note: so if there's none in the store it's a problem but if there's SOME in the store it's not enough and there should be more...no one is ever happy). Not to be too technical here but isn't it pretty much Business 101 that buyers go out and make sure they have what appeals to the people in that particular area? That's not just with toys but clothing, food, etc. To say that multi-ethnic things don't appear in every town, every city or whatever sounds to me like a perfect example of making something about race that totally isn't. Where does it end?!?! I sure as heck don't know.