Racism and Discrimination are Alive and Well

It really saddens me to put this out there but I need to. I have seen so many examples of racism, discrimination and profiling recently that it blows my mind.
I am a typical, middle-aged white girl. Grew up in the city. Was called honkie and cracker by my neighbors. Some of my best friends in elementary school lived in the projects. My friends in the private high school I attended would not, or did not, come see me at my home. They, or their parents, feared driving into my neighborhood. My parents were racist. I despised that. I grew up believing people are ... people. I knew full well, tho, that I, even in our poverty, were better off than my darker neighbors just because I happened to be born with white skin.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galations 3:28

I grew up with friends of all races. Eight of my twelve children are of Mexican descent. The first few times I sent my teens into a store to do a return for me, they were told they couldn't return the item. When I went in, I was able to return it, no questions asked. They had the receipt. I thought maybe they were just trying to take advantage of children ... despicable, also. However, my adult children can't return items either, even with id.. They've also been questioned while browsing thru a store to make a purchase. It has just happened way too often now. It has happened in many states.

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Acts 10:34-35

Driving from TX to NJ last week, I was leading a line of 4 or 5 cars with my NJ RV in MS. We all were equidistant. The cop in the median pulled out and squeezed himself into the line of cars to put his lights on behind the car behind me: my son's Mexican brother and his family. I thought to myself, "oh, no, that baby got out of her carseat or maybe he was swerving back and forth from fatigue." I had my eye on his car the entire 30 hours. I was on top of things. No, the baby was in her seat. No swerving noticed. Of course, I pulled over to wait for them. Officers soon arrived at my RV to "confirm his story." Twice I had to explain how I adopted nine kids from TX and the man behind me was a boy I should've also adopted who ran away from foster care then was found and now wants to join the family, with his family, yadda, yadda, yadda. I asked why he was pulled over. "He looked suspicious," he said. Really? Why, because he was the only brown one in the row of cars? He had told the brother the same, that he looked suspicious having TX plates following a NJ RV ... ???? The officer also tried speaking to him in Spanish, which none of my kids speak well at all.

Dark am I, yet lovely, daughters of Jerusalem,dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon. Song of Solomon 1:5

After I confirmed his story, all of a sudden I became a saint worthy of praise and he said "God bless you for what you do." He let us go.

And they sang a new song, saying:“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Revelation 5:9

The next morning, as we were washing up and brushing our teeth, a man asked this same brother if he is Mexican and he was going to live 'here' now. I believe we were in TN by then. He made some other comment, too, which I have now forgotten.

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. Revelation 7:9

Maybe awareness of Mexican people is heightened now due to border issues, but I doubt that's it. These are not the only incidents, just the few that happened within the past 2 weeks. As I said before, these incidents have been on-going. Subtle and not so subtle. I am saddened that my children will be shafted or discriminated against because they are darker. They are good boys but will walk away without asserting themselves or sticking up for their rights; and what if they do try to stand up for themselves? Will they be viewed as criminals and arrested? They won't always have this white lady to confirm their stories or to purchase or return their store items for them. =(

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40