by Brandon Liguori

I want to focus on a major issue today that I feel everybody needs to be paying close attention to daily: racism.

What is racism? Racism is a term used to discriminate or antagonize against someone of a different race, in the beliefs that one’s own race is superior and rises above another race.

When it comes to problems in society, racism and discrimination are two prime topics to discuss.

Racism, unfortunately, happens worldwide, and thus causes numerous amounts of problems. Because I am Jewish on my mother’s side of the family, people inside and outside of school tend to avoid me sometimes, for as I tend to act differently based on my religious beliefs.

For example, debate is an advanced class that I decided to take for senior year, in reason to challenge myself.

Each week, we are given a new topic to discuss and present our thoughts and ideas to the classmates. It was extremely ironic last week in class. Our teacher, Ms. Schawb, wanted each student to tell a prank or a joke, and to elaborate on it.

Everything was ordinary until this one guy, Victor, took the stage and entered onto the podium. His exact words were, “What is the difference between a pizza and a Jewish boy? A pizza does not scream when you put it inside of the oven.”

Victor was inferring this statement to the horrific acts that occurred throughout the period of the Holocaust. This act of racism was deeply troubling, and I must be real honest with everybody; it bothered me tremendously.

Racism is something that many people do not quite understand the full concept. Equality between the races is something discussed most of the time throughout the United States.

What makes our country sturdy and strong is how there are several programs and laws, which give people an automatic guarantee of freedom and civil rights.

I find it humorous how people define this significant term as “black-and-white,” but it is not only a conflict regarding African Americans vs. White Americans. There is racism between all types of people.

The future of America depends on if this problem can be solved, how long it will take to solve it, and if so, will this be the end of the controversy regarding racism?

We, Americans, should learn, understand and grab as much knowledge as possible when having discussions on racism and discrimination.

If racism and discrimination continue to make a notable impact on the lives of people of color in the modern United States, what can be done about the issue?

The objective is to draw attention, to blast out a humongous message: “one for all, all for one”. We are all one nation, one country, one world. All individuals deserve the expected freedom and rights of equality!