I have seen and experienced racism. The other day when some black guy walked up to me and asked to use my cellphone, he got all pissed off when I said "no". I was a blue-eyed devil, a cold motherfucker who wouldn't help a brother out. When one sees hate on the face of another it is very hard not to respond in kind. Some people at Elite here can tell you what lengths I'll go through to help somebody out regardless of their name or skin color. Fact is I'm paying out the ass on my cellphone, and my trust in my fellow man has been hurt many times.

I've been told that my ancestors were responsible for slavery and racism. Hell, half the family is from Scotland where they lived as slaves in their own nation for centuries (and I occasionaly have a knee-jerk reaction to the English, but I let it go; you aren't your ancestors either). The other half came from Denmark and moved to Canada in the early 1700's, where slavery was illegal and refugees from slavery welcomed. That's all beside the point: I am not somebody who lived hundreds of years ago, neither is anyone else who reads this.

I have black friends, mostly ones I made at school. Some of them came from inner city detroit, some from the wealthy suburbs. All of them said they caught shit from blacks who weren't going to school and who didn't have a way to advance their station in life. Those friends said that people just had to let go of the hate, instead of clinging to it as if their pride depended on it. Everyone has their life to live. Everyone is responsible for living their life.

Why do people spend so much time trying to tear others down instead of trying to build themselves up? If they see that people are driven to do evil things because of poverty and ignorance, why don't they try to lift them out of it? I've traveled and seen it everywhere I've been, so I'm thinking it's a general state of humanity. It still doesn't answer the question why.

We are drawn together here at Elite by (for the most part) a love of lifting and improving our bodies. I find it odd that we can share a sense of fellowship with someone who shares your goals and interests, but somehow knowing the color of there skin changes things. I think people could spend some time devoted to improving their souls. Let go of the hate. A wound won't heal if it is always being reopened.

I live in a shitty part of America, where the per capita murder rate is well above average. I carry concealed weapons on me and when I hear somebody moving in the darkness I make ready to use them if I must. When I see the person and see they are black, I am remided that a black man is statistically more likely to engage in violence. I don't hate him though. My guard doesn't go down when I see a white face, because evil doesn't care whose heart it occupies.

Each of us is responsible for living our lives. Live it well, and let others try to do the same. Let go of the hate.

Peace!

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"Mr. Phillips, are you honestly telling me that people are really going to believe that I'm the 'before,' and he's the 'after'?"