"Yeah, but if I was Arab American, I'd have been there for hours and they probably would have strip-searched me!" (Newman, pg. 6)

David Newman introduces the chapter on "Differences and Similarities" addressing the issue of various ethnic groups and the differences of how they are treated. Post September 11th there has obviously been an onset of positive and negative reactions. People have both come together to aide in the grieving process but people have also come together to label and stigmatize people of a targeted skin tone, or nationality. What is the trade off for better security? Yes, we do wait in lines longer and go through more check-points, but isn't it all for the safety of Americans? And the lines are blurry when we talk about, "for the safety of Americans,"aren't the same people deserving of these protections and precautions as the white, Anglo-Saxon population. Just because of a darker skin or other non-European heritage, aren't they still entitled to the same treatment we are as white Europeans? The Sociological Perspective delves into exploring these questions. There is a constant need to distinguish one group from another, or as Newman puts it, an "us" from a "them." We rely on predisposed thinking and automatically assume things about people because of their heritage, age, sex and so on and so forth. I agree strongly with Newman when he stated that, "The first step in exploring the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality is respecting the way that individuals define themselves." The article on "Exploring the Depths of Racist Socialization" by Tim Wise made me reflect on some background information I had just read in Newman, chapter 1. Wise talks about how the death of his grandmother sparked an odd correlation to the ingrained nature of a racist socialization process. I was saddened to hear about the deteriorating of his grandmother with Alzheimer's and at the same time it was a natural digression of her mind and body that gave way to a sobering reality. Wise left us by saying, "The nurses knew and so did I why my grandmother could no longer fight. For the rest of us, there is no similar excuse available." The clear message here is that our country has a long history of racist conditioning and implanting preconceived notions since childhood. As much as they are attempted to be covered up and fought against, they remain under several layers of consciousness...like an onion peeling back through the layers until the core is reached, the racism embedded in American society. Wise had a rather pessimistic tone to his writing, but i guess it is deserved. He has a point when he said we need to stop just feeling guilty and take actions for the past and present inequalities. Change will happen through action, not sitting around feeling bad about things...there needs to be concrete thoughts put into action. Use the remorse and do something about it, spread awareness and compassion through sharing experiences and stories.