The Human Race

                                   Contributed by Lenzey Coble

God made one race. Human. To believe that someone is less than because of the color of their skin is the most ignorant, hateful, and hideous thing I have ever encountered. I have seen the up close and personal of racism more times than I care to admit, and it is disgusting. I don't think there is anything I hate more in this world than hearing some ignorant racist fool, popping off at the mouth.

All living things (plants, animals, humans) adapt to their surroundings. Over a period of time diet, environment, and lifestyle make small changes to certain DNA markers. These traits pass on to future generations. Adaptation doesn't mean "less than." It means survival... It means *strengthening* your DNA to live in your environment. Adaptation to surroundings is what causes differences in the human race. Not some God given hierarchy based on pigment. You have got to get over yourselves, people. Stop seeing status where there is only different levels of melanin.

Would you believe that just a few generations before me, my maternal family was considered black? The census cards of my ancestors have a very COLORFUL range of "race." Just a quick glimpse: "Negro," "Black," "Foreign," "Mulatto," "Mixed," "Caucasian," "Native American," "Indian" (the country). My own mother, just because of her olive complexion, was made fun of as a child for being "mulatto." She passed her GORGEOUS coloring on to my brother and youngest sister, who regularly gets asked what country she's from. Their father had blue eyes and blond hair. My other sister, with the same parentage, has an even paler complexion than I do. Beautiful ivory skin, blond hair, blue eyes. My mother's sister, despite both parents being very olive-toned, has blue eyes and blond hair, but can tan just as dark as the rest of them. You CANNOT judge a person based on the color of their skin! You have absolutely no idea what their genetic markers are! You don't even know how your own children will look until they are a few months old, sometimes even longer than that! Black couples have white children. White couples have black children. A set of twins can have one white and one black! My olive skinned grandparents have a rainbow of complexions in their five children, and my mama had four beautifully different colored babies of her own. It happens more than you realize. Shocking, right?

You're all killing each other, threatening violence, and saying DISGUSTING things about another human being. Some of these voices are coming from my own family members, ignorant of their own heritage. I am humiliated by some of the things I have read over the last few days. People make bad decisions because they genuinely do not know any other way. If you know better, be a better example! Show them, IN LOVE, how to act. Poverty, lack of good education and failing to raise children with respectful, wholesome values... This is what causes violence. This is what breeds hatred. Last I checked, we're all guilty of it. It's the HUMAN race that's the problem, guys... We're all a bunch of selfish brats, wanting our way and throwing a fit when we don't get it. All of us.

People are people. We all come from the same dirt, the same Breath, and we all bleed red. I try to hold my tongue when stuff makes me angry. I try to speak in love, but this is ridiculous. I am embarrassed by it. Y'all need to get yourselves right with the Creator. Messiah is coming back to JUDGE. Get your hearts right with Him, and get your heads out of your butts. Seriously. I apologize for my anger, but I hope it leaves you with some quality self-examination time. Peace and love and blessings to you all.