We are all alike. We are all different.

That is the title of a children's book. It teaches kids that, yes, we are all human and have a lot of things in common. But we must not forget our differences. We can and should embrace our differences since that's what makes each of us unique. That's what makes us interesting to others. Just imagine if we were all the same? Kind of like when couples have too much in common. Conversations would get pretty boring.

I finally got around to watching the movie "Crash". Thought provoking does not give it justice. I thought this was an excellent movie, but it leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.

People try to convince themselves everyday that we have come a long way as far as prejudice is concerned. We SOOO have not. In those instances that it is not blatant, there is almost always something sitting there under the surface.

I consciencly try not to let the things that I heard growing up come into my thoughts today. My parents were/are of the generation where they tried to convince people that they were not prejudice. I never thought twice about some of the comments I used to hear as a kid. "Rag heads" was one of my mom's favorites. Lovely ain't it?

I grew up in the mom 'n pop grocery mini-mart that my family owned. In the 80's we had a large population of Hmong families that moved into the neighborhood. My parents would make comments about how they are just leeching off of the American taxpayers. They get to buy new vans, keep having babies every nine months, and have no desire to work. Talk about over generalizing.

I must admit that as much as I want to seperate myself from the prejudices that I grew up with, I still have thoughts that I don't want to have occupying my brain. I am determined to not allow these thoughts to turn into comments to be passed onto the next generation. That is all I can expect of myself, right?