Thursday, June 12, 2014

The Human Race...At The End of The Day!

I don’t have common sense but I do so enjoy ‘Loving Day’ and the spotlight it shows on yet another petty matter that humans use to keep us from progressing further in science, politics and advancement of the species as a whole. Interracial…Race has several meanings, such as:

1. a contest of speed 2. to transport or propel at maximum speed 3. a family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock 4. a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits

My favorite however is:

5. an actually or potentially interbreeding group within a species; also : a taxonomic category (as a subspecies) representing such a group

Um...Humans!!The come in many appetizing shades!

Why shades should even be an issue isn’t a mystery to me, I do believe in racism and I know that it exists. The why however, is the bigger quandary. Humans come in hundreds and hundreds of shades, they have similarities on the surface and beneath however not one of the so-called races (a family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock) is incompatible with another, hence the definition of race as a fundamental ‘interbreeding group within a species,’ is apropos.

That would be the simple way to consider the notion, debate or observations of interracial love but even in this day and time, humanity stumbles over the concept. There are dark and light shades within every race, Chinese, Indian, Native American, African, Europeans. And yes, unfortunately there are caste systems in which a person is either elevated or suppressed due to skin shade. So for those who think it is ridiculous for a person to date someone of a various colored groupings, I have to wonder what they would think if they were ostracized for dating someone of a different shade.

Perfect and perhaps not known example within the African American community: “I don’t date high yella men.” “I don’t date dark skinned girls.” “I don’t mess with brown –skinned women…” It may sound ridiculous, but I have heard those statements and more. I’ll give you the fact that we all have preferences, and I believe that that should be stated as such. A dark-skinned person with a light-skinned person could be considered interracial. Sound ridiculous.

But wait, what about a variance of beliefs, or a difference of culture and custom assigned to a race? What about generalized political affiliations, culinary differences, ideologies…If these are the struts that bolster the framework of race as a source of pride and empowerment…stability even, consider the stagnation of that might occur if any so-called purity could ever be attained. I mean no harm to those who seek what they know and are familiar with, but to ridicule or insult the pairing of two human beings with differences, negate the opportunity for unification stagnates within a group in solitary and prevents fresh and opposing experiences that might be more similar than either party knows.

There is a term, ‘variety is the spice of life,’ and human beings whether they know it or acknowledge it or not, are the product of such an idea. The idea of genealogy and tracing our ‘roots’ has become such a popularity now that there are paid services for the pursuit. Such research often shows variety in our backgrounds.

Now it may not be as poignant as you can obviously point out the white folk in your family, there are several Irish faces in my family tree, a couple of Native Americans, a few Scotts but mainly African descendants.

I consider myself a Black American not because of my background, and certainly not in any negation of the fundamental fact that many or most of are mixed. It's simple and it's the closest description I can come to that defines me in the environment that I was born into. That’s also what I check on the census form when it comes around. It’s easy, simple and requires almost no explanation at all of the scientific fact that interracial unions are not only possible but have occurred since the dawn of time. Many races, cultures, perhaps persons of various religions went into me!

I do so enjoy ‘Loving Day’ or shall I say ‘Keeping it Real’ day if only for the opportunity for people to reflect upon the fact that we are all the same species. Just because one person may be a different, color, culture, shade of ideological set, doesn’t mean that we are incompatible for loving, and that goes for straight, bi and homosexual folk. You're human, damnit.

Hungry aliens won't discriminate, so why should we?

Human is human. The sooner we realize that the sooner we can get focused on real issues, like poverty, discrimination, advancements in science, health and technology. All this separation and flag waving is just moot distraction...by the MAN...who I am probably related to several generations back, so...

Happy Loving Day Human. No matter what race, culture, color, creed or shade you are.

And Now On To The Really Fun Stuff

Click Here to Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!

Click Here to Go back to Hop Master List!!!

Finish the Loving Day Hop by visiting Author: Rae Lori

Want a Preview of the Prizes? Check these Out!

LOVING DAY BLOG HOP MASTER LIST

Visit the following author and reviewer pages to learn something new or win a prize or two!

Sydney Arrison eBook copy of Bad Tabby: A Night Kitty Quickie by Renee Luke and Café Mocha by Vivienne Diane Neal

Koko Brown Reader’s Choice of an eBook from author’s backlist & ARC of yet to be released Taken

Sam Cheever eBook copy of The Biggest Poser (EPUB, MOBI, PDF)

Shyla Colt $10 Amazon Gift card AND eBook copies of Dual Desires and Keys to Heaven

Alexa Day eBook copy of Illicit Impulse and swag

Stacy-Deanne eBook copy of Bruised

Dahlia DeWinters Reader’s Choice of an eBook from author’s backlist

Lena Hart eBook copy of historical anthology, For Love & Liberty

Roslyn Hardy Holcomb eBook copy of IR historical Stolen

M J Kane eBook copy of A Heart Not Easily Broken

Mya Lairis $10 Amazon Gift Card

Rae Lori $20 Amazon Gift Card Choice of 1 book from author’s backlist Choice of 1 of 3 Sandra Kitt IR eBook (The Color of Love, Close Encounters, Between Friends)

Fiona McGrier Choice of the following eBooks: The Reluctant Bride, Two For Tuesday or Prophecy of the Undead

Lisa G. Riley eBook copy of Friends and Lovers Series: You are Mine and a Mighty Good Man

Roxie Rivera eBook copy of Sergei, Sergei II and In Jack's Arms

Romance Novels in Color $10 gift card to Amazon or B&N

Keisha Robertson $10 Kobo gift card

Eve Vaughn Really cool prize

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I agree wholeheartedly with you: human is human. I wish more people could read (and understand and agree with) your post. The world would be a better place. michelle_willms at yahoo dot com.

Fiona McGier said...

I love your comment that "hungry aliens won't discriminate so why should we?" We are all part of one race:HUMAN!

What I liked about the "Independence Day" movie was not only getting to see Will Smith's naked butt! I liked that all of humanity had to come together to repel an alien invasion. Such a shame that it will probably take something cataclysm like that to get us to forget about blowing each other up, or just in general being mean to each other because of differences that we should be celebrating together.

Mya said...

Hey there Michelle. Thank you for stopping by my blog and yes the world would be a better place and will be one day, I hope :D

Mya said...

Oh Fiona! I enjoyed 'Independence Day' for both Will Smith, Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum, all smart, hot and oh yeah, how could I forget the southern sweetie, Harry Connick Jr. Ohhh yeah, lots of love for various shades existed in that film!

Felicia said...

Wow - what a powerful post! Well said! I grew up hearing about the whole "shading" thing - like the darker a person was, the more evil-natured they were. What nonsense! Thanks for a great "Loving Day" blog!

The Swirl said...

Thank you for helping us celebrate Loving Day!

Mya said...

Felicia- Thank you for comment. It is a crock of nonsense and the effort to look past shades and colors is a hard one, but I believe in the future, we as a race can get past it all.

Mya said...

Many thanks go out to Koko and The Swirl for shining a light on this very needed cause!

Mya said...

And the winner of my Loving Day Giveaway is Fiona McGier! Fiona, contact me at blackkoda@yahoo.com so that I can send off your gift certificate.