Sometimes have you ever had something you really needed to discuss with another person and you just weren’t really sure how you should approach the subject with them? Maybe it was something fairly simple: You just wanted to explain things to your child or maybe even you and your mate needed to get things “sorted out.” Perhaps it was a bit more serious: You wanted to talk to your potential father-in-law about asking his daughter to marry you. Well, maybe that’s not done in many areas any more, although perhaps it should be! It could be that you found yourself in this situation and you just told the person: “Let’s take a walk.”
Now we both know that when such a statement is made there are probably going to be some things brought up in the conversation that you will need to listen to closely. And perhaps there are going to be things in that conversation that don’t really align themselves with you own way of thinking. But you know you’re going to hear them and you’re probably beginning to formulate in your mind HOW you are going to respond. But it’s still better to make sure you give full attention to the conversation and don’t “block out” the points you don’t want to hear. Although through the “publishing” of a blog post we cannot truly have a conversation I hope you give an opened mind to what follows. So, “Let’s Take a Walk!”
“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickly us, do we not laugh?” (Act III, Scene I, William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”) Old Bill had a way with words, but he certainly made a good point here in this quote. He knew, whether he wanted to completely admit it or not, that ALL humans are basically the same under the skin. He probably didn’t completely understand the science behind the issue of blood as he was simply stating a fact of reality: “When we are cut we bleed!” The fascinating aspects of human blood are very interesting.
Human blood is generally grouped into four types: A, B, AB, and O. Each letter refers to a kind of antigen, or protein, on the surface of red blood cells. For example, the surface of red blood cells in Type A blood has antigens known as A-antigens. Rhesus refers to another type of antigen, or protein, on the surface of red blood cells. The name Rhesus comes from Rhesus monkeys, in which the protein was discovered.
Blood types become very important when a blood transfusion is necessary. In a blood transfusion, a patient must receive a blood type that is compatible with his or her own blood type --- that is, the donated blood must be accepted by the patient’s own blood. If the blood types are not compatible, red blood cells will clump together, making clots that can block blood vessels and cause death. (Personally I think transfusions are extremely dangerous and for most cases unnecessary.)
The fact is that regardless of our race, color, or gender we all have blood that has been typed according to the statements made above. This brings up an interesting point of discussion that was covered some years ago in the American Journal of Color Arousal. I have quoted that article here:
“The practice of racism constitutes a crime for which no bail will be permitted and which may not be authorized, punishable by prison as statutorily prescribed.” Brazilian Constitution, Art. V, XLII.
““Race” and Blood Types, Superstition and Science. Would you rather have a blood transfusion from someone who shares your skin color or from someone who shares your blood type? It is my belief that transfusing blood from one person to another based on skin color would be an extraordinarily dangerous practice.
The American Red Cross, which maintains blood banks, says: “Although all blood is made of the same basic elements, not all blood is alike. In fact, there are eight different common blood types, which are determined by the presence or absence of certain antigens – substances that can trigger an immune response if they are foreign to the body. Since some antigens can trigger a patient’s immune system to attack the transfused blood, safe blood transfusions depend on careful blood typing and cross-matching.”
[Within a chart produced by] The American Red Cross shows that if all Caucasians received O+ blood transfusions on the logic that O+ is most common among Caucasians, then sixty-three percent of white people would receive the WRONG blood type during transfusions. Most white people would have a higher chance of receiving the proper blood type from a Hispanic person (53% O+) than they would from another white person, since the most common blood type among whites is (O+ 37%) and is also most common among Hispanics (O+ 53%). If a white person with type O+ blood needs a battle-field transfusion and medics don’t know the blood types of another white person available and a Hispanic person is available, the best bet (53% O+) would be to give the white person a transfusion from the Hispanic person – NOT another white person.”
By pondering this information we can see why many people feel that we should be judged by our inner characteristics and NOT by the color of our skin, our nationality, or so on. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Another Unknown source stated: “Men and women are limited not by the place of their birth, not by the color of their skin, but by the size of their hope.” Naomi Johnson put it very beautifully in the following poem.
Don’t Judge the Color of
My Skin
Don’t judge me for the color of my skin.
But from the substance I have within.
My intellect I possess.
And the strength I compose.
The root of my spiritual fruit.
And the knowledge I obtain,
The wisdom I gain.
And the words I use.
My balance views.
The confusion I defuse.
My peaceful depth of soul,
That I keep under control.
The integrity I display.
And my humble ways.
My image I project.
With self respect.
The complete work I do.
And how I see things through.
For there are several elements still I hold.
Even the hidden qualities I have yet unfold.
So don’t just judge the color of my skin from what you see.
You do not know me.
We really should follow this suggestion and get to know a person before we make any opinions on WHO he or she is. The world may be a better place if we were not only color-blind but perhaps completely blind and had to rely on our other senses to judge people we meet and not rely so heavily upon our sight. Perhaps we should be more like our creator who says: “For the way man sees IS NOT the way God sees, because mere man sees what appears to the eyes, but God sees into the heart.” [1 Samuel 16:7]
QUOTE TO CONSIDER
THOUGHTFUL GEM
"Don't think YOU'RE so superior ---
we're all made of dirt!"
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