The Human Race

Photo by @paleyphoto (Matthieu Paley). "We hate because we are taught to hate. We hate because we are ignorant. We are the product of ignorant people who have been taught an ignorant thing which is that there are 4 or 5 different races. There are not 4 or 5 races, there is only one race on the face of the earth, and we are all members of this race, the human race. But we have separated people into races so that some of us can see ourselves as superior to the others. Maybe we thought it would work, but it hasn’t... it has been bad for everyone. There is no gene for racism, there is no gene for bigotry. You are not born a bigot, you have to learn to be a bigot. Anything you learn, you can unlearn." Wonderful and clear words by Jane Elliott. In our lives as photographers, we have the incredible luck to frequently be exposed to cultures, beliefs and lifestyles that are often wildly different from our own. I can honestly say that there is nothing more enriching. Happy New Year everyone! @natgeocreative #JaneElliott #discrimination #racism #prejudice #openminded

A photo posted by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Jan 6, 2017 at 5:08am PST

Every day I am upset, angry, frustrated, you name it, with our new president. I am not only all of those things and more with him, but also with the folks who blindly excuse all of his behavior.

I was watching a segment on NBC Nightly News late last week with Gabe Gutierrez interviewing some Trump supporters and asking them what they thought towards the end of his first week in office. The subject came up of the impending Muslim ban, and the response of one woman in particular really made me want to scream. She was talking with an accent that was definitely not native to any region of the U.S., and she was saying that she supported the ban. She went on to state that she didn't want people coming to America and bringing their different cultures. I about fell of my chair!

I am so sick of the people who either directly came from other countries, or whose ancestors came from other countries saying that we should be banning anyone! Just because you or your grandparents got to America before now doesn't mean that you have more 'right' to be here. The only group of people that even remotely have the right to complain about 'foreigners' are Native Americans. I'm wondering if that woman eats tacos, egg rolls, or pizza, because honey, those didn't originate in 'Merica. 

What's happening right now goes against everything this country stands for and has been since it was founded. One week in office and look at the damage he has done.