Jenna DeBell,
LONGWOOD, FL.

Race doesn’t exist, we create it.

The concept of race has always baffled me. Judging a person’s character, intelligence and abilities merely by the color of their skin does not correlate in anyway. In fact, it seems ridiculous. Race is referred to as “groups of people who have differences and similarities in biological traits deemed by society to be socially significant, meaning that people treat other people differently because of them.” The phrase that resonates with me the most from this definition is “deemed by society.” Race, and all of the problems and tragedies that this word brings with it was all created by humans. It really is just a social construct, and without it, the world would truly be a much more harmonious place. However, after thinking about societal patterns, race as a social construct doesn’t seem so out of the ordinary. Think about it- human beings have always felt it necessary to pick sides or to establish groups. For example, when we go to school we quickly find our place in the social hierarchy by finding people like us where we “fit in”. We have chosen a side and didn’t even realize it. This pattern starts young and soon transforms into divisions in economic status, divisions in religion, divisions between the popular kids and the nerds, the jocks and the art students, the Knights and the Florida Gators. So many factors and predispositions are considered when looking at a person nowadays; the idea of judgment before even getting to know someone has become an almost standard way of life. It has become the norm to be on one side or the other. Breaking all boundaries, whether it be of race, religion, or political stance, and by realizing that we are all members of the human race- we all share a common skeleton, we all breathe in and out- is the only way we can come to terms with this unnecessary judgment. It is interesting to me that in times of tragedy, like the recent events in Las Vegas, people become colorblind and will even risk their own lives to save someone else, perhaps even a stranger. Why is this? Perhaps if we could figure this out things might begin to change. As said by my favorite band, “Under clothes, under skin underneath we’re all the same. For when you remove the tricky tricks, only skeleton bones remain.”