Dear Editor,

Equality is a simple word. A word with a degree of magnitude that some of us can’t fathom. A word that has created so much chaos and hatred throughout history. According to Bill Quigley of the Huffington Post, University of Kansas professors found that the police conducted investigatory stops of African-American males at twice the rate of whites. This is just one example of racism.

Our system has proven to be under the influence of racism for many years.

In societies of the past and even today, we’ve often gotten conflicted with how we treat one another based on our race, sexuality, religious preference and personal opinions. Historically, our differences have been the root causes of conflict. We have grown to hate one another based on our differences, and we have no reason to.

We are all people. We are all human. Our differences are what makes each one of us beautiful. People should not be belittled because of the way they talk, look or what they believe in. We should admire each other’s differences because we all come from different backgrounds. We each grow up learning different ideas. Our backgrounds help shape us into the intellectual individuals we are. The biggest problem we face is how do we accept one another? What will happen if we do?

No one is born with hatred. A white person does not come out of the womb hating black people. The reason people hate each other is because they’re taught hate growing up as children.

The problem can be fixed by simply teaching our children that being different is a good thing. Being different creates unique ideas and thoughts that can be used to solve problems in society. Our potential as to what we can accomplish as a species is unimaginable. It starts with treating each other equally. Equality isn’t an idea. It’s a way of living.