This is such a hot button topic it is difficult to talk about. The last thing I want to do is offend any of my African-American Friends, who are many. I think of men and women I love and respect, Michael, Mark, Lawrence, Titus & Renee’, Terrance, Hattie, Kevin, just to name a few. They are great people, hard-working, love life, love people and love me, a caucasian. To me, this is evidence there is no need for racial violence, animosity or worse.
Where is all the mistrust, ugly talk, suspicion coming from? It isn’t coming from those of us who are here in the trenches doing life together. It isn’t coming from us who work together, socialize together, and worship together.
I just commented to Gayle this morning over breakfast, I can barely watch the news or read Facebook posts without feeling like I want to jump into the fray! I must tell you, I have never felt any suspicion toward a member of another race as we mingle at church together!
I travel all over the state and at times the country for my work. It is the unknown that creates a sense of apprehension. Driving into a neighborhood by accident that is clearly low-income makes me nervous and lock the doors no matter whether it is a poor white neighborhood or a minority neighborhood. I don’t know what is there or how to get out quickly and it creates concern.
The solution to me is get off the soapbox on TV, stop making speeches, President Obama, Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson, Fox News, MSN, CNN, stop it now! Stop spinning crime facts from both sides, more crime committed VS. more imprisoned. None of that matters.
Invite a neighbor of a different race to sit down and talk to you about their life’s experience. Feel with them, then share your perspective and let them feel with you. Become friends. Respect each other’s different experiences. Start looking out for each other. Love your neighbors. Mentor someone.
Blessings,
Scott
REALfitness by Scott 
It was great that Sybrina Fulton will use Trayvon’s name to expand his legacy, maybe with her own line of handgun-accessories like hollow-point-thug-bullets or perhaps some marijuana items like a Trayvon-brand-pot or maybe some bongs and roach clips or maybe some burglary tools like crow bars, lock-cutters, and glass cutters or maybe have a t-shirt with a gun-target on it with a picture of Trayvon inside the bullseye.
Your response is part of the problem! What Sybrina Fulton does or doesn’t do has nothing to do with you or me. Every encounter we have with others gives us the ability to escalate or deescalate the race issue. So, all we can do is look in the mirror and ask if we are part of the problem or part of the solution.
Trayvon Martin murdered through his own actions. No one’s fault for Trayvon’s illegal activities but Trayvon and his parents.
In my life I have lived in 8 different states, also being military we were exposed to a melting pot of different races and also many people who were racist and who were tolerant. When we lived in Montana I was shocked at the prejudice against native Americans, it was as bad as the deep south against African Americans..My understanding of it was that the the native Americans were not in the general population but on reservations. I too am sick of the media but I have asked this question since the verdict and haven’t gotten an answer. Maybe you can tell me since you live in Florida, why was the jury only six? I thought a Jury was supposed to be 12? Thanks for your post, Deidre
Why do we even have to acknowledge the color if ones skin or ethnic background? Jesus asked us to LOVE…… Period. If we beleve, it should be about what Jesus considered the greatest of all LOVE and for His most importing thing on earth ….. PEOPLE!
All else doesn’t matter so I agree with you Scott, stop all this talk that only feeds the fire.