According to a new poll 50% of American's believe race relations here in the states are getting worse. 

The poll conducted by Rasmussen says not only is confidence in race relations down but hope for the future is at it's lowest level.  That 50% is up from 44% last year.  The interesting thing is that African Americans are the most likely to say we are headed in the right direction.

This is weird for me.  I feel like when I was very young I very vividly remember hearing and seeing racism.  By the time I was ten until about two years ago I saw race relations, tolerance and a wider understanding of various cultures improve by leaps and bounds each year.  The last two years however it has been as clear as day to me that we have taken steps backwards.  I do believe political affiliation plays a role and that our political views being on front street due to an upcoming election have an affect.  But I don't necessarily think things will level off again after the election.  There is something going on here.  There is a division in race and class I have not seen since i was a kid.

The good news that I can see in my day to day life is that my children who are young and all the children they come in contact with don't see or hear what I saw and heard.  My kids  don't have these biases uploaded into their brains that we once were exposed to.  There is hope there.  Maybe by the time it's their turn we can be past all of this.

I wrote a blog about my personal experiences with this back in early December titled: "I know how to eradicate racism. Find someone that does not look like you and mate with them."

Check it out.

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