Why Hate People For Their Skin Color?

After talking with several friends on the social media network "Facebook" this week I was moved to write about racial hatred - hating someone just because of their skin color or ethnic origin. Hating someone because the skin color is different than yours seems to me to be the ultimate in stupidity. If you hate someone because their skin color is different than yours you could easily hate 95% of the world's population. Because very few people are going to have the exact same skin color as you.

I was thinking of this topic as I was driving yesterday and realized that hating someone for their skin color is rather silly - especially when there are so many good reasons to hate people. I mean - come on! You can hate people because of their religious beliefs. You can hate people because of their lack of religious beliefs. You can hate them because they're straight. You can hate them because they're gay. You can even hate them because they're confused about it.

You can hate people because they're rich. You can hate people because they're poor. You can hate them because they're liberal. You can hate them because they're conservative. You can even hate them because they're.... dare I say it.... libertarian or independent!

You can hate someone because they have a nicer car than you have. You can hate them because they drive an old junker in which you'd be embarrassed to be seen. You can hate someone because you think they're better looking than you. Or you can hate them because you think they're just butt ugly.

You can hate people because they can afford to live in a better neighborhood than you, or because they can send their kids to an exclusive, private school while your kids must attend a public school. Hey - you can hate the kid whose parents send him/her to that school and teach your kid to hate them as well.

You can hate your neighbor because he/she has something that you don't have. You can hate someone because they have a nicer, more luxurious home than you have. Or you can hate those who are homeless because, after all, it's their choice.

You can hate the person who pulls up next to you at a red light and has their stereo playing so loud that your car vibrates and you can't hear the music on your own radio. You can hate them simply because you don't like their choice of music. You can hate the kid (or adult) who walks down the street with his pants hanging so low that several inches of his underwear (or butt crack) show. You can hate the person with tattoos, face piercings or purple hair.

You can hate someone simply because they are the type of person you would like to be. Or you can hate them because they are not the person you think they should be.

I suppose I could go on. Hatred finds so many reasons for its existence. And it really knows no color or ethnicity. There are just so many "good" reasons to hate someone that hating them just because of the color of their skin seems pointless, doesn't it? It sure does to me....