Do you think this essay (by Lewis) represents a particular reality in America today? What encourages us to be close to others who may not look like us? What discourages us? The essay of Lewis practically represents a particular reality in America today. The essay points out cases wherein race and color become an issue in the community particularly in schools. Parents are worried on their children’s status in school that could be affected by their being black or white. There are still majority of places in the United States that the pangs of racial discrimination exist.
The situation may be challenged by the fast rectification of the issue by different forms of media like books, movies, newspapers and radio. The examples shown in televisions or movies concerning the negative notions of racial discrimination eventually made the people realize the same. Thus, there was an eventual change in American society concerning racial discrimination although there are still many areas of the country wherein the said problem exists. Moreover, there are many things that encourage us to be close to others who may not look like us.
First, if we observed that the character or attitude of our friends or acquaintances that may possess different appearance is good and proper, then it is not hard for us to treat them in a positive way. Second, if a person who appears peculiar in our eyes proves to be credible and affable, there is no problem being their closest allies. And third, it will encourage us to befriend a person that possesses a different racial background if that person does not belong to a family of criminals and terrorists. Finally, there are also reasons that will discourage us to be close to people that have different racial background.
The primary reason rests to the fact that if the person belongs to a family that is suspected of being criminal or terrorist, we may not choose to be close to that person. Second, if the person possessing a different race compared to us is not friendly and kind, we may loose the motivation to befriend that person. And lastly, when there is a question pertaining to the credibility and integrity of a person who belongs to a minority group, there is a slim chance that those who belong to the majority group will associate with that person.