I’m so saint. I think racist thoughts. All the time. I get annoyed by foreign looking people. I judge them. I use racist terms. Not to their faces. Usually. In year 4 or 5 I called a girl named Mathanki a “black bitch”. Even now, I’m using exclusive language. Us and them.

One thing though. I KNOW RACISM IS WRONG. When I make jokes, that’s all they are. JOKES. When I make race based judgments, I dismiss them doubly as quick. I know too many white fuckheads to possibly believe in “White Power”. Lately though, I’m seeing racism all around. In my friends, some of whom no longer joke, but seriously hate. I see it in the news with biased reports on wars and terrorism and immigration. Scariest of all, I’ve now seen it in my mum.

What the fuck is wrong in people’s brains to think that differences in race actually have any bearing over our lives? Religion, sure. But all my friends know how I feel about religion. Race to an extent goes hand in hand with religion, but not totally.

My friend Peter is from Cambodia and has a different colour skin than me. He practices a different religion to me. Actually, so does everyone who practices a religion. Yet, somehow, I’ve managed to overcome these differences to notice that he’s a great guy! What an achievement!

I’m being sarcastic.

See, when I first meet someone I’ll see their differences, whether it be skin colour, clothing tastes, whatever. When that moment is gone, their differences are an afterthought. I get to know the person. Nowadays, it doesn’t even come to mind that Peter is “different”. I could quote my friend Antony – “Oh yeah, I forgot PK (Peter) was Asian.”

That’s coming from Antony who I consider racist. Not in a harmful way. Just an ignorant way.

My point is, people nowadays spend too much time focusing on differences than they do similarities. It’s easier to hate or fear something than it is to endear to it or try to understand it. Case in point: Muslims after September 11, 2001.

As I’ve stated, when it comes to racism I’m no saint. I’m sure many people would consider me a racist based on my rude comments alone. What these people don’t know is that I make rude comments about anything. Just ask any of my friends about my relationship with still-borns. But I digress.

I just wish that the human eye saw similarities before it saw differences. Maybe if it did, people would have more of a conscience about dropping bombs on those with different beliefs to us.

Maybe I’m just dreaming. Maybe biology made us different for a reason. Maybe racism is right and multiculturalism is wrong.

I don’t know.

All I know is, despite how much it may annoy me, despite the remarks I may make, if this country was literally “full” of people who didn’t speak English, I wouldn’t give a damn.

Just think how outraged you’d be if you were booted out of France or Italy or Sweden for speaking the language you grew up with.