We don’t all realize what it’s like to be mistreated. We don’t all understand what some people have to deal with. We aren’t all able to empathize with people when they are wronged for reasons such as their race. And why is that? Is it because some of us are so oblivious that we think racism doesn’t exist? Or is it because the idea of talking about race makes us so uncomfortable that we just choose not to?

Society’s problem is that we avoid talking about race until it’s unavoidable. After recent events in Ferguson, MO, regarding the shooting of unarmed African-American Michael Brown, we’ve been forced to acknowledge the fact that racism is real and happening right in front us. Being more open to discussion about race may not eliminate racism entirely, but it’s the first step to a more diversity-embracing society.

Whether we want to admit it or not, many people are inherently a little bit racist. Many people can’t deny that they’d be more afraid of walking past a group of black men at night than a group of white men. Or that they’re more likely to lock their car doors driving through a bad neighborhood when they see an African-American versus a Caucasian. And that’s not necessarily their fault. These people can’t help the way they feel, and they wouldn’t necessarily treat someone worse because of the color of their skin. The thing is, no matter how much we all want to be or how much we say we are, we are not colorblind. Through stereotypes and American culture, these subconscious, racist tendencies have been ingrained in us since childhood, whether we acknowledge it or not. And in our attempt at trying to pretend that we don’t see race, we have become so afraid of offending people that we have become color-mute. We simply just refuse to talk about it.

People should come to understand from a young age that although people may look different, we are all the same, and should be treated that way. That the color of our skin doesn’t affect who we are as a person. We shouldn’t be afraid to ask or answer questions. Society is supposed to learn from its mistakes, but how are we supposed to learn anything if we keep putting issues as serious as racism on the backburner? How many times do we have to make the same mistake before we are finally going to understand that this is a problem?