Prejudice And Racism Poem by Zachary Zuccaro

Prejudice


I don't like him or her or them
because they are
white, black, Asian, European, Middle Eastern,
Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Atheist,
those narrow-minded vegetarians,
and those cruel murderers who eat meat.
Look at those geeks, and nerds, and goths.
Why would anyone want to be emo or scene?
What kind of loser likes classical music and books?
Look at those disgraces to humanity
who have tattoos and piercings.
Look at how fat she is, and how skinny he is!
You jocks and preppy girls, you think you are so good.
Obviously anyone who watches TV or drinks beer is a bum,
and don't you hate those teens always texting on their phones?

People are prejudiced
against everyone and everything,
how you look, and what you do,
whether you are young or old,
male or female, what you believe and what you don't.
And let us not forget those people
who are prejudiced against people
who are prejudiced.





Racism



The blacks
the whites
the Asians
the Indians
the Middle Easterns
the Italians
the Jews
the Mexicans
the Russians
the Chinese
the Japanese
the English
the French

the humans.

No matter where you are from
there are people who will hate you
because of your race and nationality.

You cannot control
where you are born
nor your heritage
any more
than you can control
being a human.

Yet, that does not matter
to the racists.

Why would you judge someone
on such a silly thing?

Does it really make a difference
whether you were born here or there?

Does the color of your skin
affect your mind, heart, or soul?

Do the faults of our ancestors
become our faults?

Perhaps,
perhaps race does matter.
Perhaps someone who is white
is intrinsically different
than someone who is black.
Perhaps all Asians
are different
than Europeans.

It is true,
that certain characteristics
are more common in some races than others -
stereotypes do not form without reason.
Yet even so,
even if a stereotype does apply to a race,
does that make the race good or bad?
And even if a stereotype does apply to a race,
can that stereotype be applied
to every member of the race?

Is not every single person in the world
different and unique?
Can there never be exceptions to rules?
Must you really hate people
because of where they are from
and who their parents are?