A Powerful Piece About Race Not Written By Me

I've always liked Roger Ebert. I felt as a film critic, he was able to save himself from being pretentious and snobby. Two things that I feel some of the 'elite' critics risk sounding like in their reviews. Ebert always just came off as a guy who like movies, and was able to admit when a action movie or a silly comedy was actually kind of fun thus worth watching.

It wasn't until recently when I stumbled upon his Twitter account that I discovered that he is more than just a really good film critic. The man is highly intelligent, which isn't something I ever doubted, but he has well articulated opinions and views on numerous topics that are unrelated to film. The best part is, he is a really good writer, thus his views are articulated in a powerful and beautiful way.

One piece he recently wrote that instantly left an impact on me was "How do they get to be that way?" It is a reflection upon the massive race issues that are occurring in Arizona, but he also addresses how such issues can be prevalent throughout. He looks at how institutional racism is something that is still very embedded in our culture; being able to destroy it is a matter of constant education and focused effort on creating lasting change. The elimination of racism is still something decades away, if it will ever truly leave, but serious steps can be taken where a community of understanding and compassion can be created.

Of course, this is topic I can blog about for weeks and weeks. There is so many deep issues that revolve from historical atrocities and deep seeded resentment. But I really do think Ebert's article is one of the best I've ever read on the topic, especially in regards to the Arizona problem. I want to encourage you all to give it a read. You'll learn, like I did, Ebert is more than a guy really good at moving the direction of his thumbs.