"KAFFIR". When you see or hear this word, what runs through your mind? Do you
picture a man with skin the color of the midnight sky, do you see him bending his
muscular body down to the dry earth to pick cotton from thorn-ridden plants? Can you
feel the heat of the sun beating down on his charred back? Perhaps you can even taste
the beads of sweat swelling from his forehead and arms.  Or maybe you are more
inclined to visualize a dark-skinned woman with creases in her forehead made by many
years of hard work and endless worrying. You watch her as she puts the breakfast
dishes on the table and addresses her owners with a "yes sah" or "yes ma'am".

There is nobody to cater to her needs. She spends each day taking care of everyone but
herself. Pain. Sorrow. Anguish. Agony. Is this what comes to your mind when you hear
the word "KAFFIR"? Well, it shouldn't because the word "kaffir" has nothing to do with
the color of your skin. The word "kaffir" is just that; a word. It is a term that sprouted
out of ignorance and continues to be used to this day exclusively by ignorant people. A
kaffir isn't a slang term for an African; it is a word that describes the person that uses
it. This type of person is one who feeds his ego by dehumanizing those around him
when he feels they are not equal to him. He may regard those of different races or
nationalities as "bad" or "dirty" because they do not have the same skin color as he
does or they may cherish beliefs that are contrary to the ones by which he lives his life.

These qualities describe the man who tells his son that it is okay to make fun of people
who are different because differences are bad. A child who is repeatedly told such
things will believe them because "mom and dad never lie". This idea, inculcated in them
as children, is like a grain of sand caught in the clutches of an oyster. It eats away at
their minds until it becomes part of them. Instead of forming into a pearl, it creates a
whole new individual that is as ignorant as the parents who raised him. And so this
vicious cycle of ignorance continues. 

Children need to be taught from infancy that people of other races and nationalities
are human too. They think like the rest of us. They have feelings, hopes, and
aspirations. They are intelligent. Sometimes they forget to put the cap on the
toothpaste or they might leave the toilet seat up. We are all human and we are lucky to
have such diversity in the world. Diversity does not exist to enable us to learn tolerance.
It exists for the same reason we have such a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. If the
only thing you eat is apples, you will get tired of them. Try pears they are just as good.
If our world consisted of white-skinned, blond- haired, blue-eyed people, our eyes would
get bored. Differences are inviting and intriguing - a spice of life.

It is a tragedy that so many people are too ignorant to experience these finer fruits in
life. We learn so much from each other. Yes, we are now making progress but at such
an insubstantial pace, the damage is done and will take decades to repair. We can only
hope and pray that we will rise up and overcome all discrimination, and the only
instrument we can use is that of love.  Without love, we are divided. Love is a perfect
bond of union. With it, we can accomplish all things, but - we must be willing to give up
the hate before we can cultivate the love.