Sick of This Racism -- Their Perspective

     They say that we are unendurable. They can’t handle us. So instead of letting us free, in the country that promises freedom, they lock us up. We are trapped in our tiny cell, imprisoned for “acts of terrorism.” They think that this is endurable? The fact that we are innocent is irrelevant. Our guilt is in our skin, our heritage. Day after day, the gatekeeper walks by our cell, dangling the key to freedom right before our eyes. Sometimes we hear the news broadcast. They talk about airport security. They talk about our homeland being a madhouse with the war, the terror. They say our country is collapsible. They think that they can win. Suddenly, they switch the story, turning their attention to the weather. “Overcast skies,” they say. If only they knew. We endure hateful glares daily. They take children on field trips to the prison. We are examples of what not to become. We watch as mothers clutch their children and hurry away from us. We see the fear in the people’s eyes. I know what they see. They see a terrorist. But if they could see from our angle, maybe they would understand.