Racism is awful. It is sad, and unfortunately it is everywhere. We create preconceived ideas about someone based on their looks or at least what we think we see. Try as you might not to, we do JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.

The death of this young man is important. It is the tipping point for attention to how racist we really are. Nothing we do as a society will bring him back, but if we can use this event to change, we will have something good. It will honor Trayvon and his family. Think about the preconceived ideas you have. Why do you make those judgments? Why do we think it is okay to do this?

I was enlightened to learn what black parents must do to protect their children. Black parents have a “talk” with their child to keep them safe. Young African-Americans on the news all remember “the talk.” The rules are different for them. My son wears a hoodie every day. Should I worry?

I have seen the effects of racism in schools. The children are on guard. They assume the teacher as a white middle class woman will think negatively of them. They assume you don’t like them because they are Black or Hispanic. They jump to conclusions that you are being unfair to them because of their race. This is wrong. How can we right this wrong?

I do not like to take political stands as I believe every opinion deserves its say. In this case, I must speak. Racism is not partisan. I have always hated prejudice. I have an innate desire to fairness. The day our president was inaugurated brought me to tears. I believed as a country we moved beyond our fears and prejudices. I have since learned by the way this president has been treated that we have not. It really is time to move forward. That could have been your child in the hoodie.