Indentity

"It's unfortunate that people even today are judged by the color of their skin and not the content of their character," Martin Luther King Jr.

Throughout the free existence of humans, we have continued to question our life's reason. What is our essence in this world? Who are we? What happens after life? If it is obvious that humans are created with no more worth than the other, then why would we not cherish our freedom of choice? Humanity governs our actions and prevents inhumane proceedings to take place. No one is born with more power than the next baby that is brought into this world. Sartre doesn't permit the fact that similarities in physical features are drawn to each other. With the freedom of choice of socialization, one chooses selected group do to the value of identity and self knowledge. The concept of respecting and celebrating the heritage one possesses is a commendable process. These ideas form or create the self definition of who a person is. Cultural togetherness is not a bad thing. However, these ideas have negative retributions when acted upon in extreme degrees. This type of separation causes barriers or invisible lines and walls that are rarely crossed by people in our society today. Differences and diversity should be celebrated as a chance or opportunity to be able to stand out as well as the chance to educate each other about each other. Sartre's view on freedom of choice is correct but he fails to include that the act of association through such subjects as race is a choice made to continue the everlasting pursuit of identity. Throughout religion, race, and culture, we seek self-identity to determine our purpose in this world and to be known by others.

Religion continues to predetermine our essence in the world and create a sense of self-identity, as it's connected to a greater foundation. Beliefs in religion give opportunity to create a stronger sense of self due to predetermined characteristics of members of the group. In some ways, religion resembles the makings of a cult, using the faith as a division between its members and the common folk outside of the selected group. An example of this is evident in the "Christian Identity." This is the name of a religious movement uniting many of the white supremacist groups in the United States. The Identity's teachers promote racism and sometimes violence. Their roots are deeply embedded in movements such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazis. They consider themselves true Israel and view the Jews as half-devils and arch enemies. They believe all but the white race are inferior creations. Though the Identity's religious views are outstanding, this is an extreme example of identity through segregation. In a more ordinary view, when religion is used in a material sense, referring to religious establishments, churches, synagogues, mosques, non believers aren't as welcomed as the faithful. Here, actual doors separate the members and the foreigners from association with one another. If religion is suppose to predetermine ourselves, then who are we? Foremost, it is preordained that we are children of God, created in his image, imbued with his spirit, endowed with his gifts, set free by his grace. With this as our given background, we are unable to choose the wrong path. Sartre's statement, "Man is condemned to be free,"(Sartre) gives humans the power to be nothing. That power scares people into disagreeing that "existence precedes essence." Religion gives people more than what they see. Unfortunately, many people rely on what they see to create their identity. Physical features such as skin color and race are referred to for character.

Race is the simplest way to predetermine our character and to identify one another with. In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce refers to Irish nationalism when he says, "When the soul of a man is born in this country there are nets flung at it to hold it back from flight. You talk to me of nationality, language, religion. I shall try to fly by these nets."(Joyce) Throughout our existence, nets are flung about us, keeping us separate from others, but in the end we learn to fly using what separates us. To fly we must make an identity for ourselves and to do so, race is sought upon for help. It seems to me that, too often, a search for some mythic authentic racial personality works as a stepping stone for identity but, inversely, it holds back every race from flight into the open skies of American diversity. Of course there is the constraint of racism also holding us back, but the trick, as Joyce knew, is to turn their race, do to unwanted differences. This is also evident in a movie about real life at a college entitled Higher Learning, one character talks about taking a trip around the world inside the campus quad. A character Omar says,

"Over