These Kids Are Living Proof That Hate And Bigotry Is Dying

These Kids Are Living Proof That Hate And Bigotry Is Dying (VIDEO)

Author: Shannon Argueta July 15, 2013 4:35 PM

Bigotry, hate, and racism are taught. These children analyzing the Cheerios ad have learned a different – a better – lesson of colorblind acceptance.

In May a Cheerios ad was released on YouTube and the reaction to it truly showed that there is a very dark side of America. The comments under the sweetly innocuous commercial depicting an adorable little girl talking to her parents about the health benefits of a breakfast cereal were so ugly that the comment section was disabled less than a day later. Why was the reaction so unbelievably negative? Well, because the family portrayed in the charming and witty commercial is biracial.
That’s right folks, people were absolutely outraged by this; even in a 2013 America where not only are ten percent of the couples in America biracial but so is our very own president! I would like to say that the racist reactions were mind-blowing but really, after all of the hate-filled rants against the president in the last few years, it’s not. A great big light has been shone on the outright disgusting racism in this country since our president was elected and it is appalling.
Seeing the hoopla over the Cheerios commercial caused the Fine Brothers, producers of the Kids React web series, to feature an episode of children reacting to the commercial and controversy surrounding it. The kids, ranging from ages 7 to 13, have the absolute best reactions ever to racist America.
The episode starts with kids sitting down and viewing the infamous Cheerios commercial and they all have the same reaction to it: laughter. It’s likely that was the reaction the makers of the commercial had in mind when it was made… they probably didn’t think that it would turn into a racist free for all. So, at least when presented to a purer audience they were given the appropriate response. The kids in the webisode are then asked a series of questions about what they just saw.
The first thing the producer of the episode asks is: What happened in that commercial? All of the kids giggle and explain that the little girl put the Cheerios on her father’s heart while he is sleeping. The kids all express the same reaction: it’s just a Cheerios commercial.
The second question the kids are asked is: What did you think of the family? The kids all respond that the family seems like a nice, normal, funny, good family. None of the kids make any mention of the racial makeup of the mother, father, and daughter. They, as most children, look past race and pay attention to the overall picture. YAYYY kids!!!
After the kids talk about how nice the family looks, the producer tells them that a lot of people have gotten very angry about the commercial. Every single one of the kids in the episode react in the same way: with baffled looks on their faces, they ask ‘why?’ They can’t understand what could possibly be so offensive about a Cheerios commercial depicting a ‘normal family’ that it has made people angry. After all, it’s just a Cheerios commercial. What’s the big deal?
The producer then lays it on the kids, tells them people are angry because the parents are of two different races. Once again, the kids all have the same response: how stupid.
The rest of the episode features the kids reacting with outrage that people can be so mean. The kids express disgust that these racist people feel the need to take time out of their days to spread hate on YouTube. They say that if people don’t have something nice to say they shouldn’t say anything at all. They all  commend Cheerios for making this commercial. Families like the one in the commercial are normal families, they should have a commercial that represents them. The kids all show wisdom beyond their years and will surely bring a smile to your face.
Finally, it ends with the kids chastising racist America and giving the children of mixed-race families a positive uplifting message. One girl at the end begins to cry and apologize that seemingly innocent children are subjected to such hate-filled rage from idiots in this country.
Here’s the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VifdBFp5pnw&feature=player_embedded

The reactions of the kids in the Kids React episode was fantastic and illustrates how much this country is changing… for the better. Kids, especially kids of this generation, do not see color. They are so used to seeing children and families of mixed races that it no longer phases them and that is exactly what we want. One in ten couples are mixed -race; my son is biracial and of my four closest friends in high school, three have biracial children. The color lines in this country are definitely blurring and what was once a rarity is now the norm. The most wonderful thing of all is that with that blur comes a new, more accepting generation.
Nobody was born a bigot. Unlike being born gay, bigotry is something that is taught. Kids are innocent and loving by nature and that is exactly what the children in this webisode epitomize. We should all be extremely thrilled that the Fine Brothers brought us this glimpse into our future; a future where a Cheerios commercial with a mixed-race family will elicit the desired response: laughter. A future where teenage boys walking home from the store are not shot because the color of their skin makes them suspicious. A future far different from the one we live in today, a more peaceful America. Sure, there are still going to be people who raise their kids to be racist little a-holes, and racism will probably, unfortunately, never die. However, I believe that while it may not die completely, our future – very tolerant, loving – children – will create a sea so full of acceptance they will drown out the haters.
We have made steps towards this future and these kids are going to help us get there.

Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/07/15/these-kids-are-living-proof-that-hate-and-bigotry-is-dying/#ixzz2ZDdO3v56