Why Do Racism And Bigotry Persist?

You know what I don't understand?  I don't understand why bigotry and racism persist in the world.  Are people born prejudiced?  Honestly, I don't think so.  A three year old child is going to want to be picked up and held by anyone, and I mean---ANYONE, regardless if their skin is the same color as the child's, regardless if their religion is the same as the child's, and regardless of the person's sexual orientation.  I have a really hard time accepting that people are born bigots.

I am more inclined to think that children learn bigoted behavior from their parents, or other adults around whom they spend time, and subsequently become bigots themselves.  Several years ago, I watched a documentary on PBS that was exploring the ongoing conflicts between Arabs and Jews.  An adult male asked a group of really young (less than ten years old) children where Jews were descended from.  Without missing a beat, the kids replied the Jews were the descendants of apes, pigs, and dogs.  So did these kids learn this from the adults in their lives, or were they born this way?  I see the same thing as Christians teach their children that Muslims are evil and as Muslims teach their children that Christians and Jews are apes, dogs, and infidels.

My dear old friend, Brad, shared some rather disturbing pictures (below) that were drawn by a child in Brad's children's school.

Now, are we to think that this child came up with these ideas on his own, or are we to believe that he was influenced by his parents or other adults in his life?  Again, we see this kind of thing so often.  A child calls a black man "coon" or "nigger" because he hears his father do the same.  A child calls a homosexual "fag" or "queer" because she hears her mother do the same.  The kids don't come up with these things on their own, folks.

So I guess my question is this.  Why does it continue?  Why do we as humans, generation after generation, teach our children to fear and hate those who are different from us?  For the record, I am NOT suggesting that EVERYONE teaches their children to think and behave in such an atrocious manner, but Lord knows bigotry is alive and well worldwide.  Why does this never seem to go by the wayside?

What can those of us who are not prejudiced do to prevent bigotry from spreading its vile self from generation to generation?  How can we stop this?  How can we make young people understand these attitudes and behaviors from their elders are not acceptable?  How much longer will this go on around the world?

When we will finally learn to accept that we are all human while celebrating our differences?

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.