American race relations | Miami Herald

There has been much chatter about race relations in American society, but the most profound statement has come from the lips of former President George W. Bush, who said in a speech at the ceremony honoring the slain policemen in Dallas, that we tend to judge members of a group by the worst element in it, but judge ourselves by our best intentions.

The challenge facing the country, therefore, is full implementation of that Civil Rights Act of 1964 and widening of the umbrella of prosperity so that all Americans will come under it.

We can begin by adopting a mindset consistent with the spirit embodied in Bush’s statement. Moreover, we can adopt a new perception of American society that views it as a salad bowl rather than a melting pot and discard the survival-of-the-fittest mindset for one that believes we are our brother’s and sister’s keeper.