26 Comments

I really like this essay. Great message.

We have similar issues here in 🇨🇦.

Expand full comment

Thank you 😊

Expand full comment

Hi Adam. You're writing is so uplifting and this column was no exception. I am so sick of race. I've listened to the lefty democrat clap trap about it my entire 64 years and I'm just so tired of it. Obama was supposed to be the post-racial president but it turned out he was one of the most hyper-racial presidents we've ever had. He and his democrat cronies introduced us, or at least facilitated the growth of DEI, a divisive and destructive philosophy whose real goal is to Balkanize and divide us.

A couple of highlights: "Leftists do much of this because they're not curious, they're dogmatic: their objective is to make the world fit their narrative." A more apt description of democrat lefties I have never heard. The democrat goal is not only to make the world fit their narrative, but it is to force people's behavior, including speech, to conform to their narrative. And unlike some conservative Christians who seek to do the same through moral persuasion and some finger wagging, the democrat leftists seek conformity by using laws enforced by men with guns. There is no "live and let live" in leftism in general or specifically in the democrat party...other than killing babies and private sexual practices between consenting parties (BTW not "consenting adults" anymore, its morphed into "consenting parties"). Other than those two subjects democrats are about dogmatism and conformity. The democrat party being about individual freedom and rights is a thing of the past. But, digress somewhat.

And finally this: " I literally had a woman hug me with excitement while in Turkey once she found out that I was American, shouting "I love America!" repeatedly." This brought tears to my eyes. The Turkish woman expressed a viewpoint about America that was common when I was growing up. We were the great, vast country that had stamped out Nazi evil and Japanese Imperialism. We has stared down the Soviet Communists in the Cold War. We were that great and good...emphasis on good...country. To hear that anyone on the planet still has that view of us was heartening and uplifting. Thanks for a great column.

Expand full comment

I have a black friend who spent a few years in Japan. He knew Japanese so he knew when people were talking about him- they often talked about his height 6’6” but never his color.

Expand full comment

Adam, what a heartfelt writing piece, a humble thanks from a pale white girl who deeply appreciates this. I am in agreement with another commenter on here, "I am so sick of race." I never want to be insensitive to the sufferings of others...but none of us choose who our parents are! God made all of us and made us unique, gifted, loved and needed in this world. Even with people being somewhat "tribal", we still share the need to be loved, to contribute our gifts to the world and to help one another along the difficult material path of the world. Walking with God and His Son, I remember that childhood hymn, "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world...red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world." It is as simple and complex as that. God bless and keep you, Sir!

Expand full comment

Thank you and God bless you too

Expand full comment

Boom. Great essay, sir.

Traveling is truly the gift, and I wish Americans did more of it. Hotels just don’t cut it for me either, and I have found Air BnB to be one of the best ways to immerse one’s self directly into the culture of whatever city one visits.

It fosters opportunities to gain valuable insights from the locals into their communities and see the many different ways people experience the world from their unique national & cultural perspectives.

Expand full comment

Thank you. I completely agree.

Expand full comment

A very interesting article, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I live in France and teach in high school. I can see how students are influenced by American users on social media and how they are tricked into adopting American racial perspectives, which is completely absurd given how different our culture, society and history are (not that France doesn't have problems with racism, it just plays out differently here). Thankfully once you get them thinking for five minutes, they realize their mistake. Here, race has no legal recognition, it cannot be used in any official capacity, in fact it's completely illegal to discrimate (positively or negatively) on those grounds. Naturally these young people are appalled when they find out about race censuses and "affirmative action" for college admissions. It goes against the French republican model they've assimilated.

Expand full comment

Fascinating how the internet brings these ideas over to young people. It reminds me of when I was talking to Graham Linehan and he pointed out how British kids were saying "Y'all", which is strange. Only certain Americans in particular regions (mainly the South) say this.

Expand full comment

I love that you did this. The more we shine a light on what unites people, and take the spotlight off what divides us, the better people we become. And, hopefully, some who believe the race-hate will see reality. Well done Coleman (and wife)!

Expand full comment

Thank you 😊

Expand full comment

You’re the best

Expand full comment

Thank you!

Expand full comment

Brother thank you!!!

Expand full comment

My pleasure!

Expand full comment

Such a refreshing perspective; thank you.

Expand full comment

Thank you 😊

I'm glad you enjoyed it

Expand full comment

Thank you for a typically thoughtful and thought-provoking article. An interesting point is that the anachronistic racial categories that people use actually don't designate races, anyway. Many writers — including myself — have made this point… For instance, I have a number of times in the realm of education: "The ACT Isn’t Racially Biased Because “Black" and “White” Aren’t Races"

https://everythingisbiology.substack.com/p/the-act-isnt-racially-biased-because

This is not to say that there are not legitimate biological racial categories. They're just not the simplistic and inaccurate categories to which people seem so inextricably wed. And, of course, in the end it really doesn't matter to what racial group one belongs, as you've so eloquently pointed out on so many occasions. Thank you again for a great essay. Sincerely, Frederick

Expand full comment

Americans have always viewed the rest of the world through their own lens. They view everything through whatever lens represents the current thing.

Expand full comment

And this is exactly what I mean: https://twitter.com/i/status/1764733740536992155

"White Christian Nationalists" is the new current lens through which all interactions must be viewed.

Expand full comment

It's nice to start the day with positive reflections. Hope springs eternal. Thank you Adam!

Expand full comment

So great to hear. Thank you. At least there’s some sanity on that front elsewhere! Thank you again.

Expand full comment

Thanks for this sharing of your experience. When will the term ‘humanity’ be understood as inclusive of all humans…the truth of our lives is ‘Nature via Nurture’

not ‘nature vs. nurture’ . The semantic and rhetorical trick of using the meaningless term “race” needs its fallacy exposed.

Expand full comment

Beautifully written, Adam!

Have you traveled to Japan yet? From my experience at least, they also tend to love Americans.

Expand full comment