Declaring the City Racism-Free Is but One Step : Los Angeles: The resolution reminds us of the city’s policies and what we must strive for in our smorgasbord of cultures.

Los Angeles is no longer a simple place in which to live. We are now the biggest smorgasbord in the world. “Diversity” doesn’t begin to describe the multitude of cultures found here. With regular reminders in recent weeks that racial prejudice and tension are more commonplace than we would like to admit, last month’s reaffirmation of the 1993 City Council declaration that Los Angeles should strive to become a “racism-free city” is not naive, nor is it meaningless.

Indeed, it is a serious statement today, as it was when the city’s governing body originally declared that racism, intolerance and discrimination have no haven here. Racism must be taken seriously if we wish to effectively combat the forces that seek to create untenable divisions among us.

Regrettably, the Simpson verdict has touched off a maelstrom that has torn away the guise of tolerance and exposed an all-too-ugly portrait of anger, intolerance, fear and blind, self-indulgent conceit. Discussions of the verdict, the trial, the motive, reform of the justice system and so on can be healthy for society. But the interjection and innuendo of race in these discussions is as dangerous as it is frightening.

Exhortations abound: Leadership must do more, people need to come together, people need to talk, more must be done. But how does the City Council bring together more than 3 million people? Declaring Los Angeles racism-free reminded our 45,000 city employees of the city’s policies and may stimulate much-needed discussion--discussion in the workplace, at home, with children, neighbors, relatives and friends.

Race is much more than the color of skin. It is a single word encompassing an individual’s life experiences, lessons learned from his or her parents and grandparents and the values, hopes, aspirations and limitations that we are taught to expect from life.

We have differences and, while we may not be able to fully empathize with the pain and history of another, we can learn, expand our own knowledge and respect other people for what and who they are.

Most of the defining experiences of urban African Americans can never be fully understood by “non-blacks.” Even those non-blacks who realize the prejudice and bigotry faced by blacks may sometimes think blacks overreact.

Most of the defining experiences of American Jews can never be fully understood by “non-Jews.” Even those non-Jews who realize the prejudice and bigotry faced by Jews may sometimes think Jews are hypersensitive.

Indeed, many of our defining experiences can never be fully understood by those who have not lived them. Thus, we are often perceived as overreacting when we speak of prejudice and bigotry. Nevertheless, each of us must accept the context and content of what others say about their life experience and values. Surely this is so with African Americans and Jews.

And, of course, the same statement may be made by Armenians, Mexicans, Catholics, Italians, Japanese, Muslims, Vietnamese, Koreans, Cambodians, Laotians, Native Americans, Aleuts, Pakistanis, Buddhists, Indians, Filipinos, Protestants, Armenians, Germans, Irish, Chinese, Salvadorans, Iranians, Palestinians and other residents of Los Angeles.

We must also turn our attention to an exploration of what we have in common with one another. We want to be treated with basic human respect; no more and no less than the respect accorded others. We want equal opportunity. We don’t want to be disadvantaged because of our skin color, language, heritage, religion, culture or lifestyle.

Sounds like the Bill of Rights. Sounds like what this country is supposed to be all about. But there exists right now in this country, and no less in our city, a great struggle between the haves and the have-nots. Between those who want to turn the concept of equality and equal opportunity for all into a reality and those who say we are already a “colorblind society.”

Most of us deeply believe in the two precepts of respect and equality, but as long as we remain divided because of our own failure to abide by those precepts ourselves and to accord them to all members of the smorgasbord, we will never be able to conquer the greater struggle: to free our city from all forms of bigotry.