The "Race Card"

Why is this a card anyone ever put in the deck of life?  I don't understand when someone says "I don't mean to play the race card..." Well, if you don't mean to, then why are you?! 

Race, as I've stated before, is a social institution.  Why have a race card if so many people claim that "we [as a country and/or society] have moved past race."  This is clearly not the case.  It still matters to far too many people.  As long as someone thinks about race -- as long as they're thinking about it, they don't necessarily have to speak it or write it -- then there is still an issue with race.  America, come on.  We're better than this.  If you think you can joke about race but that you don't have an issue with it, you're wrong.  Race doesn't matter. It's not something worth joking about, laughing about, talking about or even thinking about, let alone "pulling the race card."

Something I said in a previous post that I feel is still worth saying now:

Race is a touchy subject in America. For example, as long as Barack Obama is the "first black president" instead of the "44th President of the United State of America," race will still be a problem.  All of this notion that we've "moved past race" as a culture is clearly hogwash.  As long as FSU students remain afraid to go south of Gaines St. or go out on the FAMU homecoming weekend, we clearly still have an issue with racism.  There may scientifically be three races (Mongoloid, Negroid and Caucasoid) but all three are still human beings.  Every person on this earth bleeds the same color: red.  That is something that won't change no matter what color skin we might have, what socioeconomic class we might fall under, who we go to sleep with at night, or what gender we identify with.  We all need food, water, shelter, compassion and most importantly, we need each other.

 Race DOES NOT MATTER. I don't know how else to say that.  I don't know how I'm supposed to help society move past this horrible notion.  I don't see color; I have friends who are black, white, yellow and purple.  It doesn't matter to me.  When I'm describing someone I don't say they're "black, tall, fat and bald." I say they're "tall, fat and bald."  Why? Because it doesn't register in my brain that they're black.  I don't care... it's not only that I don't care, it's that I don't even think about it.  My brain is so inclined to not care that I legitimately don't see it anymore.

"Black people like fried chicken." Well, I guarantee, I can eat just as much fried chicken as a black man.  I adore fried chicken. 
"Asian people love rice." Again, I could eat you out of house and home when it comes to rice.  I love it; I eat it more than once a day.

I hate racism.  I hate social institutions.  It doesn't matter!  Move past it. Sheesh.