There’s a joke that floats in the blogosphere that surfaces anytime a comment is made against someone’s character: That’s RAY-cess.

After the 100th time of seeing it, I have lost its initial meaning, usually interpreting as—hey that’s funny.

Yet as a liberal San Franciscan, I cringe at any hint of discrimination. I call it out when people think Turkey is dangerous “like all those Muslim countries”. I speak outwardly about gender bias in authority.

Yet, how can we forget the fact that no matter what we say, we all each still have a bias inside us? That we have lived in a culture where discrimination especially racism is almost taught. Intellectually, I believe everyone has a fair chance. Yet I wonder why my body tenses up in Oakland and why assumptions spread in my head about someone who has darker skin.

Yes, I can’t help that I don’t have a positive association. I want to have a positive association, but it doesn’t come naturally.