On this 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Dream” speech, I am saddened at the state of race relations in the United States. Not because racism still exists, but because there is a group of people who have made an industry out of racism, who have a vested interest in maintaining and inflaming racial tension.

For those people, color means everything. All issues, discussions, conflicts, and actions must be viewed through the prism of color. This is antithetical to what Dr. King envisioned.

But I am also hopeful. I am hopeful because of the rise of new media and its ability to expose the hypocrisy and venom of the race mongers. I am hopeful that the voice of new media will overcome the bias and corruption of those who insist on using color as the first basis of judgement. I am hopeful that the future is one where cries of racism are no longer used to defend destructive behavior.

Oh, the race mongers are going to fight. After all, they’ve made quite a living peddling misery, poverty, and hate. But I believe that time is coming to an end. Race mongers will soon be relegated to history. And in their place?

A world where color means nothing.

I don’t make a habit of listening to other people’s conversations when flying, but this particular discussion was pretty hard to ignore, considering it was so loud you couldn’t concentrate on anything else.

A young, male college student was having a conversation with a young mother who had her infant in her lap. They talked about random family and baby things, then the college student asked the young mother what her husband did for a living. When she told him he had a fracking business, the college student proceeded to shame her for having a hand in the destruction of the environment at the altar of profit. It is a shame you see to provide for your wife and newborn baby when it harms the planet.

Fracking was bad. The Keystone pipeline was bad. Dams were bad. Basically anything other than green energy was bad.

As the conversation unfolded, I found myself fantasizing about what I would say to the young, male college student, given the opportunity to do so. Here is what I developed:

Let me ask you a few questions if you don’t mind…

With or without a pipeline, the oil from Canada is being transported. Do you know how it is being transported?

By train.

Do you know what railroad is used?

Burlington Northern Southern Freight

Do you know what entity owns Burlington Northern?

Berkshire Hathaway.

Do you know what very rich man is at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway?

Warren Buffet

Do you know what political party Warren Buffet supports?

The Democrat party.

And what party is obstructing construction of the Keystone pipeline?

The Democrat party.

And isn’t that interesting how a very rich man supports the party that is making sure the oil from Canada is transported on his railroad?

Now, I want you to do some research. I want you to research which mode of transportation is more environmentally friendly, rail or pipe. And when you find that pipe is more environmentally friendly, I want you to ask yourself why the Democrat party is obstructing a more environmentally friendly pipeline. Could it be that obstruction is in the interest of one of their most wealthy supporters? Isn’t that interesting?

And before you go off and say we shouldn’t be using oil at all. I have some more questions for you:

The blades on a windmill are made from resins and fibers. Do you know what raw material is used to make those resins and fibers?

Oil.

The generator in a windmill uses all kinds of lubrication and fancy things made from rare earth minerals. Do you know what raw material is used to make that lubrication?

Oil.

Do you know what powers the machines that dig up and transport the rare earth minerals?

Oil.

Windmills are painted a nice, bland shade of gray manlig-halsa.se. Do you know what raw material is used to make that paint?

Oil.

So as you continue your journey westward on this giant, oil burning airplane, you have a lot to think about don’t you?

Flakes.