The second episode of Under One Roof aired Tuesday night and continued the excitement begun in the first episode. Five families on a Fijian Island in one house with no electricity, TV, phone or outside contact makes for some tense situations. The food became a problem very quickly. It appeared that some families were eating a lot more than others and this concerned the remaining families. While some of the families were dividing the remaining food to make it more fair, the McRaes went off by themselves to criticize the others. While talking, Mrs. McRae said something very interesting and pertinent to the problems that happened later in the episode. She stated that she felt more kinship with the Fijian people than the families in the house. Mr. McRae quickly agreed. Now one has to wonder how much time the families have spent with the Fijians. Was this statement based solely on skin color?

Later that night Mr. Skofield rallied the kids into playing a prank on the McRaes. The children took the task very seriously and piled everything they could find, including chairs and garbage in front of the McRaes door. This was probably not a smart idea since the McRaes had already shown they had absolutely no sense of humor but it's doubtful anyone expected the reaction they got. After Mrs. McRae discovered the prank she told her husband who thought it was some type of quest and dug through the garbage. Mr. McRae then went on to tell his kids it was not just a prank but was motivated by race. In other words, someone in the house with them was racist!

The children were doubtful at first until Mr. and Mrs. McRae convinced them that this same thing had happened to them when they were younger and it was definitely because they were the only black family. Way to go McRaes, teach your children to think of everything in their lives in terms of race. They called a meeting of the families and told everyone they should have realized how they would take this action. Since race was not a factor in this prank no one could understand why the McRaes automatically turned it into a race issue.

So let's take a closer look at racism. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the term racist means: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

This seems to be describing the McRaes more than anyone else on the show. They stated they were closer to the Fijians even though the only thing they have in common is skin color and then immediately said the prank was motivated by race when it was pulled on them instead of someone else. Open your eyes Mr. McRae and realize you are the racist. If you don’t change you will raise racist children to continue the hate and discrimination. Let the past die now and take advantage of the opportunity you have been given to live in peace with people from a different race. Otherwise you will see racists wherever you go in life.

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Anise