Prejudice in society continues to affect the minorities and the majorities.  So how is prejudice defined?  Prejudice is a, "preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience" (Webster's Dictionary 54).  The main cause of racism is prejudice towards others.  Racism remains in society and discrimination is the outcome.  As an African American, Kiese Laymon, illustrates the overwhelming problems he experienced due to racism in "How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America:  A Remembrance."  Laymon goes to describe how discrimination has affected himself as well as his friends and family.  Are Laymon's experiences an extreme or are his experiences an everyday occurrence in American society?  "Racism, Gun Ownership, and Gun Control: Biased Attitudes in US Whites May Influence Policy Decisions," support Laymon's perception of racism, blatant racism, and symbolic racism negatively affecting African Americans.   

Historical racism has greatly affected the African American community as a whole.  In "How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America:  A Remembrance," Laymon uses a great amount of past events on tragic deaths of African American teens around the United States.  In this piece, African American on African American crime as well as White on African American crime is illustrated.  Laymon writes, "16 months later, I'm 18, three years older than Edward Evans will be when he is shot in the head behind an abandoned home in Jackson." (Laymon, 3)  Edward Evans was a fifteen year old kid who was shot by his next door neighbor Cedric Ratliff, a twenty-five year old man.  Laymon also writes, "I am still 19, two years older than Trayvon Martin will be when he swings back" (Laymon, 6).  Trayvon Martin was an African American teen who was, reported suspicious, and shot by George Zimmerman.  Although Zimmerman was later found not guilty, this occurrence is historically a negative outcome for the African American community.  Laymon, using these events, shows all how past African American violence was and how it has affected himself and family through the means of discrimination.  Also, Laymon's use of these past historical events give off a negative tone to the reader.  So how are Laymon's claims validated?  Violent crime and gun violence have historically victimized African Americans.  The second amendment protected gun rights via a Supreme Court decision.  Thus, for a large majority of the late twentieth century, and until present, African Americans have been subject to historical setbacks (O'Brien 3).  These setbacks still affect future generations of African Americans (O'Brien 3).  In return, this negative tone offers a more meaningful message that the reader stays concentrated on.  The past negative discriminatory events in history depict the many obstacles future African Americans will face.

Blatant racism is an obvious act to discriminate against a group of people. Laymon writes, "As Troy, Cleta, Leighton and I walk out of McDonald's, that Filet-o-Fish grease straight cradling my lips, I hold the door open for a tiny, scruffy-faced white man with a green John Deere hat on. "Thanks, partner," he says.  A few minutes later, we're driving down I-55 when John Deere drives up and rolls his window down.  I figure that he wants to say something funny since we'd had a cordial moment at McDonald's.  As soon as I roll my window down, the man screams, "Nigger lovers!" and speeds off."  Later, Laymon tells us that the man in the John Deere hat turned out to be a Cop.  Later, the officer was assisted by his partners and would be labeled intoxicated and off-duty.  The Cop was not punished for his actions of harassment toward Laymon and his friends. Blatant racism greatly affects a person's self-esteem and self-confidence, while distinguishing you from the common person.  Being blatantly racist towards a group of people can cause tension between two groups in society.  This affects the minority more than the majority because the majority all agrees to 

the same idea while the minority has little say in what is happening.  The society's majority justifies the racial tensions and prejudice with a false opinion being represented more frequently.  Extreme acts created from spite and ignorance lead to unconscious prejudice, while adding to racial tensions throughout a community.  Blatant racism must be terminated, or the ignorance and spite will fuel smaller magnitudes of prejudice throughout society.  

Acts of racism can be overlooked by the common man.  O'Brien writes, "Symbolic racism is a belief structure underpinned by both anti-black affect and traditional values" (O'Brien, 2).  The traditions of a community will lead to systematic discrimination against a community's minorities.  How was Laymon affected by symbolic racism?  The Kappa Alpha and Kappa Sigma fraternities at Millsaps University were drunk in front of the dorms where Laymon was living wearing confederate capes, afro wigs, and black face.  While justifiably angered, Laymon lashed out and was involved in an altercation with the fraternities. As a result of this altercation, Laymon was put on disciplinary probation. The fraternities were revoked of their party privileges for a semester.  This occurrence gives us a general feeling of systematic racism in everyday society and the punishment was a result of the system, Millsaps.  The president, and university's policies were not founded to discriminate, but the biased elements of both would lead to the discrimination against Laymon.  The symbolic racism would lead to discrimination, and Laymon would be the victim.

Symbolic and more specifically systematic racism is a dire problem in the "boiling pot" of American society.  Gun regulation is a key issue is today's politics.  Some aspects of gun control have been proved successful to prevent actions of violent crime (O'Brien, 2).  African Americans are almost ten times more likely to become a victim of United States fire arm homicide (O'Brien, 1).  More white Americans oppose gun laws than African Americans (O'Brien, 1).  Individual self-defense, a traditional value, leads to greater negative consequences within the African American minority.  The preservation of the second amendment rights leads to violent crime.  Simultaneously, more African Americans become victim's every day.  The lack of minimization of violent gun crime is an obvious form of symbolic racism.  Laymon and many other African Americans witness symbolic racism on the daily.  

Historical racism, blatant racism, and symbolic racism still thrive throughout America. Negative effects and obstacles present an unjust challenge every day for African Americans.  Laymon illustrates these obstacles in, "How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America:  A Remembrance."  Although not all racism leads to death, it is important for America to overcome the negative effects.  In the future, policy, law, and simple tasks need to work towards minimizing and eliminating all forms of racism.        

