America is a multi-national country. It “s one of the richest countries in the world. Everyone has food here. Yes, some people buy chicken legs for fifty cents a pound, while others routinely enjoy wild salmon at $25 a pound. But all people have food here.

People have places to live. Yes, some people live in mobile homes or in poorly maintained “projects rdquo;, there is a small number of homeless people (many of them have chosen this lifestyle themselves) while other live in mansions. But people have places to live.

People have work in America. Yes, some people never worked here, but even they collect money from the government and many have medical insurance. Every person in reasonable health who wants to work has work in America.

That “s why about two hundred nationalities peacefully live together in New York City. America talks about diversity. Large companies create diversity programs where people can get familiar with traditions of people of different descent, race and culture. In all kinds of application forms there is an optional question about your race. Affirmative actions require federal organizations (some large firms have adopted this too) to hire minorities (read black) people substantially lowering their skills requirements for the job. But no matter what you say about diversity, there is a slow-burning conflict between black and white people.

Paul McCartney sings, “Ebony and Ivory live together in perfect harmony side by side on my piano keyboard, Oh lord, why don ‘t we rdquo;. The piano keys live in harmony because they are pretty limited in their actions.

The law enforcement works well in America too, so different people live in some harmony here. But all these diversity programs do not make people equal, and will never do for a simple reason ndash; people are different.

Black people claim that white people do not like them because their skin is black. This is nonsense. If white people do not like blacks, it “s because of this “Yo, man rdquo; culture, it “s because of generations of black people living on welfare without any intention to get a job, it “s because of the fact that the most dangerous and poorly maintained areas in New York City are populated by predominantly black people. Look at the prisons ” population. There is an old joke, rdquo;Three men are sitting in the car ndash; one black, one Latino, who “s the third one? The answer: policeman rdquo;.

At this point someone can remind about the black slavery and not equal opportunities for black and white kids. Yes, not everyone was born in a family with a similar past, wealth and culture. But everyone has a shot in America. I “ve had a chance to work with brilliant black software engineers. Trust me, the color of their skin did not matter to me and never will (as a matter of fact, many Indian programmers have darker skins than some African-Americans). We have not the same but similar cultures, education and we have a lot to talk about. These black people took their shots, and I do not think that 150-year old slavery really matters to them.

Well, sometimes the slavery reasoning becomes handy. For example, Johnnie Cochran successfully played this card during the murder case for O.J. Simpson.

Take your shot. Stop whining about slavery. Pull up your pants. Zip them up. Take off your golden chains. Work hard. Study. And you “ll be all you can be. I came to America as an adult with no money, and English is my second language. I did not get a penny from the US government. I took my shot. I do not complain.