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Recently someone wrote about the psychological effects of color on humans.

It is scientifically proven that color psychology has physical effects on humans and perhaps on animals; can a bull see red?

Some people see red and they see danger, others see passion; many drivers now days just see a chance  to bearly get across...

Then there is the perception of people by the color of their skin.

I'm a Mexican güero, so I get the "you don't look like Mexican" statement quite often.

I usually reply: "My sombrero is being dry cleaned and my burro is in the shop," I really do.

In the news today is the great controversy of the arrest of Professor Henry Louis Gates, a Harvard schollar, at his home.

A white woman reported seeing a house in Harvard Park being burglarized by "black men."

Professor Gates was having trouble opening the front door to his house.

The arresting officer, Sgt. James Crowley, a white officer with 11 years as a cop didn't see an outstanding African American  schollar; he saw a Black criminal.

He arrested Professor Gates for "disorderly conduct," he was not submissive.

The charges were later dropped.

Crowley claims tha he followed procedures. Apperantly  the academy does not teach effective communication skills, as in: "I apologize sir we made a mistake."

From personal experience and having written about this I have learned that police are confrontational with minorities. That is, they will taunt you until you react. Then, of course, following procedures, they will pulverize you and throw you in the slammer.

They don't serve lattes in the slammer.

Hiding behind the "blue shield," Crowley claims he did nothing wrong and will never apologize.

President Obama was asked about his thoughts on this. He said: "...the Cambridge police acted stupidly..." He didn't call anyone stupid he said actions were stupid.

In his book, The Odasity of Hope, President Obama wrote: 

"Although, largely through luck and circumstance, I now occupy a position that insulates me from most of the bumps and bruises that the average black man must endure I can recite the usual litany of petty slights that during my 45 years have been directed my way: security guards tailing me as I shop in department stores, white couples who toss me their car keys as I stand outside a restaurant waiting for the valet, police cars pulling me over for no apparent reason. I know what it's like to have people tell me I can't do something because of my color, and I know the bitter swill of swallowed-back anger. I know as well that [my wife] Michelle and I must be continually vigilant against some of the debilitating story lines that our daughters may absorb from TV and music and friends and the streets about who the world thinks they are, and what the world imagines they should be."

I think he too knows all too personally how it feels to be treated differently because of your ethnicity or the color of your skin.

The multi cultural mosaic that makes up the United States is multi-colored, that is what adds to the richness of this nation.

The question that begs to be asked is: Do we see red now or are we in the dark?

And by the way, bulls can't see red. They are color blind; they react to movement.