Imagine this conversation between a father and a daughter:

Father: &8220;Honey, please put away the those three crayons.&8221;

Daughter: &8220;Which three?&8221;

Father: &8220;The burnt sienna, periwinkle and salmon.&8221;

Daughter: &8220;Why?&8221;

Father: &8220;Because I don&8217;t like those colors.&8221;

Daughter: &8220;No, I&8217;m mean, why don&8217;t you like those colors?&8221;

Father: &8220;My father hated burnt sienna and periwinkle, and my brothers hated salmon. I grew up hating burnt sienna, periwinkle and salmon.&8221;

Daughter: &8220;Why did they hate those colors? I kind of like them.&8221;

Father: &8220;Listen, just do not use those colors. As a matter of fact, give them to me, and I will throw them away so you can&8217;t use those colors ever again.&8221;

Daughter: &8220;You&8217;re just being silly. Throwing away perfectly good crayons without ever using them? That&8217;s a waste.&8221;

Father: &8220;It&8217;s not a waste. Burnt sienna, periwinkle and salmon are not as good as the other colors. Use the other ones and you will be fine.&8221;

Daughter: &8220;But what if I like those colors, Daddy?

Father: &8220;You don&8217;t want to go against our family over three colors, do you?&8221;

Daughter: &8220;Why would you go against your daughter for liking those three colors?&8221;

Father: &8220;Why are you upsetting the apple cart? Are you trying to start trouble?&8221;

Daughter: &8220;No, I just don&8217;t understand why because you and your family grew up hating burnt sienna, periwinkle and salmon that I have to. At some point, don&8217;t you think this is a waste of time?&8221;

Father: &8220;No. This is how it is.&8221;

Daughter: &8220;Can you tell me why you hate burnt sienna, periwinkle and salmon? And don&8217;t say because your family hated those colors.

Father: &8220;I just always have.&8221;

Daughter: &8220;OK, well, can you change?&8221;

To fight over crayons colors is about the same as fighting over skin color &8212; pointless. Yet this still happens in America today and around the world. It is happening somewhere right now, even in Minnesota, even in Freeborn County. Often, it is handed down generation to generation. If people could see each other as people and not judge by race, we could address greater troubles facing the human race.