I glanced at my computer screen at 10:17 a.m. May 8 and wondered whether it really was a new day, or whether people still were stuck back in the 1960s in regard to racism.

I, like most Americans white and black, see racism as a lingering problem in the United States. But to me, I feel Butler is one of the worst areas.

I get the feeling that today people do not even realize that they are racist, and that makes it worse

I once read that "contemporary racism is not conscious, and it is not accompanied by dislike, so it gets expressed in indirect, subtle ways." I do believe this.

That "stealth" discrimination reveals itself in many different situations. I have come across this firsthand; my fiancee is black and I am white.

I have a good job, and she is very well-educated. She is a doctor.

We cannot go out to have dinner without listening to whispers or seeing the stares of hate from across the room. We can drive down the road, and the looks we receive from other drivers are comical, to say the least.

The last straw came as we have been looking for a house. When I go to look at potential places to live without her, the people are nice to me, wanting me to take the place. The moment I bring her with me, the attitudes change and there always is an excuse as to why we cannot have the house.

The excuses range from "my husband showed it this morning without me knowing and it is no longer available," or "oh, we want to show to multiple people to find the best fit."

What I do not understand is that we all bleed red, we all have a soul, and we all breathe the same air. Why do things have to be so divided? Why can we not all get along?

There are many types of people in the world, of all descents and from all walks of life. My questions for people at the end of the day are, "Can you look at yourself in the mirror and say 'I am perfect; I have no faults' and believe that? Are there no skeletons in your closet?"

If such a person really exists, then I welcome him or her to cast the first stone. If not, please, people just want to live their lives the best they can.

People shouldn't make it hard because of the color of one's skin. The world already is in enough turmoil without petty reasons.

People should live their lives each day as if it might be their last. Life is too short.