Why do we care about differences?

Interesting article on CNN http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/16/white.valedictorian/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
Why is it that we can't be happy when someone succeeds if they are different than us? This is certainly not limited to race. I have known a few who were unhappy that some from their different economic class had succeeded. Even in sports it works this way. I have always lived in the West ( and Brazil) so I tend to cheer for sporting teams from the west, not just my geographical area. That even goes for the NFL where I am typically an NFC fan. I would root for Seattle over the Giants because Seattle is in the West. What makes us not only shun differences but make it an us/them mentality?

Pleasantly Surprised

Well, I just read an article from Roland Martin that was an excellent example of where it would be nice to be:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/08/roland.martin/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
I have to agree that for everyone to be represented, everyone has to be counted. Also, we can't do this as individual ethnic groups. We have to be united.

Bias is universal

Here is another simple article that is indicative of the problem.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/05/roland.martin.05.05/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Roland Martin comes across as totally biased in this article. To be honest, his arguments seem a bit contrived. He mentions that several white preachers (e.g. Pat Robertson) who shouldn't be allowed to have any influence because of how Reverend Wright has been treated. I wouldn't have a problem with his assessment except the examples that he cites from American-hating preachers don't include anything from Pat Robertson. Now, before you make any judgements, I do kind of think that Pat Robertson often (read most of the time) goes too far. But saying that Pat Robertson shouldn't have access to American Policticians because of what Rod Parsley said is like saying Franklin D. Roosevelt is a bad man because he, like Mussolini, was the leader of a country.

The bigger issue here is how to address the problem. Why can't we all be American? Why does color, race or ethnicity play such a large part in who me are and how we are percieved? More importantly, why does it play such a large role in how other people perceive us (you, me and all of us)? I wish there was an easy answer to any of those questions.