Buried deep in the mammal’s brain are survival codes written by nature starting 200 million years ago. Descendent from reptiles, this code goes back even farther in time as basic instincts just morph as the species change and alert the creature to potential threats. As descendants of primates, humanoids carry a set of inborn information placed there by nearly 5 million years of existence. Without these preprogrammed instructions, humans would have just walked up to lions to pet and quickly joined the 99% of life that is now extinct. This awareness program raises suspicion and mistrust in any living organism that is not, “just like us.” When foraging for food, ancient man had to determine what was edible and what was not. Nature had given him some clues, such as size, aggressiveness and teeth design. In time and in small portions, humans recognized what was tasty and what made them sick. Eating other humans could kill you if their brains or liver were eaten, so it was best to avoid competing humans outright. This natural hatred of anyone who is not from your tribe is the foundation for racism and still exists today. The Native Americans stayed in small groups to increase the odds of survival and repelled or killed most any other culture who ventured into their territory. When encountering the Europeans, they at first kept their distance. When lured into their encampments by technology (weapons) and gifts of curiosity (beads and trinkets), they paid a solemn price. Disease and murder decimated their numbers as the white man looked at them as an inferior species. They were easy to conquer as their small numbers and lack of organization sealed their own fate. Even the tribes with the greatest populations and last resort alliances with neighboring enemies could not save them. Early civilizations who learned how to suppress racism and organize these groups into conquering armies, always fought internal racism with rules and rewards to quell this natural hatred. 

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