In a perfect world everyone would love everybody else. In a perfect world the color of your skin and racial background wouldn't make a difference. The problem is, it's not a perfect world, and racial and ethnic prejudices exist.
SF State Creative Writing Instructor Leo Litwak, 70, is well aware of the problem.
"It seems there is a huge store of goodwill -- that people do want to get along," he said. "The best approach might be not to see others as enemies, rather to see others as perhaps in need of information and in need of simply seeing each other as human."
The prejudices that exist today are a far cry from the prejudices of 40 years ago.
"We've made huge progress," Litwak said. "The world that exists now is utterly different from the world that existed in the 50s. There's been a tremendous change in this country."
Even though Litwak said there has been "tremendous" change in this country, he said bigotry still rears its wicked head.
An instance that is exemplified by the Malcolm X mural controversy at SF State. A year ago, the Student Center Governing Board commissioned a mural of black leader Malcolm X. The problem, however, was that the mural was painted with symbols that many felt were anti-Semitic.
The controversy unfolded when President Robert A. Corrigan called for the removal of the mural.
An attack on free speech? Or an attack on prejudice? Or just a simple solution to a complex problem? Whatever the case may have been, the mural was eventually removed, but not after a strong stand by those who opposed its removal.
Litwak, who has taught at SF State since 1961, was appalled at the blatant display of prejudice, and understood Corrigan's decision.
"I can well understand the stance the president took," he said. "It was a very hard thing to do and it does border on free speech rights, nonetheless it's complicated and I can understand taking the action (Corrigan) did."
Litwak said he thought the students who backed the mural were uninformed.
"They simply uttered their passion and were taunting those who they considered to be their enemies, and that kind of performance to me seemed to be childish and depressing," Litwak said.
He has witnessed much controversy during his academic career, which has spanned over 40 years, but none like the 1969 Student Strike at SF State.
By 1969 the Civil Rights Movement had enveloped the country for over 10 years. Universities across the nation were embroiled in student/establishment battles. At SF State, student minority organizations felt the administration was not moving quickly enough to tear down racial and ethnic barriers.
According to Litwak, the students were overwhelmed by passion, which in the end led to violence and "intractable rhetoric," which Litwak said has no place on campus.
"I think their rhetoric was awful," he said. "There was a lot that was attractive to young people in taking a very militant stand. They felt the weight of injustice and wanted immediate redress of their grievances. That led to language (and action) that I felt was excessive, but nonetheless the grievances were real."
So real, in fact, that Litwak joined many faculty members and went on strike also.
"I was sympathetic to the full attention being given to their grievances, and if necessary, halting all campus business to discuss their grievances," he said.
Although Litwak was among those who thought the students should be heard, he abhorred the way students went about it and said they didn't really get what they wanted.
"I'm not sure I could agree to their actual program," he said. "There is of course a School of Ethnic Studies, and a department of black studies, and there is much more attention in all departments." Nonetheless, according to Litwak, it hasn't come about through a breakdown in academic structure. The administration was working on implementing these departments, but just not fast enough for the students, he said.
"I think there's been a large change that came about partly through the pressure of students, but the kind of revolution they preached surely didn't come about," Litwak said.
The problem Litwak sees is that passion sometimes will get in the way of rational thinking, which at times can lead to violence, and in Litwak's eyes, violence really is not the answer.
From 1951 to 1960 Litwak taught philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis. While there he became involved in the Civil Rights Movement, specifically CORE, Committee on Racial Equality, which advocated non-violent protest.
One time while in line at a cafeteria, Litwak witnessed a black woman being refused service. Litwak, along with other people in line, refused to move until the woman was served. Business stopped for nearly three hours.
At one point during the non-violent demonstration, a woman sitting on the second floor poured sugar on the woman who had been refused service, however there was no retaliatory action, and the demonstration remained peaceful, Litwak said. The woman was finally served.
Before Litwak began teaching he was a medic in World War II. War brings out the worst in men; in Litwak it brought-out compassion, and not just for the Allies.
Toward the end of the war Litwak was ordered to attend to a German soldier who had been shot by an American sniper.
"The soldier was around 45, gray with shock, they were throwing everybody at us toward the end of the war," said Litwak. "He saw my medic crosses and must have thought I was a priest, because he reached out and called me 'father.' He told me he was dying and called me 'father' again.
"I felt great compassion for him."
Litwak, who is a published author and has written many articles, will close the academic chapter of his life when he retires at the end of this semester. Of all his accomplishments, however, the one thing that Litwak wants most to be remembered for is being a teacher.
"I think I was a good teacher," he said. "I made a difference in the lives of students. My work had some weight in this world."