Racism, Prejudice, Stereotypes, and other Ugliness...

This is a tough subject to tackle, but I need to get it off my chest, and this is a good venue to do it - my blog, my rules!
I'm slowly losing faith in the goodness of the human race. I'm causasian, so prior to my marriage, racism was something I read about in history books, or was something that happened to other people. I am married to an amazing arab muslim man who, contrary to a popular societal belief, does not oppress me. Sure, we have our differences and issues, but we make it work, because we believe that we as a whole are greater than our differences. Since the time I met him, I was a recipient of many comments in the category of stereotypes, racist, ignorant, narrow-minded, etc...you name it! But, the icing on the cake, the day it dawned on me that majority of people do have very strong prejudices, came a few days ago. I was on a lithuaninan discussion forum, where a mother posted a topic titled: "My daughter is marrying a foreign man of a different religion". I replied telling my story, and did I get eaten alive! Posting anonymously gives people such bravado to show their true colors. This thread on that board, turned into such a long bashing of different cultures/religions/races, but under a disguise of national pride. I've read so many comments like:" I would never marry anyone who is muslim, black, or jew". I was even called a traitor of my own people, and my leaving of Lithuania is a cause for celebration since people like me who mix cultures/religions/races are "polluting Lithuania's gene pool". I made the realization that it's pointless to bring light to the ignorant, but it just blows my mind how much hatred there is in this world. It doesn't only exist in foreign countries, stereotypes are plentiful in good-ol' USA. Some of the more interesting ones I've lately come across are: "Would your husband let you go to the beach???"... uhmmmm...I didn't know I have to ask him. There is a common belief that muslim men are controlling, and their wives are subservient to them. Women whose power has been stripped from them, women who are silent and suffering. Of course there are plenty of women who are oppressed by their muslim men, but you can find examples of that in any culture or country. My multiple experiences in visiting an arab, predominantly muslim country, and interacting with this culture has proved to me that women there are not oppressed as the world paints them to be. The media tends to only pick up and sensationalize stories that are horrific, and thus, people's perception of reality gets tainted. The best way to cure this is to travel much and see through open, nonjudgemental eyes, through the eyes of the locals, and not from your own religious or cultural background. But too many people never leave their own "neck of the woods".
I found it futile to lecture those who are ignorant and prejudiced, but if I can raise one man who would believe that all humans are created equal, and lead and inspire people by his actions, then I have served my purpose on this earth!