Whhhaaat?
I know that our African-American brothers and sisters started off under less than ideal circumstances, and that they have waged a long and hard struggle to attain a standing in the status quo of American society. I understand that our Hispanic, Native American, and Asian citizens have had to work hard ensure that they share in the prosperity of our nation. I get it. I have the utmost respect for this civic leaders who saw prejudice and bigotry in the system, and took brave action to correct it. I applaud their efforts, and I support them 100 percent.
But at what point does the pendelum swing too far in the other direction?
We have Black American History month shoved down our throats every year. Where is Scottish American History month? Scottish inventers, social thinkers, engineers, reformers have had a part in amost every aspect of modern culture, but the best we can do is ridicule a “bunch of guys wearing skirts”, and denigrate their national instrument? If we did that to the descendants of Africa, we would be crucified…
I hold George Washington Carver in the same esteem a Robert Fulton; one man exploited a natural resource for the betterment of agricultural science, and the other harnessed the power of steam.
Benjamin Banneker developed the first clock built in the United States, studied astronomy and developed an almanac. Helped to create the layout of the building streets and monuments for the Nation’s Capitol – Washington, D.C. I hold him in the same light as Thomas Alva Edison and Frank Lloyd Wright.
In everyday life, I hold a man with black, brown, yellow, and white skin to the same standards as everybody else. It has been proven to me that there are heroes and villains in every ethnic group. There are folks who are willing to meet me halfway, and there are folks who take advantage of the system in the worst possible fashion.
So now we have the Attorney General of the United States who says that we are a “Nation of Cowards” when it comes to racial matters?
Well, Mister Holder, everytime somebody tries to address the issue, bring to light facts and trends, and points out that not everybody has a clean backyard, they are shouted down as “racist” should they be of the wrong skin color.
Case in point: A public official uses the term “niggardly” in a public forum. The word has absolutely no racial connotation, and no connection to a racial epithet, but because it sounds like it might, the official is forced to trip all over himself as he apologizes for using such a “horrible word”.
Ross Perot, in addressing a group of primarily African Americans, uses the term “you people”. He was trying ot make the point that there are some issues that must be solved within the ranks of the Black community, but he is shouted down for using a phrase as “discrimitory”… He was speaking plainly, laying out a fact, but because he failed to insert the proper political correctness, the message was lost due to a knee-jerk reaction.
Mr. Holder, when you can gurentee that I don’t have to tiptoe through a social minefield when attempting to deal with racial issues, when you can gurentee me that I won’t be castigated for speaking plainly, when you can assure me that I will receive the same respect as I am willing to extend, then I shall speak and address racial issues forthrightly and directly.
I want a quid quo pro, Mr. Holder. I don’t want to get slapped down for expressing my thoughts.
We are cowards, Mr. Holder, because the price for being incorrectly branded a “racist” is far too great to endure.
Do something about it. In the light of the current administration, it shouldn’t be difficult, because Barak Obama has blown the biggest crutch used by African Americans completely away…
I’m waiting.
February 22nd, 2009 - 00:38
I put this out there…I agree that so many of us DON’T want to have the conversation. Even go so far as to agree that it maybe a matter of fear.
But not for the reasons he states. No, as for myself, I’m afraid to have that discussion because I fear the reprisals when I speak my mind.
I’m not afraid of the conversation, I’m afraid of the reaction.
But that’s probably just me……
SGT B sends: The reaction… Indeed. To try to simply lay out the divisive issues between the races outright would create such a conflict of misunderstanding wherein the message would be lost. In order to establish a discourse, all parties would have to be fully versed in the facts, and be willing to examine themselves to ensure that the information that they relied upon was accurate. Emotional responses must be controlled, ears opened.
There is a culture of victimization at work, as we have discussed, and it is fed by those who would be threatened if there was a consensual understanding (Sharpton, anyone?)
All American children receive the same education – why is it that this education is not taken advantage of by all concerns? Why is any black child willing to persevere at his or her studies considered a “race-traitor” by his or her peers? Why are the leaders of the black community not concerned with muzzling the messages of hate and death forwarded by popular culture? How do we find common ground, and do it in such a way that no one’s heritage is place over one another?
My ancestors fought against your ancestors, but that does not mean that I must wreak vengence upon you, or you upon me… We understand that such thoughts are folly. how can we teach that lesson in the present day?
Once these questions are resolved, only then can opposing views be forwarded without recrimination.
And not just along racial lines…
February 23rd, 2009 - 19:04
I believe I see the problem as one of movement. We need to move from victimization and resentment to simple human fellowship. It’s a lot easier to do that when you’re in an organization where the predominant color is green. You’re out of uniform if you’re any other color.
When you get out, you’ll (eventually, if not immediately) return to familiar ways. That’s where I see the cowardice (dominated by fear) working. The 70′s had an absurd concept of PC race relations. You had to say, “I didn’t notice.” if someone asked what color so-and-so was. So obviously stupid, yet PC. If you didn’t conform, you were a bigot or a racist. No wonder people just shied away from each other.
You want cowardice? Discuss this little ditty with your black friends;
If you’re White, you’re all right.
If you’re brown, stick around.
If you’re black. Get Back. Get Back.
Now, tell me what color Beyonce is.
What color is Barak Obama? Al Sharpton? Malcom X? I mentioned those people in that order because of the emotional baggage attached. I can’t think of a man alive who doesn’t see Beyonce as a good looking woman. Barak as an intelligent and capable person. Sharpton as a cunning agitator. Malcom X as a violent extremist?
Here we’re grading the black content on a primal level. Here is where the cowardice comes back with a vengeance. It’s very difficult to communicate emotion in context to someone who wasn’t right there with you.
A few years back, I had a new engineer on a project. He was the perfect Urkle Oreo. One of the people I worked with was a black woman. Even in 2006, she wore a huge afro. I wore Carhart bibbers. We became the dymanic duo of “Muffy and ‘d Kraka” When we got called in to the office to explain why we were promoting racial streotypes (REALLY, NO SHIT, IT HAPPENED) I told Urkel the story of how I got out of boot camp and rode the bus up to LA with my new friend Goose.
When we hit LA, it was freaking on-fire. Huge fires raged on the horizon, only a few blocks away. A car load of white guys comes roaring by and somebody yells, “Nigga Lova!”. I bounced a rock off the car. Gooses people put me up for the night, saying Watts was no place for a white boy after dark . . . So, OK, some real humanity there. Now, what was Urkels response?
Oh, yeah. His response was, “I don’t hang in Watts, mebbe up in Compton, but NEVER in Watts.” It’s as if I was telling the story to my shoelaces. We both got our ass-chewing, promising NEVER EVER to use racial stereo types again, not even for our own amusement. When we left the office, got around the corner, Muffy turned to me, said, “You know he’s got no rhythm, don’t you? Can’t dance for shit.” “Yeah, I know . . .”, I said, “mebbe we should chip in for a Chet Atkins Rythm Guitar course? You know, anonymously, in a brown paper bag . . .” We both busted out laughing.
Oh, yeah, I do belong to a targeted minority; Mixed race, over fifty, construction worker. A lot of that race stuff turns to shit when you’re under fire, or just working hard. You need help, any flavor will do, as long as it’s good help. If you get good help, then you owe them respect and thanks. Most people thrive on that stuff, no matter what flavor.
‘Nuff said.
March 3rd, 2009 - 21:22
The problem is that today’s black leaders want to separate “American” from “Black.” In other words one is Black first, then American second.
Martin Luther King, et al. wanted Blacks to become Americans in every sense of the word, rights, responsibilities, etc… But today’s Black leaders want Blacks to be elevated ABOVE mere “Americans.” In other words they actually encourage segregation by having their own history month, their own holidays, their own culture, even in some ways their own language… separate from American culture. I would like to think Martin Luther King is rolling around in his grave.
Like segregation of old where Blacks weren’t allowed to participate in “White” culture, mere Whites are not allowed to participate in Black Culture. Even Blacks who willingly identify as Americans and try to put racism behind them are derided and insulted as “Uncle Toms.”
The ultimate aim of all this is obvious to anyone with a sense of history. Black leaders want to repress their own people for political power. The idea is, eventually, to become a ruling class. Ridiculous? Paranoid? Racist? Not really. Remember that when Obama become president, Black leaders in Illinois cried out that the senate seat was “Black” now, and so the governor must appoint a Black man.
Whatever political power they take, they do not give back. Any criticism of this practice is “racist.”
I think America’s strong suit is the original idea of a melting pot. Where cultures and races mix and form into something new and different. America is the only country in the world where a Hamburger is as culturally accepted as a Taco or Spaghetti. Where half the place names in the Southwest are Spanish. Where Cajun cooking is high-class cuisine.
In this nation there are more mixed race individuals than anywhere. I have a friend who is half Japanese, half Mixed European. Another who is Cuban. Another who is Italian and Native American. Another who is actually “African” American, having immigrated from South Africa 20+ years ago. We are a nation of mutts. Why should we worship the pure-bred?
Bring your genes. Bring your culture. Through it into the pot and stir it around a bit. Don’t segregate yourselves. That’s the message I’d like the Black community to understand.