Saturday, May 31, 2008

American Racism, Not What You Would Think.


Keith here. This election process has brought to the forefront of my mind something I find very disturbing that is happening in our great land. It is blatant and outspoken racism. This racism has not been widely reported by the main stream media in the past. I am talking about the racism of the Black community against the White community.

Without trying to sound self-righteous or ignorant, I must say that racism baffles me. Perhaps it was growing up in Utah or perhaps it was my time in the military working with and developing relationships with black Americans, or may be it is just the new generation’s mindset, I just don’t get it. To me, skin color is as irrelevant as hair or eye color. Where the difference is legitimate can be found in cultures. I am not trying to stereotype and group all Blacks and all Whites. Obviously not all Blacks are racist, nor are all Whites. I am talking about the so called, self appointed “Black Leaders” and their supporters.

I know there is a history of racism. I have seen footage and read about the civil rights movement. Thankfully that ended before I was born. I understand that those that lived during that time may still feel hurt, and for good reason. It was evil and wrong. I also understand that there is still real racism against blacks. However, when white against black racism rears its ugly head, which thankfully is increasingly rare, blacks and whites together speak out against it, standing united to defeat any injustice or violence against innocents.

Unfortunately when the hatred and racism occurs against whites or non-blacks, it is either ignored or justified. During the Los Angeles riots of 1992 Congresswoman Maxine Waters described the violence in which 58 people were killed, many targeted for their race, as "a spontaneous reaction to a lot of injustice." She defended the racial hatred that led a gang of black criminals to nearly beat to death white truck driver Reginald Denny, saying, "the anger in my district is … righteous…I'm just as angry as they are." She chanted the radical slogan "No justice, no peace" and dismissed the mass looting of Korean-owned stores by saying: "There were mothers who took this as an opportunity to take some milk, to take some bread, to take some shoes…. They are not crooks." This is coming from a United States Congresswoman.

In more recent news, Barack Obama’s pastor and spiritual leader for 20 years, Jeremiah Wright, has been in the hot seat. With comments such as AIDs being invented by the US government to destroy the black community, God Damn America, the US of KKK A, he was initially given a pass. Obama tried to excuse his Pastor’s extreme views saying, "For the men and women of Rev. Wright's generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table." But, with more and more evidence and Wright’s publicity tour confirming his crazy, racist views, Obama had to denounce him due to public outcry. It was only after public outcry, not his own conscience or values. Now another whack job preacher at Obama’s church, a radical Catholic priest, is being denounced for racial remarks against Hillary Clinton. Now Obama has decided to leave his church after 20 years. He would not renounce the church. It just became a political liability. Who is this guy? What does he really believe? Why did he sit and listen to those racist diatribes for 20 years if he did not support that rhetoric? This is a major candidate for President of the United States!

It seems on every Sunday morning political program such as Meet the Press or This Week, when race is brought up, there is a liberal willing to excuse these racist, extreme views. Imagine if John McCain sat in the pew listening to a white supremacist. What would people say about McCain’s judgment? What would the public outcry be like?

I am tired of the double standard. I have never owned any slaves. I have never lynched anyone. I have never hurt or demeaned any black American. I have never called a black person "Nigger". In fact, the only time I hear that word it is coming out of a black persons mouth. Yet I am responsible for slavery and Jim Crow because of my skin color. Somehow I am keeping the black community down. I am tired of being accused of racism if I disagree with any “black” position. If politicians or pundits speak out against Affirmative Action, they are labeled racists. When Bill Cosby dared speak out about black families needing to do better teaching their children values and self-respect, he was criticized. Blacks who dare go against the main stream ideology, are labeled “Uncle Toms”. And when Obama loses this election, you wait and see, they will blame it on racism, not ideological difference and his lack of experience.

Racism is wrong on every level. Black-White, White-Black, you name it, it’s wrong. From our past struggle with racism in America to the Apartheid of South Africa, to Hitler’s pursuit of the Aryan master race, and in nearly every other countries past with this evil, we have made large strides in the right direction. It is unfortunate that it is being excused, justified and spread in the black communities of America. People like Maxine Waters, Jeremiah Wright, Lewis Fericon, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have made lucrative careers out of spreading divisiveness and hatred under the guise of equality and injustice. I hope that, in time, the younger generations will overcome the urge to blame others for their struggles and problems, which tend to be self inflicted. I look forward to the day that hating someone based on skin will go the way of the Dodo. We are better than this.


Nearly all of us agree that people should be treated equally. I also believe we should treat racists equally. White, Black, Brown or Red, racists of all colors should be treated with the same scrutiny and opposition.

We will never be free of racism if we insist on making race an issue. This comes in many forms. Affirmative action is state sponsored discrimination. It is privileging groups based on skin color. It always bothers me to see "Race" on applications or other forms. What difference does it make? I always check "Other". Black Entertainment Television, The National Black Caucus, National Associaton for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, (isn't it ironic that "colored" is now considered politically incorrect), National Latino Caucus, Miss Black America, Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, all these things and so many more only divide us. Can you imagine the outrage if a group attempted to form a White group of any kind. There would be riots. At some point we all need to rally together and just be Americans. Furthermore, with the mixing of races, what constitutes a Black person or Asian person? Do you have to be more 50% or more to be accepted in a "club"? It is so small and stupid.

It will take honest, courageous minority leaders to change minds and break down the divisive status quo.

As a wise Republican once said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

So do I.

7 comments:

Guzman Family said...

Believe it or not, I agree with you, Keith. :)
I was just thinking some of the same things while listening to NPR this morning. Hate is hate. It really doesn't matter who is saying what or what has happened in the past. God still views hate as hate.
I think I might just have to vote Libertarian....don't tell Eric, he will be too happy. :)

Anonymous said...

WHAT?

Anonymous said...

I graduated from Spelman College, a Historical Black College. However, you do not have to be black to apply, similar to the membership of the NAACP. Based on your analysis, Spelman College, like the NAACP, is racist because it considers itself to be historically black. In my view this is ridiculous. These institutions were developed out of a necessity. There was and still is a need for a discussion on the advancement of black people. With jails being filled with black males and the black family structure breaking down, there is a need for a discussion on ways to improve these conditions. This is not racism. This is identifying a problem and then trying to solve it. In addition, there is no need to create an organization for white people. All you need to do is look around to see that many organizations are dominated by whites. The privilege of being white includes not, but is not limited to, having to realize that there is in fact a privilege; and not having to be the only one that looks like you in the room. There is much more to be said on this topic.
In summation, I agree that racism is racism, but you paint using a broad brush when you say that groups like the NAACP are racist. It is racist to say or belief that all white people are evil and against black people. In turn, some of the things that Rev. Wright said were racist. However, it is not racist to fight for equality. Thus, it is ridiculous to say or think that the NAACP is a racist organization.

Guzman Family said...

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44906

Candice@The Fellas and I said...

Dear Anonymous, Keith Here. Thank you for your response to my post. I must correct you on an error you made in your critique of my post. I never said that the NAACP was a racist organization. I am arguing that it, and all the other race based groups, are DIVISIVE. I find raced based groups and "black" colleges as offensive and divisive as a "white" college would be. I said in my post that we will never be free of racism if we insist on making race an issue. I truly believe that.

You wrote of a need to discuss advancement of blacks, you mentioned the jails and family structures of black homes. I do not believe in efforts to advance a group based on color. There are people of all colors in the same situations, why segregate based on color. A lot of people tend to have the same problems. Broken homes, high crime rate, poor education. Why make race an issue. It doesn't matter. But if you want to talk about blacks only, so be it, I'll play along.

What really bugs me is the insistence of people on the left and among minority "leaders" that America is racist. The war of racism was won many years ago. The American government no longer discriminates based on skin color. (Unless your white with affirmative action) So why the constant complaining and whining? Money and power. The so called leaders of minority groups, primarily with blacks, have build empires on racial hatred. I am sure it didn't start off with that intent, but it is where we are now. The Democrat party wins elections playing off these issues. In fact, I believe that the Democrat party is in the business of keeping poor people poor and minorities angry. Once minorities realize that they are not victims and poor people WORK their way up the pay scales, they start voting Republican! Where is the motivation to truly help the poor and the "discriminated"? I could go off for a while on the raping of the poor and the minorities by the Democrats, but I am getting long winded and off topic.

You are right about the broken homes in poor black communities and the high percentage of incarcerated blacks. Why do you think this is? Is it racism? Do you think that there are a higher percentage of blacks in jail because the courts prosecute black against white crime more? The truth is, for the most part, blacks kill blacks, whites kill whites. According to the Bureau of Justice, from 1976-2005, 86% of white victims were killed by whites and 94% of black victims were killed by blacks. The fact is, a higher percentage of blacks commit violent crimes. I think that it is a cultural problem with the stereotypical black community. Look at black icons, listen to the music, listen to the parents(if they have parents), listen to the way the press and politicians treat them. The cold hard truth is that the black community is keeping itself down, whitey isn't to blame anymore. The press and the politicians excuse bad behavior such as the 1992 LA riots, blaming economic status as justification for violent crimes. The popular music is steeped in murder, drugs, lawlessness, and every other degenerate activity. The icons of the community are thug rappers or professional athletes. The latter is fine, but what are the odds of every kid in the community getting a multi-million dollar contract in the NBA?

Our society seems to have written off the black community. (I am generalizing obviously) They are not expected to live up to the same standards of decency. They are not expected to work hard to get ahead, they are not expected to perform in school. They are not expected to Father their children. And why should they. The liberals in government want to hand everything to them. They are enabling destructive behavior. Welfare, housing projects, affirmative action, excuses after excuses. A group of people have been brought up being told "You can't make it in America, America is racist" "The white man is keeping you down" "There is no justice for a black man". Imagine if that same group of people were brought up hearing "Work hard, get ahead" "The sky is the limit" "Don't let anybody get you down" "You are responsible for your own destiny" Do you think that the behavior would be the same? Of course not. Why have so many other minorities and immigrants flourished in the same country under the same circumstances or worse?
I recently watched a fantastic movie called Coach Carter. It is based on the true story of a high school basketball coach in a poor black school that demanded academic standards and hard work from his players. When they did not perform to standards, he locked them out of the gym as a consequence for their bad behavior. The press, parents and school were furious at coach Carter, not the students! Excuse after excuse were being made about the poor academic performance of the boys. Carter stood his ground. The boys were forced to study and they succeeded. I believe that the black community in general needs a Coach Carter. Someone who will not excuse bad, destructive behavior. Someone who will hold people to standards and will reward only those who work hard and earn their success. I believe that time has proven that the current formula for helping the black community has been a galactic failure. Throwing tax money at the problem is not the answer, it only enables. We as a nation must hold these communities to standards and reward only those that earn it.

America is not racist. Many have died in that struggle. The war has been won. Sure, some Americans are racist, but so what. That is a consequence of freedom. People can hate and people can love whomever they choose. As long as no crimes are being committed, thats there own internal problem. It is not governments job to force everyone to love each other. What matters is the governments position on race.
The problem is that people have forgotten what real racism was like. Now if a guy doesn't get a job after an interview, it's because he'd brown or black. That's not racism.
People are free to choose their own destinies now. I think it is insulting to minorities and black to say that they can't work their way in to a better situation. Let's stop enabling the problem with idiotic government programs and start holding everyone to the same standards. Coach Carter is a must see. He is a hero. It will take an army of people like him and probably a generation or two of poor blacks being raised realizing that they are not the victims that liberals are trying to convince them that they are to improve the situation for the poor black community.
This applies to all colors. Victimization is almost as bad as racism.
I enjoy arguing with people from the opposite side of the ideological spectrum. Thanks for your thoughts. If you want to get mad at me more, click on the post I wrote about gay marriage under "Keith's Rants"
Enjoy.

Guzman Family said...

Here's a better link for that speech. www.eightcitiesmap.com/transcript_bc.htm

The Patrona said...

I couldn't agree more and i'm a conservative democrat.

P.S. Get rid of the option to have anonymous commentators. The NAACP is very racist and so is the ACLU when it's conveinent.