Honest Discussion of Race and Racism

Let us Look Deep into Truth

I have listened repeatedly of different talking heads, pundits, reporters, politicians, and citizens put various slants on the race relations and crime. Seems everyone has an objective that they slant stats or pivot from the facts to make their point. It is sad because in my mind until we have a real look in the mirror at the facts to identify the underlying problems we have driving crime (violent and non-violent) we will always have surface dressing without any real, sustainable solutions. In addition, race, racism, and different groupings will always be a part of this country and the world. Isn't it about time to really be honest with ourselves and face harsh realities in our various races both historically and current. When we decide to put down the anger, frustration, and animosity to work on the future that is when we will make the biggest amount of progress as a community.

Slavery - A World Regret

Our founding fathers wrestled with the practice of slavery but did not have the courage to ban it when founding this nation. Their rationalization was pinned that the nation would not have unified at that time to form the United States. Thomas Jefferson railed against the practices of slavery in the Declaration of Independence (The Founding Fathers and Slavery | Britannica). Many of the Founding Fathers wrestled with this subject and talked of emancipation. Unfortunately, they did not have the courage or internal fortitude to once and for all abolish it. Some examples of their quotes about the topic are below (http://econfaculty.gmu.edu/wew/quotes/slavery.html):

• "It were doubtless to be wished, that the power of prohibiting the importation of slaves had not been postponed until the year 1808, or rather that it had been suffered to have immediate operation. But it is not difficult to account, either for this restriction on the general government, or for the manner in which the whole clause is expressed. It ought to be considered as a great point gained in favor of humanity, that a period of twenty years may terminate forever, within these States, a traffic which has so long and so loudly upbraided the barbarism of modern policy; that within that period, it will receive a considerable discouragement from the federal government, and may be totally abolished, by a concurrence of the few States which continue the unnatural traffic, in the prohibitory example which has been given by so great a majority of the Union. Happy would it be for the unfortunate Africans, if an equal prospect lay before them of being redeemed from the oppressions of their European brethren!" - James Madison, Federalist Paper No. 42

• "The augmentation of slaves weakens the states; and such a trade is diabolical in itself, and disgraceful to mankind." - George Mason

• "It is much to be wished that slavery may be abolished. The honour of the States, as well as justice and humanity, in my opinion, loudly call upon them to emancipate these unhappy people. To contend for our own liberty, and to deny that blessing to others, involves an inconsistency not to be excused." -John Jay, letter to R. Lushington, March 15, 1786

Slavery has been with humanity throughout the ages and can be traced back to the Code of Hammurabi 1760 BC (Code of Hammurabi: Laws & Facts - HISTORY) . A practice that we now look back with great shame and regret. The bottom line is that the evil of this once common practice was washed away over the spilling of blood to right the wrongs of past generations. The civil war, though not all about slavery, was a great sacrifice for a deep wrong inflicted on many Africans. In the aftermath unfortunately, the superior views of one race over another did not dissipate in all Americans. Even today animosity both ways inflict our great nation. A nation that took a look in a mirror and realized the wrongs of the past could be overcome still have a small minority of individuals holding on to a distorted view of reality.

If you are a God loving person you will soon realize that our bodies are mere temporary vessels that are but a small piece of our total existence. Our soul is what makes us who we are. Our actions define our character. We will always have individuals that are elitist or ethnic centric and hold a negative view of others. I say to you and all, they have no power over you. They cannot alter your reality, feelings, actions, and/or more unless you choose to give them power. All races have these individuals. It is up to each one of us to ignore their venom. The old saying sticks and stones... that Mom use to say is really true. Words are just that. Audible messages that you can choose to let impact you or not. Some people's words are more powerful than others. Whether you read the quotes above or some of the profound words of Martin Luther King Jr. "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." (Martin Luther King, Jr. - We must accept finite... (brainyquote.com)), it is our choice to believe or not. We are the masters of our own destiny.

So in the end, I may just be another white man in some of your eyes, but in my Father's eyes I am either a vessel of good or a spreader of evil. I choose to do what is right. The words of MLK ring no truer than when first spoken that it is the content of ones character and not of their color, creed, ... that defines an individual. So is slavery still relevant? I would say absolutely not. It was many generations ago executed by people that had little regard for freedom and liberty. Equality was not in their dictionary. The country bled to make up for those wrongs and succeeded to do so. So we have a choice. Are we going to hold hatred in our heart and continue to kill/hurt each other or work as one to defeat the small minority of race baiters. I ask you to reflect on how many countries in this world offer a better chance to succeed in life. Yes it takes a lot of hard work and even some luck, but there is no better country that allows one the freedom of choice of their destiny.

Recently you have seen violence spread in cities like Ferguson and the sad commentary is that most of those instances were based on a FALSE premise. The only result from this insanity was more minorities lost their livelihood by having their businesses burned or destroyed. It is time to wake up and take another long look in the mirror. Violence only begets violence. Blacks killing blacks or hurting others will never advance their narrative in a positive manner. It is time to change and seek God's wisdom instead of giving way to the animal instincts in our frail humanity. Communist Left policies have bred a generation of dependency and lack of decency. It is time everyone realize that you have to pull yourself up and not rely on big brother for the scraps from their table. It is time to bring back nuclear families and be the example and not the stat on a chart. It is time to build your own businesses in your local communities rather than depend on government subsidies or big business to provide for you. It is time to maximize your education and work with those good servants that protect you rather than fight them. It is time to let go of your hate. It is time for the government to shrink and focus on protecting our country and creating a business friendly environment where all types of businesses thrive providing employment. It is time to throw the drugs away. It is time to demand better of our educators and school districts by enabling all families to choose where their child attends school. It is time...

Make Each Day Count!

Beach Bum Philosopher