Humans: Divided by Race

We are more deeply divided by race than we have been in 60 years. I firmly believe we had nearly achieved MLKs dream. Then something happened along the way.

Is it really your most sincere desire to see that your grandchildren are judged, firstly, by the color of their skin or gender, and a distant second by their character? That is the path that BLM and CRT are taking us. They insist that we divide and sequester ourselves by skin tone and wedding tackle. Doing so only contributes to dividing us further and deeper apart. I don't know WHY you can't see this. 

Ask yourself these questions. Does ANYTHING they say promote togetherness? Does ANYTHING they preach bring us together as equals? Do they EVER speak of forgiveness and reconciliation? When they speak of inclusion, do they, AT ANY TIME, include those they may disagree with without the caveat 'agree with me and we'll be friends'? Do they EVER make a solid argument as to why those who have NEVER owned slaves, need to pay large sums of money to those who have NEVER been slaves? 

I get it. There are still some issues that need to be addressed. DWB. Occasional racial profiling (more on this in a bit). Higher incarnation rate for minorities. I also understand that I do not have the same perspective on these issues that others may. But that is a two way street. Those on the outside of the issues see things that those close in don't see. Kind of a forest for the trees thing. Some see the higher incarnation rates as a problem with the justice system, and they wouldn't be entirely incorrect. However, when all one focuses on are those rates but don't bother to address (or refuses to see) the underlying issues, that too is a problem. But do these issues require a resolution that completely blows up the entire system? And does it mean that the justice pendulum needs to swing so far to the left that justice is no longer what we have? 

Do we need to have a conversation about race? Quite possibly. But it has to be a conversation, not a lecture. If those on the progressive side are not willing to address the issue that we see, then the conversation is over. What we see is nearly 50% of all violent crime is committed by a very small portion of society. What we see is the rate of children born without a father in the home is over 70%. What we see is a culture that seems to discourage education, by insinuating that a POC who strives to excel at education is "acting white". What we see if a segment of society burning down cities, killing people, looting business districts when a cop shoots an "unarmed" black man, but the deaths of 1,000s of young black men at the hands of other black men never gets discussed. This is what we see. If we can't get together and discuss what you see and what we see on a level playing field, then we will remain at loggerheads. 

As for racial profiling, let's do an apples to oranges comparison. Over the course of my lifetime I have consumed an uncounted number of apples and oranges. I like the sweetness and the convenience of these fruits. But when I purchase them I tend to look and feel oranges with more scrutiny than apples. Why? Because oranges have more frequently treated me wrong. I almost never get a sour apple, unless I purposely purchase that kind. But, I have gotten an orange that was sour, or had gone bad. This causes me to look at oranges more carefully. Most of the oranges I have purchased over the years have been fine, but I almost never get a bad apple. 

Now don't get your knickers in a knot. I do not conflate human beings with fruit. Nor am I as cavalier to think all oranges are bad and all apples are good just by their appearance. I did this to make a comparison. Crime statistics bear me out. A segment of society that accounts for about 6% of the US population commits nearly 50% of murders, assaults, robbery, and burglary. When that much crime can be attributed to a small slice of our population, there is going to be a natural tendency to view that segment with a more critical eye. It's not necessarily racism, but human nature to react this way. Anecdotal evidence also bears this out. Over my lifetime I have had (and still have) many black friends. They are varied in their political beliefs, from the most progressive of progressives to Reagan loving conservatives. Some came from hardscrable backgrounds, others from successful intact families. But they had one thing in common; the desire to succeed. Nearly all of these people have had success in their lives. Promotions, homes bought, kids off to college, stable marriges, etc. And nearly everyone of them have expressed to me their disgust at the numbers they see. They also have many of the same concerns. They also look at other people POC they don't know with a critical eye. It also breaks their hearts to know that success is achievable if people want it. 

It would be wonderful if we lived in a society that held to MLKs most cherished dream, that a person is judged on the content of their character, not the color if their skin. But until BOTH sides are willing to listen, and to act, that sentiment will remain an elusive dream.