Cowards Part 2
So you want to talk about race Mr. Holder?
You said we are a nation of cowards. You also said race “.. is an issue we have never been at ease with, and given our nation’s history this is in some ways understandable, and yet, if we are to make progress in this area we must feel comfortable enough with one another and tolerant enough of each other to have a frank conversation about racial matters that continue to divide us.”
OK Mr. Attorney General. Let’s talk.
Is it that we are not at ease talking about race or is it that anytime we try to have the discussion we are silenced by those that would rather make headlines than make headway?
Could it be that any condemnation of the black community is immediately met with cries of racism and intolerance from those who make their living by making allegations? Organizations like Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition, with a rainbow that covers the entire spectrum of a Tootsie Roll. Or Al Sharpton who led the charge against innocent white Duke University students that were falsely accused of rape by a drunk black stripper yet who remained completely silent about the two white coeds robbed and murdered by a black man during that same time.
Could it be that success for the black community is for those who excel in black related endeavors and not those that make the leap across that which divides us? Success amongst blacks is reserved for Snoop Dog and P Diddy, but Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Clarence Thomas are held in disdain as lap dogs. Where is the incentive for young black kids to succeed in the real world when if they try and fail they will be ridiculed for even trying and if they persevere and succeed they are shunned for their accomplishments?
Is it wrong for me to question how slavery, which ended 147 years ago, is still cause to justify victimization? Is it wrong of me to question how we can now have a black president, a black Supreme Court justice, blacks in Congress and have several blacks amongst the wealthiest people in our country and yet hear how it is impossible for blacks to succeed because of white oppression?
Is it wrong of me to view welfare as a disaster for the black community creating a dependent society incapable and unwilling to care for themselves? Is it wrong of me to view the disaster in New Orleans and compare it to every other disaster our country has faced as validation for that belief?
Is it wrong of me to view the outrageous ranting of Jeremiah Wright as racist and divisive and question why his words are hailed as a vision of truth and righteousness in the black community and why they were supported by our new president for over 20 years? The black church has historically been a place of strength and praise. If Reverend Wright with his insane raving about aids and drugs and government plots truly is the voice of the black church is it wrong of me to believe the loss of a true faith may be one of the biggest problems?
Is it wrong of me to view affirmative action as a means of reverse discrimination and that refusing to hire a more qualified white person in favor of a less qualified black simply because of the color of their skin is as patently wrong as the discrimination against blacks?
Is it wrong of me to view the dropout rate, illiteracy, teen and unwed pregnancy, single parent homes, gangs, criminal activity and black on black violence as the leading cause for the oppression of blacks, not white racism. Is it wrong of me to question why prominent blacks like Bill Cosby, Thomas Sowell, Michael Steele, Walter Williams and Juan Williams to name but a few, who constantly beat the drum of increased personal responsibility in the black community, are summarily discounted and ridiculed by that community as being out of touch with their own blackness.
Is it wrong of me to use these incidents to draw the conclusion that it takes little or no effort to remain a victim and that the black community has in many ways become pretty comfortable in that role.
I am not a racist, I am a realist. I truly believe that every man is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That does not mean that all will succeed but simply that all have the right to continue trying unimpeded by bigotry or intolerance. But that door swings both ways.
How’s that for a start to the conversation?
