I think we are a country worth saving. But first we have to acknowledge that an entire race has been unfairly treated. This post isn’t by me. I put it in as it says so much
I don’t agree with every word. I do agree with most. I understand what it means to be “different.” I can’t imagine what it feels like to be a Black-American.
I have known Kenny’s family forever. His mother C is my “landlord” here. His aunt who I call Lucia has been my closest friend forever.
This is an article by Roger Cohen–Beyond America’s Original Sin that explains why still another White person understands where Wright and Obama are coming from.
A couple of days ago I found Pastor Wright’s explanation. I think it worth reading.
But first Kenny, who is part of a multi-color, brilliant family I feel so honored to be part of
Why is it that the “blacks” are expected to “transcend” race and racism?
Since when is the onus on the victim to transcend their victimization? Is
the abused expected to transcend abuse? The rape victim expected to
transcend the horror of rape? By this line of reasoning, we can reduce the
budget by dismissing all of the employees working for the criminal justice
system and require the victims of future crimes to simply “transcend” crime.
We can fix healthcare by transcending disease and illness.
Listen, like it or not, The African was kidnapped, enslaved, forced to watch
their parents, children and siblings sold away to distant plantations,
raped, lynched, subjected to inferior schools, Jim Crow laws and racial
profiling yet the expectation is on them to transcend racism?
Why is it that black Americans are forced to suffer quietly and not offend
their victimizer by voicing their anguish over the continued victimization?
Why is Barack wrong for not hating the victim and allowing the victim their
day in the sun? Isn’t the beauty of America that you can verbalize your pain
to your elected representative without jeopardizing their ability to serve
their community.
A lot has been made over Dr. Wright’s comments. He has been labeled a hate
monger and a racist. Since when is it wrong or racist to voice your anger over the treatment a black man certainly experienced during the Jim Crow era of American History? Why is a black preacher’s verbal attack on America racist in the first place? Unless white people truly believe that America is THEM and they alone are America.
Dr. Wright has been labeled and dismissed as a cook because of another
accusation. One that accuses the US Gov’t of creating AIDS and putting it
into the black community. If you are one who agrees that this point is
absurd, I have 2 words for you, “Tuskegee Experiment”. For forty years
between 1932 and 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) conducted an
experiment on 399 black men in the late stages of syphilis. These men, for
the most part illiterate sharecroppers from one of the poorest counties in
Alabama, were never told what disease they were suffering from or of its
seriousness. Informed that they were being treated for “bad blood,” their
doctors had no intention of curing them of syphilis at all. The data for the
experiment was to be collected from autopsies of the men, and they were thus
deliberately left to degenerate under the ravages of tertiary syphilis-which
can include tumors, heart disease, paralysis, blindness, insanity, and
death. “As I see it,” one of the doctors involved explained, “we have no
further interest in these patients until they die.” In 1997, President Bill
Clinton had this to say “The United States government did something that was
wrong-deeply, profoundly, morally wrong. It was an outrage to our commitment
to integrity and equality for all our citizens. . . . clearly racist.”
Do we really not understand where the passion and pain with which an Al
Sharpton or a Louis Farrakhan speaks is born? Do we really not understand
why their perspective infused with the same passion that was exhibited by
Dr. Wright resonates with so many Black Americans? Might this also be the
reason that our “conservative” countrymen and women are so discomforted by
these truths being expressed? Are we to dismiss the truths of their
statements and sermons simply because it causes discomfort in the hearts of
the weak and wicked? Those who coincidentally, happen to have a lock on the
opinion shaping instruments of our time.
The blacks are America’s Bastard Children that, to her great chagrin,
cannot be gotten rid of; and the media’s stance on this painful issue makes
the point. For “conservatives” and “blue collar whites” this is
entertainment. It is an exercise in avoiding the real issue and impact of
America’s ugly past on her Black citizens, veterans, teachers, firefighters
and police officers; for blacks this is a promise that the caseeds that
spawned the hell that the American experience has been for their forefathers
is still alive in the children of their original oppressors.
For all of the problems that America faces, it is ultimately an unwise
decision to continue her practice of proactive disenfranchisement against
such a vital and significant percentage of her population.
Yes! We can.
Why is it that the “blacks” are expected to “transcend” race and racism?
Since when is the onus on the victim to transcend their victimization? Is
the abused expected to transcend abuse? The rape victim expected to
transcend the horror of rape? By this line of reasoning, we can reduce the
budget by dismissing all of the employees working for the criminal justice
system and require the victims of future crimes to simply “transcend” crime.
We can fix healthcare by transcending disease and illness.
Listen, like it or not, The African was kidnapped, enslaved, forced to watch
their parents, children and siblings sold away to distant plantations,
raped, lynched, subjected to inferior schools, Jim Crow laws and racial
profiling yet the expectation is on them to transcend racism?
Why is it that black Americans are forced to suffer quietly and not offend
their victimizer by voicing their anguish over the continued victimization?
Why is Barack wrong for not hating the victim and allowing the victim their
day in the sun? Isn’t the beauty of America that you can verbalize your pain
to your elected representative without jeopardizing their ability to serve
their community.
A lot has been made over Dr. Wright’s comments. He has been labeled a hate
monger and a racist. Since when is it wrong or racist to voice your anger over the treatment a black man certainly experienced during the Jim Crow era of American History? Why is a black preacher’s verbal attack on America racist in the first place? Unless white people truly believe that America is THEM and they alone are America.
Dr. Wright has been labeled and dismissed as a cook because of another
accusation. One that accuses the US Gov’t of creating AIDS and putting it
into the black community. If you are one who agrees that this point is
absurd, I have 2 words for you, “Tuskegee Experiment”. For forty years
between 1932 and 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) conducted an
experiment on 399 black men in the late stages of syphilis. These men, for
the most part illiterate sharecroppers from one of the poorest counties in
Alabama, were never told what disease they were suffering from or of its
seriousness. Informed that they were being treated for “bad blood,”1 their
doctors had no intention of curing them of syphilis at all. The data for the
experiment was to be collected from autopsies of the men, and they were thus
deliberately left to degenerate under the ravages of tertiary syphilis-which
can include tumors, heart disease, paralysis, blindness, insanity, and
death. “As I see it,” one of the doctors involved explained, “we have no
further interest in these patients until they die.” In 1997, President Bill
Clinton had this to say “The United States government did something that was
wrong-deeply, profoundly, morally wrong. It was an outrage to our commitment to integrity and equality for all our citizens. . . . clearly racist.”
Do we really not understand where the passion and pain with which an Al
Sharpton or a Louis Farrakhan speaks is born? Do we really not understand
why their perspective infused with the same passion that was exhibited by
Dr. Wright resonates with so many Black Americans? Might this also be the
reason that our “conservative” countrymen and women are so discomforted by
these truths being expressed? Are we to dismiss the truths of their
statements and sermons simply because it causes discomfort in the hearts of
the weak and wicked? Those who coincidentally, happen to have a lock on the
opinion shaping instruments of our time.
The blacks are America’s Bastard Children that, to her great chagrin,
cannot be gotten rid of; and the media’s stance on this painful issue makes
the point. For “conservatives” and “blue collar whites” this is
entertainment. It is an exercise in avoiding the real issue and impact of
America’s ugly past on her Black citizens, veterans, teachers, firefighters
and police officers; for blacks this is a promise that the caseeds that
spawned the hell that the American experience has been for their forefathers
is still alive in the children of their original oppressors.
For all of the problems that America faces, it is ultimately an unwise
decision to continue her practice of proactive disenfranchisement against
such a vital and significant percentage of her population.
Yes! We can.
••••••••••••
Go Richardson
i have to add that the first time I heard somebody speak about 9/11 as “payback” it wasn’t an “angry Black pastor,” but an adorable almost stereotypical suburban housewife–my mother. My sister and I learned from our parents that a society is only as great as the worst treated member.
I vividly remember the first time I heard someone refer to 9/11 as payback. He said we brought it upon ourselves by murdering, torturing and falsely imprisoning innocent Middle-Eastern folks for more than half of the last century.
I remember it so well because I said it……maybe on 9/11, actually…..no, probably a few days later when we really started to get more facts on what had happened.
Anyhow, when I said it…..I made people uncomfortable.
It’s what I do.
If we were not so afraid of being uncomfortable we might not be in the state we are in.
Have a great Easter, Pia!
And thanks for the Cohen link!
I guess but I’m just a guy from abroad,its quite Christian to ask for black people to transcend race and racism. After all the only one who can and maybe should forgive you is God.
In my point of view it should be the victim.
If they could.