Up until two years ago, I did not think about race every day. You may find this a funny statement when you realize that I am a Black woman, married to a White man, with three White stepchildren. In addition, my brother's family is Black and Hispanic. Even my Border Collie mix is black and white.
Race was there, but in the background. It didn't determine what door I entered, what water fountain I drank from, or where I sat on a bus. It didn't determine my wages or limit my ability to attend two of the best universities in the United States. So why now, in 2010, are we speaking of race and race relations as though it is 1950?
Because it takes our eyes off the real issues of our time. Like any good magician, our president knows that if we are looking at his right hand we will not notice what the left is doing. With something as sensitive and heart wrenching as our own attitudes about race in his right hand, we will not notice our country changing with his left. We will not notice the left hand creating positions above the purview of the House, Senate and Judiciary. We will not notice the slow nationalization of our industries through taxes, mandates and oversight. We will not notice the slow closing of our windows into our government's actions through slow repeal of the Freedom of Information Act requirements. We will not notice the redistribution of wealth through increased government employment and benefits. We will not notice the movement to remove the achievement-based character of Americans through increased incentives to accept government control and funding of our lives.
I pray that the speed with which our president is moving his left hand will avert our eyes from his right hand. I pray we will open our mouths and shout, "No more!"
America, you are not racist. We all have racial encoding from past experience, but if we treat each other as we would like to be treated--our humanity will always overcome any indoctrination that others try to instill in us. So trust your heart, America. Stop trying to prove that you are not something, and go back to being comfortable in your kindness and generosity. Don't let government make you question who you are. And don't let this administration distract you with meaningless arguments. Focus on being Constitution-based Americans!
We are of one race--we are Americans!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Shirley Sherrod Do you hear yourself?
Before we start, let's remember I am a Black woman. Apparently that is somehow relevant to my ability to be candid about Ms. Sherrod's words and actions. So much for a color-blind, post racism administration. There are 5 parts of this story that should shame all of us as Americans:
1. Our government hired a person to represent it who sees race before need. Ms. Sherrod, I am so glad that your story ends with how you grew beyond these feeling, but you should have turned down the job if you wanted to use it to provide preference to people on the basis of color.
2. Ms. Sherrod believes that telling the world that she now understands that the goal of her position was to move resources from the haves to the have nots, not from Whites to Blacks should make us feel better. Forgive me, but I did not realize that her title was Regional Director of Wealth Redistribution?
3. Ms. Sherrod gets perferential treatment--a do over--when the multitude of conservatives who have misspoken or been taken out of context do not? Oh, I forgot liberals even get to say that being in the Klan was a youthful indiscretion (Sen. Byrd). Conservatives do not get context, do overs or explanations--just resignations in shame.
4. Ms. Sherrod may I introduce you to the concept of shame. Aren't you ashamed to admit that you used your position for anything other than helping all farmers? Or that you lead with your color, not your compassion? Or that you feel you need to tutor Americans, America and the President about "how we feel?" And who are "we?"
5. Finally, the idea that people will listen to interviews with Ms. Sherrod and not see her as a poster child for how liberals must divide us by groups to maintain control. And yet, people will still vote for this divisiveness in the fall.
1. Our government hired a person to represent it who sees race before need. Ms. Sherrod, I am so glad that your story ends with how you grew beyond these feeling, but you should have turned down the job if you wanted to use it to provide preference to people on the basis of color.
2. Ms. Sherrod believes that telling the world that she now understands that the goal of her position was to move resources from the haves to the have nots, not from Whites to Blacks should make us feel better. Forgive me, but I did not realize that her title was Regional Director of Wealth Redistribution?
3. Ms. Sherrod gets perferential treatment--a do over--when the multitude of conservatives who have misspoken or been taken out of context do not? Oh, I forgot liberals even get to say that being in the Klan was a youthful indiscretion (Sen. Byrd). Conservatives do not get context, do overs or explanations--just resignations in shame.
4. Ms. Sherrod may I introduce you to the concept of shame. Aren't you ashamed to admit that you used your position for anything other than helping all farmers? Or that you lead with your color, not your compassion? Or that you feel you need to tutor Americans, America and the President about "how we feel?" And who are "we?"
5. Finally, the idea that people will listen to interviews with Ms. Sherrod and not see her as a poster child for how liberals must divide us by groups to maintain control. And yet, people will still vote for this divisiveness in the fall.
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