These are some random thoughts on this sunny last day of April. Yesterday, I saw a post that argued against the labeling of soap dispensers as racist. You mean to tell me that someone out there has actually postulated that bathroom soap dispensers are racist? Yes, you know? Those automatic soap dispensers that hang on bathroom walls - often found at gas stations, truck stops and rest areas? You know, the kind that have motion sensors in them to dispense a small amount of soap hands-free? Well, they are apparently racist because they don't sense the color of a person's skin (seems like that would make them NOT racist to me...) and because they cause a black person to expose the lightest portion of their skin - their palm - to the dispenser. (Uh, it'll work just the same on the back of your hand, your foot, your leg, your arm, your jacket sleeve...) Just when I thought the world couldn't get any more stupid, and I'm proven wrong, again. I actually thought that the Portland Oregon school district debating whether or not trees were racist was the dumbest thing ever. (yeah, in the state that has a TREE on their license plate - THAT Portland) This one tops that. As the point of the video denouncing this lunacy so aptly states, if you think in racist terms, you'll see racism in everything. Apply that more broadly: If all you do is focus on hate (or fill in the blank), all you'll ever do is see everything through a hate-filled lens. It seems today that Dr. King's dream has died a slow, asphyxiating death, because we have an entire party (yes, the Democratic party) that can't see beyond the color of a person's skin, and refuses to judge anyone on the content of their character.
Today, we have no end of terms thrown around by the liberal media and the Democratic party such as "white privilege," "systemic racism," "critical race theory," and so on. But here's the problem as I see it with these terms, and it's twofold. One: I was raised in a typical midwestern middle class family (you'll note that I didn't identify it as "white."). My parents never taught me to judge anyone by their external appearance. Just the opposite, in fact. Nor did I learn (in a well-integrated school system, by the way), that a person's skin color mattered in the slightest when it came to how we interact and judge one another. I'm also not alone. It was purely natural to then head to college and see the same kinds of things play out there. The only time I would judge anyone on our track team: white, black, or Jewish, was on how well we all ran and how well we functioned together as a team. As a sophomore, in the 4x400 relay, I was exchanging the baton with a teammate who happened to be black. We dropped the baton on the exchange (the only time I can recall that ever happening). It had nothing to do with skin color between us. It had everything to do with my exhaustion and inability to place the baton squarely in his hand. But there were also some unusual changes in college now too. Now, we had such things as the "black student union," along with various "minorities-only" groups, activities, and fraternities. At the time, I began to learn that these were ok because we were all still racist. That came as a surprise to me, even though yes, racism still exists. Some of those teammates and classmates who just happen to be black have now also - over 35 years later, accused me of being a part of all those terms above.
Two: when it comes to college, I never got any kind of "privilege" with being white. In fact, I'm still paying off refinanced student loans 35 years later. I'm not alone in this. I don't know anyone who happens to be Caucasian who's had an easy time of life all because of their skin color. Just the opposite in fact. Additionally, the only ones who happen to be white and are screaming "racism," "white privilege," etc. are the rich, Hollywood and political (Caucasian) elite who have gained their fame and fortune at the expense of the rest of us - all skin colors included in "us." And that, my friends, is a whole different issue. Here's a good summary of how I see it - coming from a post I made recently on Parler: "For sale: one mint condition 'white privilege card.' It has never been used, not even once. The reason I'm selling, is because it has never done a damn thing for me. No free college, no free food, no free housing, no free anything. I actually had to go to work everyday of my life while paying a boatload of taxes to carry those who chose not to work. If you're interested, I prefer cash but would be willing to do an even trade for a race card which seems much more widely accepted and comes with multiple benefits, if you fit the profile. Serious inquiries only!"
In light of all this, what I've come to learn is that while racism does still exist, a cursory glance at history (our own recent history) certainly shows that it is nowhere near the levels it was back in the contentious '60's. I've learned that yes, the death of minorities at the hands of police is tragic, and in at least one recent case, should not have happened. Officer Chauvin's humanity and empathy should have kicked in and George Floyd should not have died. I've learned that the media and the aforementioned political party routinely lies to us (lying by omission of facts and truth) surrounding racism, as more Caucasians are killed by police each year than African Americans. I've also learned (well, I already knew this) that if you don't want to get shot by the police, cooperate with them. In fact, whether fearing such things or not, we are to respect authority, including the police. Above all, I've learned that the biggest racists in America today are the ones who themselves are crying "racism" and they come in all genders and colors. Today's "cancel culture," "woke mentality," and "virtue signaling" is accomplishing nothing but throwing gasoline on the fires of an already divided nation, that has divided only because the Democratic party and the mainstream media tells us we should be divided.
Has America made mistakes in it's history? Of course. But let's see them for what they are, and let's also recognize the extreme sacrifice in blood to correct those past mistakes, all for the sake of liberty and freedom. And therein lies the rub. history shows that the world is bloody - especially when it comes to being horribly divided. That lesson is even in our own history, and it is most evident, oddly enough, in the issue of race and slavery. Our own Civil War was the bloodiest and costliest in American lives in the history of this country's wars. And with liberals and the media dividing us again, I fear that another Civil War is inevitable. Too many people have had enough of this extreme radical view of America and the world, and are tired of the race-baiting, divisive politics that are rapidly destroying this country. It's time to move past the destructive "identity politics" so adeptly utilized by American liberals, and get back to being "One Nation Under God" once again.
But what do I know? I'm just a white middle class male, so any position I have is automatically wrong.
