I’m not casting aspersions and I’m not making a statement one way or another, but I do think it’s time we stop and THINK.
The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.
Albert Einstein
We have to understand that the brutal murder of POC by police in public is not some one off isolated incident. It’s ongoing! If serve and protect is true – then we protect everybody. Even the criminal caught in the act. If “love thy neighbour” is true – then we love everybody. Even if it’s the prostitute down the street. The moment we become selective – we become animals.
I am less worried about the Derek Chauvins of the world and more concerned with the silent majority of complicit police men and woman who remain silent knowing what goes down every day on the job amongst working colleagues. If you cannot police yourselves, how can you possibly police the public?
I don’t enjoy the statement that black lives matter (BLM), yes it serves a purpose, but equally it discriminates against millions of others, especially ethnic minorities, and makes a mockery of the concept of love thy neighbour. Surely EVERY life matters. Christian or not; religious or not; spiritual or not – no normal person can find fault in the words – “ love thy neighbour”, because it’s not a religious proposition … it’s truth and all encompassing. And if honestly applied, it ruins the lives and careers of many a bigot or racist and heals the lives of everybody else. It must be the cornerstone of humanity – we must strive toward that goal.
President Obama’s Medium article said so little. I think him and his wife are wonderful, but as a President his fear in acting out on his declaration of what he was, a black man, was tragic! In reality I believe his actions (not his words) put the black struggle in the USA back 50 years. But you have to ask why? Why was he so ineffective at breaking down the stereotypes of racist thinking, given his platform in which to do it. He spoke the speak, (and I accept he is humble, loving, statesman like, pastoral etc.) but he did not walk the walk.
It’s sad that after 8 years of having a POC President, nothing really changed. And if the President of America cannot shine a light on the issues, honestly … who can? Is it fear that stopped him? The desire for a second term / power and the possibility of alienating voters? Perhaps his own party machine or the realisation that the world saw him as a person of colour first and a President second! Maybe we will never know. But something inexplicably stopped him, because one thing I can’t bring myself to contemplate – that Barak Obama is a fake! That cannot be true.
And the one thing (and only thing) I love about Trump is he’s remained loyal to the people who voted for him. He is what it says on the packaging. He’s done in office what he promised on the election trail. And America voted him in. So you got what you deserved. Be careful – Sometimes we do get what we wished for! But more interesting is this – how come so much of his support is South of the Mason Dixie line? Is this a spill over of a civil war fought centuries ago … is it fear of losing an identity. The flag of the Confederates is not a racist statement at all. So why is it thus perceived? I have begun to think it’s an expression of identity. A fear of being swallowed up and drowned out. And as much as BLM is important, so too are those people. Ignoring the Confederate flag is as big an issue as BLM and cannot be allowed to happen, if peace is the desired end goal.
Out of the chaos of the Trump administration will come clarity though. But only after he’s departed the stage. It will either change America’s path for good or bad. Time will tell, but it will change one way or the other. His time in office, irrespective of length, will have an effect. I’ll give him this, he has changed American politics for good – from tweeting to doubling down and everything in between.
There is talk of Cape Town, South Africa, pushing to have the Cape province break away from the rest of SA and becoming a country in its own right, the Hong Kong gateway of Africa if you will. Some will say “ not again … we had this discussion before (google Orania or VOLKSTAAT) with the dismantling of apartheid”, but this is very different. That was a whites only Afrikaner separatist loving group of people who wanted a whites only country. This is not that – this is a racially mixed inclusive group who aren’t looking for a racial divide but rather a divide based on competency; On shared values; on a morality that is a settled matter; on no looking the other way; and no corruption! Sadly it will prove something if it happens though – whites will flock back to SA and establish in the Cape and whites living in SA will move to the Cape. So it might be branded racists by the ill informed. It will look like a racially motivated decision … but many enlightened POC will do so to, and many already reside in the Cape. I share this because it’s not unlike the Mason Dixie point above. Things are not always as they seem.
And Why is that?
Racism (pro or anti ) as a political ideology cannot be hitched to a people because politicians or people of prominence like the idea. It can’t be pushed from the top down … it has to come from the bottom up. A grass roots movement and in part we are seeing that on the streets today. In my opinion only two thing resonated with me from Obama’s piece – 1) his point that POC and whites have come out in force together to stand for BLM and that may be the beginning of something different in the USA; and 2) that he finally spoke out.
Political correctness says we HAVE to love POC and we HAVE to treat them as equals. Or that POC have to love and respect as equals, whites. But what if that is not what the people actually think. Or want. In truth none of us know what it’s like to be a POC unless you are one. And none of us know what it’s like to defend your whiteness, unless you are white. What if they’re happy to just coexist with different self determination agendas. A type of federation within a federation. It appears if you look around the world the political experiment of ‘nationalistic blending’ under a countries flag hasn’t borne much fruit. Unless it stems from the people. The only people who don’t want to admit it, are the politicians. Brexit is a perfect example of that. The U.K. voted to be self determined and identified with being British over European. But the biggest selling feature was the fear of POC migrating (invading) the U.K. from Europe. Brexit is more about hunkering down and closing it’s doors to colour than any of the other reasons put forward. They just won’t publicly say It. And that sort of created a division (split the country) and riots too. But without automatic weapons. And the politicians in government (power) allowed the referendum thinking that wasn’t what the people wanted – because if they thought they’d loose, they’d never have allowed the referendum in the first place. Does what the people want simply no longer matter. Does political correctness TRUMP democracy (forgive me – it was irresistible). It’s time politicians in the USA realised that maybe, just maybe, the people don’t want to live side by side hugging and kissing either. MAYBE they just want the chance to express what is to be a POC in the world, and vice versa. Maybe if we understood what it means, truly understand, we can begin to heal each other’s wounds. Maybe both feel threatened for very different reasons? They might all be Americans, and equally ALL American, but they also identify with ethnicity, heritage and colour. And in a land built on the idea of immigrants coming together as one and succeeding, its almost heresy to contemplate the differences and the common desire NOT to want to coexist … but we have to THINK and open our minds and explore realities. Why do we have little Italy; or China Town … why do Jews congregate in certain areas, Mexicans too! Political correctness doesn’t help this process, it doesn’t create dialogue and understanding. It simply labels people – White; POC; black; but humanity is so much more, it’s complex!! It grows the chasm of division rather than brings people together. Political correctness is like a band aid on an amputated leg … useless!
Isn’t it time America had a type of “truth and reconciliation” moment wherein the people, not just the white people but the POC and ethnic minorities too, and not the politicians, celebrities and do gooders etc. but the “real” people who interact daily with each other across colour lines in the supermarkets and offices and sports fields, speak. Let’s hear an unfettered no holds barred view from real America who have to interact with each other every day often under false pretences and mutterings under their collective breaths. Let’s actually get real here! Lets hear the fear of being a POC! It’s easy for white politicians to say black lives matter – they don’t …, for if they did matter - we wouldn’t be having riots. Or for Obama to say we are all equal – in his stratosphere it’s true, they are all equal, he’s a living USA president for goodness sake … but on the ground that may not be so true.
It can’t be about right or wrong. I’ve seen heart breaking testimony this weak of a young girl, so choked up with emotion that she could hardly speak, tell you what it’s like to be black. You can’t but cry! But equally I’ve seen innocent independent white folk devastated by black rage and violence. I’ve also seen vigilantism – mostly white, which is worse than anything else on the streets of America. Brainwashed Neanderthals brandishing baseball bats and automatic weapons in the name of protection. Protecting what!? Because it sure ain’t democracy. And it sure ain’t freedom!!
I’ve heard people in racially divided materialistic america more worried about broken shops and a bit of looting than broken (dead) humans and a broken police and justice system. None of this makes sense. None of this is right. And America, please hear me … it’s no longer the home of the free or the land of the brave. It’s simply no longer democracy … Nobody believes that any more. Nobody! People who are genuinely free and genuinely brave deal with hard issues properly, make tough choices because it’s right, not because it’s easy, and pour light on the dark issues around them. American senators and congresspeople are the opposite of brave. Almost without exception. Power is a nasty drug!
I’ve lived in the States. My one daughter is a proud USA passport holder. I don’t live their now. But I’ve always believed somehow that America means something good, something wholesome. I loved America. It’s beautiful young youth pay a disproportionate price around the world to safeguard me and my family. And I don’t as mentioned, even live in the USA. Thank you for your service. It has had bad moments but it’s been (overall) intrinsically good. It represents a bulwark against tyranny and upholds democracy and western culture. Sadly …. my faith and belief in that premise is eroding fast. Rome wasn’t built in a day … but it began to fall on one. And it was internal … not an invasion that brought it down!
Political correctness stifles honest debate. The lack of honest debate creates rage! America is enraged, so open the safety valve and let people speak there minds. And just like an alcoholic can’t be helped until he addressed his alcoholism and owns it, I don’t think racism will be removed until the people (black and white) get to speak freely. Because as we stand today, they cannot for they’ll be labelled racist or Antifa or white supremacist or worse if they’re truly honest. Let’s remove the labels and hear truth … from the people most affected.
However in the case of those paid as public servants. Protecting and Serving is not a choice. They don’t have the right of choice – Including the commander in chief. It’s a duty. And it’s time the public servants – police especially – started to ‘out’ the racist thugs in the service. Don’t worry about what’s on the streets till you’ve purged your own ranks. It’s no different to a crooked cop on the take … when the chips are down, that cop hasn’t got his partners back … so let’s not continue protecting the backs of bigots and racists in public office.
I find it amusing that most “racially liberal” white countries are fine with POC or ethnic minorities when they are 4% of your population. But things seem to change when it nears 20 or 30% … then it’s more real, and so it’s become real in America. But sadly for some, things have changed and they’re no longer “Red Indians” intent on leaving the reservation!
Equally why do so many POC migrate to white countries? Because they see black governments and leaders botch the management and running of African countries time and time again. After decades of black rule in Africa it’s worse. Compare this to Germany or Japan after the war. Or Singapore. You can’t keep blaming others and saying it’s somebodies fault, can you? If that was the case Germany would still be a bombed out country of rubble … and it’s not. We have to start being honest about what’s really happening. Address the issues. Is Africa a failed continent because of poor black governance, or because of white control (IMF; World Bank; white owned Corporations). It’s a really simple question.
No amount of soul searching; meetings; committees or focus groups will solve this. Politicians cannot solve diddly. If Brexit, Hong Kong, Putin, Covid-19, or the last few months of Trumps or Boris’ leadership is anything to go on, politicians simply cannot read the room any more. It’s only about power retention! I read what people say needs to happen and it’s pretty much more of the same old same. Isn’t it time the people decide – speak up, have State wide organised ‘town hall’ type opportunity to speak, to air the washing, and let’s hear from the proverbial horses mouth. Then collate that detail – let America hear what it’s like to live under racial oppression – first hand … and then let’s sit and think and find a solution. Because only by understanding the problem can you possibly find solutions.
I leave you with this final point and quote:
The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. A second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. A first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.
A.A. Milne
Let’s please stop and think. Let’s not create more rules based laws … clearly they’ve not worked and we cannot police them effectively, plus they’re prone to ‘interpretation’. Someone is always excluded … this is far to important to exclude any citizen.
America is a young democracy perhaps it would be better served by not trying to change the world or imposing its values on that world, but instead sorting its own value system, and its own backyard out. Nobody can take away what it has done for the West. But like an unruly teenager, perhaps it doesn’t know when to relax, to not take itself so seriously and to learn to sit quietly for a spell … and just THINK!
But consider this while you are thinking –
if you don’t think a forced arranged marriage based on old traditional principles in rural India is right and just, then how can you think FORCING racially divided people to love each other, will work without honest dialogue.
( and for the record, I’m not against arranged marriage – but it should be consensual going in)
Americans have got to learn to live and coexist side by side and that only happens in a nurturing “full disclosure” real relationship. Not some politically correct mishmash of laws forcing it. Get to know each other … love will follow. I honestly speak from experience. I’m white. I’m apartheid raised. I have learned to truly love blacks. Not through forced laws … but through contact and by association. I was previously wrong. I was conditioned by media and politicians. I see it happening in the USA … it’s evil! What I thought a POC to be, is absolutely nothing like how they are. I’m proud of myself for overcoming my prejudice and equally proud of black culture. It’s a beautiful thing!
B
