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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

I AM A RACIST?



S. Hullen in a comment on my last post called me a racist.

Racist?

I went to Hullen's profile to pay a courtesy call to her/his blog.  

There is none.  So I will have to reply on my own.

"I have a huge, HUGE problem with the things you're saying here."





Though you disagree with me and call me names, I do not have a problem with you.  I am merely saddened.




"First of all, no matter how much it offends you, black people are NOT proving their critics right or hurting their own cause by burning a flag 

which represents, to them, the system that released a man who murdered an eighteen-year-old, a system that protects white men and persecutes minorities. 

And no, they aren't mocking any sacrifice of their own people, either, as they can attest to more than any white person can. 

They weren't the ones who burned down their own church or other businesses. Those were looters and rioters, some affiliated with the KKK."

Odd, I saw no KKK hoods in the Ferguson coverage.  

The KKK did, indeed, bomb churches and killed Black, Jewish, and White Civil Rights advocates in the 60's.

My mother's People live in the world's largest concentration camp: the Rosebud Reservation.

No barb wire is needed just hundreds of miles of harsh desert.

Again, I am not offended by those burning the flag -- 

just saddened that they are acting out in rage against the flag which stands for the justice that sooner or later will visit those bigots in Ferguson.

Were you on that Grand Jury?  I was not.  I can suspect foul play, but I cannot prove it. 

The young man's parents can sue the policeman for denying their son his civil rights which will go to a Federal Court not a local one.

It is far from a perfect solution but O.J. finally received justice in the murdering of his wife in a similar fashion.




"THEY are not infected with any illness, except the wariness of having their children shot for crossing paths with the police. 

THEY are not robbing, and it is sickening that you would blame people who are peacefully protesting 

(yes, peacefully, why don't you look it up on Twitter or Facebook) for what some jerks are doing."

I know many are peacefully protesting.  The young man's father is pleading for calm.  It seems a small minority.

As a child, I was spat on, beat up, rousted by white policemen, denied access to the public swimming pool, or local Boy Scouts --

No dirty Indians allowed you see.

It hurt both physically and emotionally.  

My Lakota mother urged me not to let their hate infect me, for she assured me it was a disease.

I bought gas at a station whose sign read: NO DOGS, NO SPICS, NO INDIANS.



On the streets of New Orleans after Katrina, I lived in fear of the few remaining policemen who acted out their own rage and fear, beating and shooting some of us.  Was it fair?



No.  And it took YEARS for them to be prosecuted.  But in Putin's Russia nothing would have been thought of it.

I do not get my news from FB or Twitter whose reliability is questionable at times.  

I get my news from THE WASHINGTON POST which can hardly be called a conservative paper.



"You should be ashamed for appropriating Martin Luther King's words."

I did not know I have to be of the same race as the man whose words I quote, only of the same mind-set and have the courtesy of quoting him correctly.



 "It doesn't matter if he experienced worse. 




"They are experiencing their children getting shot in the street with no justice and that seems pretty damn protest-worthy to me. 

You please think about how you know nothing about what these people are suffering through. Neither do I, to tell the truth, but at least I realize that."

I did not say it was NOT protest-worthy. I even gave an example of WASHING the flag instead of BURNING IT.

I did not say that their suffering was not grievous. 

 I have lived long years of being the brunt of prejudice, and I have tried to honor my mother by living out her wisdom of not giving in to hate.


"You are part of the system that tells black people they should stay quiet 

and wait for white people to acknowledge their rights because any protest (unlike throwing tea into the ocean to protest taxes, I guess) is violence."

I advocate fighting a larger adversary intelligently and in a manner that does not aid your opponents ... 

and has a chance of obtaining lasting results as did Rev. King's struggle and ultimate sacrifice.




 "You are a racist, Roland."


That I disagree with senseless violence and advocate fighting bigotry with the laws already in place makes me a racist?

I think it makes me someone who does not want any more black mothers crying over slain sons or daughters.

It makes me someone who wants to see the black citizens of Ferguson to tap their outrage 

to unite to fight injustice in ways that preach nonviolence and stress fighting smart.

9 comments:

  1. Is Sullen a regular reader? :) If s/he is then that reaction is odd, to say the least.

    What I saw on the news didn't look peaceful either from this end. Hope all's calm.

    Burning flags (of any country, own or others) is just plain disrespectful, no matter what your agenda, or how deep your sense of being wronged. Shabby thing to do.

    Racist, my £$%^£$ ^&*@!

    Pay no attention and have a great day, Roland!

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  2. Hi Roland - most definitely not. I went back and looked ... those sorts of comments don't get through I push them off into the nether regions .. I don't react ... Take care and continue on with your excellent take on life and thoughts ... I hope today can be peaceful ... Hilary

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  3. Oh my, I missed that comment. Racism is full of hate. I'm not feeling hate here.

    Ferguson is three hours from me. A sad few days this has been. I can tell you that the rioters and the protestors are two separate groups. The faithful protestors will have to live in the war torn city they call home thanks to those who destroyed it. The rioters will go on to their next crime.

    With that said, I think it's sad anytime a young person dies. I'm in the business of young people. :) But we must follow the law or change the laws. I have many friends in law enforcement and I can tell you it's no easy job. They are human beings who have taken an oath to protect us, but of course no one is perfect. They just try to do their job.

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  4. It is much easier to blame others than to act responsible for one's own choices.

    No one forced Michael Brown to steal, walk down the middle of the street, or punch a man wearing a gun.

    So...to have convictions is to be a racist. I will stand with you, Roland.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nilanjana:
    Thanks. Yes, burning the flag only gives the impression of seething hatred and communicating reasonably a lost cause.

    Thankfully, Hullen is not a regular visitor. Hullen actually joined Blogger for the express purpose of voicing outrage.

    You have a wonderful day, too!

    Hilary:
    I usually just let such statements slide, too. Rage is impossible to reason with. But when I saw Hullen had joined Blogger solely to take issue with me, I thought I needed to clarify my position had I unintentionally hurt a long-time visitor.

    I am, of course, on call. Hopefully, I can take advantage of my supervisor's invitation to join his family's Thanksgiving dinner! :-)

    Thank you for your support.

    T. Powell:
    It is hard to separate the looters from the protesters when the protesters burn flags and Mr. Brown's step-father climbs on top of a car, screaming, "Burn the b___h down!"

    They believe murder was done and such outrage is understandable. Eleven shots fired from a distance lends credence to their belief. The first shot was fired within the police car when Brown grabbled with the police officer who had told him to stand still.

    When you see your protesting is increasing the chaos, your smart move is to change tactics and save what is left of your city.

    Act do not react. Fight smart not hot. Federal Law can be used to fight local lawlessness.

    Like you, I mourn the loss of Michael Brown's life. From what I have read, he had a troubled past with drugs and theft.

    When stopped by the policeman, Brown had just stolen a $48 box of cigarillos.

    When you are 6' 4", 292 pounds and lean into a police car's window and grabble with the officer, making a try for his weapon, you are taking your life into your own hands.

    After that first shot is fired, it is too late to say, "I was only funning!"

    Life is hard. Prejudice exists. It is not smart to provoke an unknown police officer with a gun.

    I think I would hate to be a police officer -- at a moment's notice routine becomes life or death.

    Thanks for talking with me. Have a lovely Thanksgiving! :-)

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  6. T. Mac:
    Michael Brown has been called a "Gentle Giant."

    Stealing, walking illegally in the middle of the street, and attacking a police officer does not bear out that title in my mind.

    I think you are right: taking responsibility for our actions is hard -- much easier to blame society.

    Thanks for standing with me. I was beginning to feel alone there! :-)

    Happy Thanksgiving!

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  7. I missed this post Roland, as I now have hubs at home. So coming by late, I'm shocked that someone always wants to take exception to whatever anyone says.

    You did no wrong and we who are regular readers know that you are not a racist. I've lived in the south, I know what comprises a racist. That certainly does NOT describe you.

    Let it roll off your back. The ones who let that policeman off the hook are the ones who are to blame. Too many police in too many cities shoot first then try to compile an alibi. I hope the city calms down soon.

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  8. D.G.:
    I am so happy that you now have your husband at home. Pace yourself. Hopefully, this will mean less traveling for you!

    Thanks for believing in me.

    Surely, the Grand Jury must have known what would be the reaction if they did not bring an indictment. What prompted them to do it?

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  9. Regarding civil suits: You cited OJ Simpson. He bragged that he never paid a penny to the father of his victim. I have heard the same about other civil suits. Who is supposed to make sure the person at fault pays? Regarding Michael Brown: Why is walking in the street a crime that required a police officer stop him? I am confused by the number of witnesses with differing accounts of what happened. Some say Michael Brown charged the officer and wouldn't put up his hands. Others say the opposite. A couple said they don't know. Can anyone explain the discrepancies in their accounts?

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete