Hi, everyone.
A week or so ago someone posted on the subject of Black reparations and asked what our opinion was - pro or con - and why. Now, I'm not going to claim that I'm an expert on the subject, plus, I'm white, plus, I'm a back country red-neck (of the Jeff Foxworthy stripe ), so I suppose that most people will be asking themselves, "Whot the heck is HE going to say something for?"
Well, the truth is that country red-necks are as badly misrepresented in public opinion as most other groups in the country. Heck, I've personally known BLACK rednecks, and found them to be the salt of the earth. Most of them I'd trust with anything I had, including my daughters.
But I find in my case that just sitting by and not doing something when others are down and needing a hand simply drives me nuts. I've got to do something to try to help, and it makes no difference whatsoever who, why, what color, or any other distinction. But doing "just anything - right or wrong" usually does more harm than good, so I usually take some time to study the situation, including the background, etc.
I've had many black friends, and have tried to shut up and listen enough to get the meaning of what they are telling me, and this has gone on for years. Finally, about a year ago, I gave in (I'm a reluctant writer) and wrote a lengthy treatise on racial prejudice. I sent it in seven installments to William Raspberry, the black university professor and newspaper columnist, whom I'd had a little correspondance with. So far, there's been no response, although I'm not sure that it got through to him. Section 6 covers black reparations, among other things.
I realize that asking someone to wade through it (It's lengthy. After all, you can't begin to do it justice in 25 words or less.) is asking a large favor. However, I would deeply appreciate some feedback. The opinions of those who are black would be especially cherished. I hope that those who do will be able to see that I am not writing with the attitude that I am an "instructor" on the matter nor am feeling superior to anyone. This is from the heart, and very genuine.
I don't keep track of who is black or white on this board, as it makes me no difference. But as I recollect, I think Stinkypants (How did you come to pick that name, LOL!! It reminds me of a long-hauler I know once whose C. B. handle was "Dirty Toilet Paper". Nobody needed to ask why, as that's the way all of us feel that society is using us.) and Teejay are and I respect the opinions of both of them. Hopefully, both will respond. I'm not sure who else is, but all are welcome, black or white, or anything else.
Here is Section 6:
Racial Prejudice
Hello, William --- this is Section 6:
Tools Needed to Combat the Situation
ITS NOT SUFFICENT TO JUST TREAT THE CAUSE
While it is true that a great amount of progress has been made in the gaining of greater opportunities for blacks, yet that progress seems to have stalled and the levels of frustration are building on all sides. We are probably closer to a race war than we have ever been. To me, that indicates we need to refine and modify the approach. How? My suggestions follow, but I need to express a concern of mine first.
It bothers me a great deal that some will read what I have written and say to themselves, with some justification, "Look at this guy! Hes saying that racial prejudice is all in our heads!"
I ask those who would be so inclined, to please cut me a little slack here. I by no means wish to imply that racial (or any other) prejudice is simply a matter dreamt up by the fertile imaginations of those with martyr complexes. Its not. Having vivid memories myself of being held upside down by a kid three times my size while the rest of the school taunts me due to my faith, of having my wife shot at by those wanting to run us out of town, of seeing my brothers thrown in prison for their faith, and many other similar things, tells me loud and clear that it is not.
But I do mean to say that we have a situation here not unlike the one where a person has been infected with botulism. Even after the infecting bacteria Clostridium botulinum has been eradicated, the waste products they leave behind continues to do further harm until they are removed as well.
Such experiences as those weve been speaking of here leave one with an enormous amount of emotional and psychological baggage that needs to be dealt with, and unless it is dealt with in a decisive manner, those experiences will become the defining moments of our lives. I may have been a victim in the past, but I do not wish to live my life as a victim.
I flat refuse to grant someone else the power to define what I am or what I will eventually become. This is my life, not theirs. Consequently, I make those decisions myself. If there are those who object to that, tough. They can blame well get their butts out of the road, or get them stomped under.
But how does one go about such a thing? Perhaps an even harder question is how does one work up the strength and courage to hold such a front in the face of the worlds scorn?
And --- how do those of us who have managed to conquer the effects of prejudice reach out and help those who are still suffering the effects of it? These are the problems we are facing now.
THINGS NOT TO DO
Many times the secret to the solving of such a problem is found in the past. Knowing the mechanics of an injustice can indicate where the antidotes are as well as enlighten us as to those "cures" that look good but only exacerbate it instead. In the light of the previous sections, lets point out a few of them.
a. To hate the persecutor does more harm to the hater than it does to the hatee. Giving in to that temptation is to lose, tragically and permanently. Any semblance to a normal life will be very difficult if not impossible to attain. Do we wish to hand victory to the bigot on a silver platter? If so, then hate him. He now controls us.
Plus, there is the danger of misinterpreting someones actions as hate when it is not. If we do that, we lose any potential friendship we may have gained and transform them into an enemy. Who can afford that?
b. What about anger? Is it appropriate? You bet. But --- anger is like fire. It can kill us just as easily as anyone else. It is a powerful motivator, but must never be allowed to get out of hand. Otherwise, again, weve shot ourselves in the foot, and the cackling of our tormentors will be ringing in our ears.
c. What about monetary compensation? Undoubtedly, there are circumstances where such are appropriate, such as accidentally throwing a baseball though the neighbors plate glass window. But there are crimes in this world where there isnt enough money in the universe to atone for them.
If a psychopath were to break into your home and rape and kill your wife and children, would you allow him to get away with it if he paid you $5,000,000? If you did, what would your neighbors think of your value system?
In this case, an entire race was proclaimed less than human, as being merely a glorified farm animal without the same human attributes that everyone else possesses. If you had lived 200 or 300 years ago under that system and could somehow be resurrected and speak to the youth of today, what would you have them do that would fulfill your inmost yearnings?
Would you have them gain all the money and power in the world and make everyone elses life as miserable as yours was?
Or would you rather they use the one gift that you gave your all to preserve for them --- your genes and chromosomes and the life that goes with them --- and prove once and for all time that you were a human being in the finest sense of the term? The gift you passed on to them is as high of quality as any others existing. How would you feel if they were ashamed of it? If I were black, this would be a labor of love and joy, and I would glory in it.
To accept "compensation" is to imply that the money received is of equal value to what was lost. It is to sell even their memories into slavery. It will also cost you the respect of all who look on, and merely prolong the effect of the psychological waste products left over from slavery.
d. What about the Jesse Jackson approach? Good --- with one fatal exception. He teaches victimhood right along with it. They are, of course, victims, and some sympathy is called for. But if that sympathy is overdone or misconstrued, it can remove the motivation to grow until the prejudice gets transcended. It also tends to emphasize the hopelessness of things and cuts down on a persons courage to try. Do you wish to allow someone else to have the power to define what you are? Then seek sympathy.
e. Then we have Al Sharpton. Sure, he motivates some blacks, usually in a negative way. But thats nothing like the way he motivates whites. To use a western metaphor, he supplies repeating rifles and firewater to the Indians. Just one of his escapades will double the number of bigots overnight.
f. But lets not forget Louis Farrakhan. To be honest with you, Im a bit angry with that man. He has the leadership, speaking ability, and charisma to be another Nelson Mandela, and heaven knows we need more like that. If only he would drop his own hatred and militancy, for they ruin it.
"But," many will retort, "this is all beside the point. Prejudice is simply wrong and needs to be wiped out." In large part I must agree with them. (Refer back to section 2 for my reservations.)
How? Weve been heaping shame and condemnation on the bigots for some forty years now and they havent changed at all, even getting worse in some ways, for it is impossible to shame those who have no shame. More importantly, the sense of futility within the black community is still strong. Here again lets look back in history to see if we can find an answer.
Remember Edward Jenner? When he gave the first vaccination to the boy James Phipps in 1796, I think we can safely assume that he had no such grand ambitions as the eradication of smallpox. That was simply a desperate attempt to save lives. It worked, and his idea was refined and adopted worldwide.
Now that worldwide campaign has accomplished the seemingly impossible. It no longer exists in the populations of the world. (Dont ask my opinion of a few of the worlds arsenals keeping some of it in reserve. Sweet innocent folks like you shouldnt be subjected to that kind of language.)
The successful destruction of one of the worlds greatest killers was accomplished by the simple method of making the worlds population immune to its ravages, one person at a time, until finally there was no place left for it to live.
Im suggesting that we utilize that same method now. But what would we use? What will it take?
CHARACTISTICS OF THE TOOLS NEEDED
It will have to be something that accomplishes two things at once. First, it will have to encourage those that are down and demonstrate what is possible in a manner that reaches beyond the brain and extends into the heart. They will have to know, and want, and believe that its possible to get out of the valley of shadow. They need to move into new territory, to go beyond prejudice, for as long as they concentrate on that, they will remain there.
Secondly, it will need to be something that reassures others. If those activities raise other peoples fears, then they are counterproductive. Other people dig in and arm themselves under those conditions and become armed camps, or they will take steps to reduce the perceived danger by suppressing those they view as dangerous. Look at the actions of the KKK, etc. after the Civil War. Look at the Egyptians concerns about the Israelites. (Exodus 8:8-22)
What will do that? Well, look at the simple and beautiful humanity of a Bill Cosby. Observe the dignity and integrity of a Sidney Portiet. Enjoy the beauty and wit of a Felicia Rashad. Learn from the class (and yes, the brass too) of a Lena Horn. And lets not forget the grit and determination of a Mugsy Bogues or a Spud Webb.
What bigot could ever point a finger at those people and claim that they are somehow less than human? The only thing they would accomplish is to make themselves look like the utter fools that they really are. They would be laughed and scorned out of town. But there is something even better. Some will hesitate to point their finger to begin with, as such qualities will make them realize just how wrong they really are.
We need to emphasize to the young and the downtrodden that they have the same genes running in their veins as these people do. They need to believe in their heart that they have the ability to do those things and more, if they have the courage to reach for them.
BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HISTORY
What else do we need? How about historians who are capable of expanding the written record to include the context of the times as well as the dry facts of what happened? Im not speaking here of a revising of history. Im saying that former times can be understood and gaining antidotes for the problems left over from them can be better facilitated by understanding the thought processes of the times. Lets illustrate:
I think that few people would dispute that both Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were intelligent men. Yet few could reasonably expect them to understand how a computer works. Why? Because mankinds knowledge of technology had yet to advance that far. This principle holds true for all facets of human knowledge. One in particular that we should consider here would be heredity.
A SPECIAL SUBJECT
The concept of heredity is old. Archeologists have found a 6,000 year-old engraved stone in Chaldea that traced various traits through five generations of horses. Early Greek philosophers, including Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), thought blood was the basic element of heredity. Aristotle believed that blood flowed from parent to offspring, carrying hereditary traits. Such phrases as "bloodline", "blue blood", and "blood relative" reflect his ideas. (See World Book Encyclopedia under "Heredity")
The accepted and established scientific belief for centuries was that all kinds of things were attributed to heredity. In our own grandparents day it was widely believed that suicide or immorality was a disgrace to the entire family, for it was proof that the bloodline was defective. Although we have made much progress, even today we are still trying to figure out what is and is not dependent upon heredity.
Can you picture trying to have an intelligent discussion with Aristotle about stem cells, DNA, RNA, X & Y chromosomes, and the like?
Likewise, in Thomas Jeffersons day the accurate knowledge of such things was primitive compared to what we have now. I would suggest that his ambivalence toward the subject of slavery is more likely the result of a lack of accurate knowledge rather than hypocrisy, as the theology, science and statistics of the day indicated that the black race was inferior.
Look at it in this way: If, less than 60 years ago Hitler was still trying to figure out which race was supreme, why should we be surprised that there were misconceptions on the subject 200 years ago?
ISOLATIONISM AND ITS EFFECT
But lets crank in another factor. By and large, people of that day didnt associate with other kinds of people like they do now. Germans stayed in Germany. The French stayed in France. Chinese stayed in China, etc., etc. All were armed camps hunkered down in order to protect themselves from the world. Each nationality had the regrettable but perfectly human conceit that told them that they were "The People", the best, the holiest, the most advanced technically or morally or in some other way. When the European nations started colonizing the world this was the rationale they used, figuring that due to their superiority, they were advancing the cause of all humanity by introducing their "superior" thought and methods.
But there was an unexpected result. For these nations to rule others, it became necessary for them to get to know the people themselves and why they acted as they do. Some, like the opportunists, would use that knowledge for only selfish reasons. Others, though, would begin to realize that their preconceived ideas and prejudices were wrong. Unfortunately, the first would get established quickly. It would take time for the second to amass enough strength to make any difference.
The movie, Anna and the King, is a marvelous study of this conflict. It also illustrates beautifully how the king himself realized that the true enemy was not so much the British or the French themselves, but the perception that they had of him and his people. He tried hard to influence that perception.
But now lets move this whole concept to the Americas, for if ever there was a case study of the above principles, this is it.
The opportunists came first, quickly enslaved the natives, and built entire economies on the backs of those they considered inferior. Soon they ran out of natives, for either their operations got too big and/or the natives died off due to maltreatment and disease and left them without enough labor. Entire populations became extinct. Now what?
Sure, they could conscript the poor of their own nation, but doing that had a distinct disadvantage. If they were mistreated too badly, the authorities back home would come to know of it and take action. These were, after all, their people, and were a known quantity.
How much better to use people of another race, from another part of the world that was practically unknown, with their own unique languages and customs that made them seem backward and unimportant to those who didnt understand them, and who had no one to speak for them. (Remember the example of the city slicker and the country hick in Section 3? Look how right now all aspects of country [hillbilly] life is ridiculed in all media, despite the fact that most country folk do things as a matter of habit that city folks think are impossible.) The Africans, unfortunately, filled that bill almost perfectly. Then there was an additional advantage. The Africans had a better resistance to the tropical diseases that had killed off so many of the Native Americans.
It was only after this arrangement had been established for a few hundred years that a unique experiment came into being. It seems that the very diverse peoples of the American colonies decided to create a government whereby all men were proclaimed equal. This was done, not so much for idealism, but in the necessity of banding together in order to withstand Britains demands. In doing so they didnt want to find themselves playing second fiddle to others of the group.
But all thirteen of those colonies were established by and for white people. One could safely assume that if Orientals, Africans, or Native Americans had established one of them, they would have been excluded from the arrangement. Why? Because all of the authorities of the day, whether governmental, scientific, or ecclesiastical, thought of themselves as the nth of human creation. Everyone else was inferior. Therefore in their view, they didnt deserve the consideration usually accorded normal human beings.
It took nearly 80 years before enough people came to realize that these authorities were wrong, and took action to rectify the matter.
How did they come to that realization? By closely associating with one another so that they could observe it for themselves.
The reason this is so important is that this understanding tends to disarm the hostility between our peoples. Those problems occurred not due to hatred of one for another, but due to a lack of knowledge of one anothers qualities and value. As our peoples gain that knowledge, those problems are gradually straightening out one step at a time. Its just that there are still many steps to go.
So again, Im not speaking here of the revising of history. Im saying that we need to look deeper into it, to realize and record the phenomenal courage and ingenuity that the Africans had in those desperate times. Lets use the setting painted above to reexamine one of the controversies of today:
A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE
Only in the last few years has the question finally been settled as to whether Thomas Jefferson had an affair with his slave girl Sally Hemings. DNA analysis indicates that he did. Since then she has been portrayed as the poor, innocent, utterly helpless sexual slave of a dirty old man. My bet is that she would be absolutely outraged by that depiction. Why?
Lets look at the situation a little closer. Jefferson was married ten years to his wife Martha and loved her dearly. Upon her death, his grief was so deep that he became a virtual recluse for some months. He vowed to never marry again, and didnt.
Sally was much younger than he was and was his slave, yes. But it appears that she was also his wifes half-sister, and she would be about as close as he could possibly get to the woman that he had loved. The trouble is, given the customs of the times, it would be forbidden for a man to marry his slave, especially for a man in his position. Therefore it must be kept secret.
She was also beautiful, intelligent, traveled, and privy to his concerns and problems. That begins with the one closest to his heart, his children, as she was their caretaker. In his loneliness, it would be a natural thing to turn to her.
Theres another reason to believe it was something more than an older man dallying with a young girl. Its thought that he had six children by her. Few philanderers would spend that much time with one woman, and would have long since gone on to someone new.
In addition, if Sally was merely Jeffersons sexual plaything, one could hardly expect his daughters to view her with anything but contempt. History indicates that was not the case.
Yes, Jefferson was troubled about the question of slavery. He was against it, and yet he still held slaves. At the same time, he felt that the black race wasnt as capable as the white. When considering the level of knowledge available then, the wonder is not his ambiguity, but that he had the insight to question the conventional wisdom of the day at all.
Given these factors, it brings up a question. How did he get that insight? Was she a helpless girl being molested, or was she a young woman who realized her opportunity and was using her beauty, wit, and opportunity to influence one of the most powerful thinkers of her day as to the value and intelligence of her people? We know that the idea of freeing the slaves grew over the next 60 years until it finally came true. How much of the foundation did she lay by using that influence? Ill bet the Bible book of Esther had special meaning for her.
Who would not be proud to have such an ancestress?
What a story a good historical novelist could weave around those facts! Think of what a movie director such as Stephen Spielburg could make of such circumstances! It would have the scope and depth of another "Gone With the Wind." How many other stories are out there just waiting for someone to tell them?
GOALS TO STRIVE FOR
The perception that slavery indicated one race was inferior to the other is utterly false. It is another myth that hangs on from earlier times and has no more basis in fact than does the idea that a family member committing suicide indicates a defect in the bloodline. This needs to be taught and illustrated in countless ways.
The progress of knowledge needs to be shown so that it can be understood easily. This will contribute to a "big picture" or "pattern" with which we can overlay the whole situation, and will clearly demonstrate the progress that has been made. More importantly, it will also define our goals and suggest the next steps and the ways and means of accomplishing them.
We need to demonstrate that the opportunistic mentality exists in every society, race, language, and nation on earth, and that most peoples are guilty of the same crimes.
Those (especially black leaders) who teach that the black race cannot succeed without cheating need to be put on the spot by other blacks. Simply ask them the question publicly: "Are you suggesting that the black blood lines are inferior?" Then let it hang in the air.
Above all, we need to realize that when fighting each other, we are fighting the wrong enemy. Ignorance is the enemy, especially that ignorance that is within ourselves.
There is much more that could be mentioned that would promote this change of perception in our peoples. However, this is meant to illustrate the type of things that are needed and the goals that need to be reached. I fully believe that many others could come up with better ideas than I could to reach those goals.
A TRUE STORY
I have six children ranging in age from 39 to 15, all by the same woman. How this came about is a story that most people would say could only happen in a romance novel. There are five girls and one boy. We enjoyed doing the unusual, like climbing active volcanoes or having barefoot races in the snow at 20 below zero.
I remember one sunny day my oldest daughter was wading in the warm lagoon on the western side of Alaskas St. Augustine Island (Its in Cook Inlet, 40 miles west of Homer). She suddenly let out a shriek and did her best to climb to the nearest star. Coming back down, she instantly let out another and went right back up. I was floating on a log nearby and almost fell off from laughing so hard. Shed stepped on a flounder buried in the sand and landed on another when getting back to earth from her first flight.
Needless to say, there is little in sibling conflict that I have not seen. One such incident happened about 20 years ago. The two oldest girls were back from Quebec and were visiting us along with their two closest childhood friends. Our third daughter, Judy, was around 13 and definitely a young lady, but she hardly felt equal to her older sisters and their friends.
We were visiting the Oregon coast and the four older girls decided to go swimming in the waves. That it was February and the temperature was around 45 degrees didnt matter in the slightest. After all, waves were meant to swim in, right? Judy took one look and turned green with envy. She came to me.
"Dad, would you tell them to let me play with them too?"
I knew exactly how she felt, but knew also that her suggestion was the wrong approach. After thinking for a few seconds, I answered, "No."
"Let me explain why," I went on. "You want to be equal to them and be included in their activities. That is good in itself, but if I do that, I wont be making you equal to them. Ill be making you superior to them in that they will have to treat you special and in a way they dont treat each other."
"If you want equality and to be included in their activities, then you must actually be equal. Notice something now: Did any of those girls ask permission of the others to go out there?"
She shook her head.
"Thats right. If youre going to be equal with them, then you must have the confidence to do what they do. Just go. Join in with them. Dive in the waves and scream right along with them. Splash them and let them splash you right back. Dont make them feel like they have to treat you any different than the way they treat each other."
She listened carefully to my words, then nodded and though I could see she was afraid it wouldnt work, turned and headed for the waves.
Forty-five minutes later all five girls came back in, shivering and blue with cold, but giggling and on cloud nine. Theyd had a ball. As Judy passed, she gave me a glorious smile and whispered, "Thanks, Dad."
William, there are millions of us white people that would give anything to enjoy the companionship of our black brothers and sisters. But we can only do so much. You folks need to do the rest, and it will take courage to do it, even as it did for my daughter. Many of the things Ive mentioned above are designed for that purpose: To help them gain that courage and self-confidence.
Next: A Conversation --- How, Who, What, Why, When, and Where.
Til then,
Tom