Well today I received an interesting email written by a reporter in Atlanta who is also a professor of history at Macon State College Andrew M Manis. Professor Manis wrote this article (editorial) for the Macon Telegraph I found this to be informational and thought that I would share.
Andrew M. Manis: When Are WE Going to Get Over It?
For much of the last forty years, ever since America "fixed" its race problem in the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, we white people have been impatient with African Americans who continued to blame race for their difficulties. Often we have heard whites ask, "When are African Americans finally going to get over it? Now I want to ask: "When are we White Americans going to get over our ridiculous obsession with skin color? Recent reports that "Election Spurs Hundreds' of Race Threats, Crimes” should frighten and infuriate every one of us. Having grown up in “Bombing ham," Alabama in the 1960s, I remember overhearing an avalanche of comments about what many white classmates and their parents wanted to do to John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Eventually, as you may recall, in all three cases, someone decided to do more than "talk the talk." Since our recent presidential election, to our eternal shame we are once again hearing the same reprehensible talk I remember from my boyhood. We white people have controlled political life in the disunited colonies and United States for some 400 years on this continent. Conservative whites have been in power 28 of the last 40 years. Even during the eight Clinton years, conservatives in Congress blocked most of his agenda and pulled him to the right. Yet never in that period did I read any headlines suggesting that anyone was calling for the assassinations of presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, or either of the Bushes. Criticize them, yes. Call for their impeachment, perhaps. But there were no bounties on their heads. And even when someone did try to kill Ronald Reagan, the perpetrator was non-political mental case who wanted merely to impress Jody Foster. But elect a liberal who happens to be Black and we're back in the sixties again. At this point in our history, we should be proud that we’ve proven what conservatives are always saying -- that in America anything is possible, EVEN electing a black man as president. But instead we now hear that school children from Maine to California are talking about wanting to "assassinate Obama." Fighting the urge to throw up, I can only ask, "How long?" How long before we white people realize we can't make our nation, much less the whole world, look like us? How long until we white people can - once and for all - get over this hell-conceived preoccupation with skin color? How long until we white people get over the demonic conviction that white skin makes us superior? How long before we white people get over our bitter resentments about being demoted to the status of equality with non-whites? How long before we get over our expectations that we should be at the head of the line merely because of our white skin? How long until we white people end our silence and call out our peers when they share the latest racist jokes in the privacy of our white-only conversations? I believe in free speech, but how long until we white people start making racist loudmouths as socially uncomfortable as we do flag burners? How long until we white people will stop insisting that blacks exercise personal responsibility, build strong families, educate themselves enough to edit the Harvard Law Review, and work hard enough to become President of the United States, only to threaten to assassinate them when they do? How long before we starting "living out the true meaning" of our creeds, both civil and religious, that all men and women are created equal and that "red and yellow, black and white" all are precious in God's sight? Until this past November 4, I didn't believe this country would ever elect an African American to the presidency. I still don't believe I'll live long enough to see us white people get over our racism problem. But here's my three-point plan: First, everyday that Barack Obama lives in the White House that Black Slaves Built, I'm going to pray that God (and the Secret Service) will protect him and his family from us white people. Second, I'm going to report to the FBI any white person I overhear saying, in seriousness or in jest, anything of a threatening nature about President Obama. Third, I'm going to pray to live long enough to see America surprise the world once again, when white people can "in spirit and in truth" sing of our damnable color prejudice, "We HAVE overcome." ************************************** It takes a Village to protect our President
DISCUSS!!!!!
While I don’t agree with the apparent hatred demonstrated in the last few months by ignorant people that can’t seem to move forward in their thinking, I do have an issue with this post. Again, let me restate (I do not condone that hate mail, hateful acts, or bigotry that is currently coming into the general eyesight of our country) I voted for Mr. Obama because he was the best candidate for the job regardless of his skin color. With that said I am sick and tired of black people carrying their race cards on their key chains as if it’s a discount card at the local supermarket! You have affirmative action, you get jobs that regular white people cant get and get into schools that we cant get into not because you are more qualified, but because you are a minority. I understand that what happened was bad, but neither I nor my group of family or friends committed these crimes, yet we are punished and held back so that you can be pushed ahead. I simply do not agree. White people have become "the minority" in this country yet we still have to waist in line as you all use you express passes to get in but why? Because there aren’t enough blacks in that particular company? maybe none are applying. Why does that prohibit me from geting in. The system should be unbiased and every man and woman should stand on their on merrit and accomplishments. Obama made it to the white house. Great, maybe finally we can all be equal. Imp tired of the complaining.
ReplyDeleteWell I thank you for comment and I do understand your frustration, BUT the reason these things were put in to place is because NOT YOU, but some people are still prejudice and yes the proof is the hatred that you have seen over the past few months and I understand that you don’t condone it, but a comment such as” With that said I am sick and tired of black people carrying their race cards on their key chains as if it’s a discount card at the local supermarket!" could be looked at as a prejudice remark because some of us worked to get where we are and did not use affirmative action, or anything else. Most earn their positions and don’t wait for someone to give us something, and the fact of the matter is we are given a small percentage of jobs and most employers’ give the jobs to the most qualified candidate affirmative action jobs aren’t always filled do you research. I appreciate the feed back. Come and visit again
ReplyDeleteFirst I have to state how pleased I am that there is still this type of engaging conversation going on between different sides of the coin. I can definitely understand "freethinkers" sentiments, (though I feel the pen name doesn’t quite match the feelings expressed!). When u have a notable ignorance of your ancestor’s actions, it is a lot easier to express these types of "im sick of the complaining" sentiments. What, I feel, Freethinker needs perhaps, is a vigorous history lesson on the treatment of African Americans since their arrival in this country. I may ask, freethinker, just what do you think are black people’s sentiments? When you hear about slavery , the rape the pillage, when you hear about jim crow, the lynching’s the killings, when you hear about the civil rights act being passed, the bombings, the police involvement, when you hear about IRAN CONTRA and the fact that the CIA actually went on trial for their alleged involvement in introducing cocaine to the inner cities (though they were exonerated, the fact that a united states district attorney felt enough evidence there to proceed speaks volumes), when you , as im sure you have countless times, hear about the history of the descendants of black slaves in America (we are talking about things that happened within your fathers lifetime!), WHAT , must I ask, do you feel are the sentiments of their children? Do you care? And I ask that not to be accusatory, but if I don’t care what you feel, and you don’t care what I feel, then progress is impossible. When you express feelings of "I am sick of complaining", those are matched by feelings of “I wish god would have erase people hateful enough to treat my forefathers this way from the face of the earth". And I think freethinker, that had YOUR ancestors felt that same treatment, you would have the same sentiments! At least I HOPE that you would. I have to assume that if you can become this aggravated simply by the fact that a black person may take a job from you, how furious would you be if black people had raped your great grandmothers with reckless abondment? How would you feel if you had to look at picture after picture of your grandfathers and uncles hanging with their necks broken from trees, "strange fruit" as Billie Holiday called it? I have to believe that if you can feel this much aggravation towards blacks complaining about the past, how much "aggravation" would you feel if the ancestors of current day blacks, the FATHERS, not the great grandparents, but the FATHERS, MOTHERS, UNCLES who still breathe air to this day, had not only perpetuated these crimes against humanity, but had the NERVE to tell you to GET OVER IT! In the name of progress freethinker, be honest with me, with yourself; if the tables were turned, speak not about WHAT you would do to make your situation BETTER were the tables reversed, but speak solely about your feelings. For the sake of eliminating timely roadblocks to you doing this, lets assume that you blamed a small portion of your own people for their handing in dealing you to those that treated you so, just focus on your feelings TOWARDS those that enslaved you, and carried out massive violations of your HUMAN rights, you were a piece of property Tell me how you would feel towards them today. And remember when, no IF you respond to this honestly, try to gather up that same disgust that you felt when you said:
ReplyDelete"With that said I am sick and tired of black people carrying their race cards on their key chains as if it’s a discount card at the local supermarket!"
Keep that same focus! Get angry!
This should be exciting... please do not disappoint, keep us believing that you truly are interested in bridging the gaps that racial animosity and hatred created beginning with slavery and still going now . We believe in your good INTENTIONS as of so far, make us believe in your ability to be honest, regardless of where the whip may fall.
Kind Sir, It is obvious that you are very passionate about you feelings and I find no error in this. I also do not dispute the validity of your emotions either. Though out society for generations upon generations there have been hateful acts. These Atrocities have been committed against undeserving groups of innocent people simply because one race, one group, sect, and even gender decided that they were better then some other. From the genocide in the republic of Rwanda, the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, the mass murders in the Ukraine, or the extinguishment of the Plain Indians of North America…. Whether you refer to it as genocide or simple crimes against humanity it is in effect still disambiguation. I am not proud of any of the hateful acts committed by any of my ancestors. But in order for there to be a change… so that hopefully our children do not have to experience there own personal version of such hate, we must let go and grow. So thank you Mr. tabdultawwab for your history lesson. Both the conversations with you and (SHE who is Trouble???) have been interesting to say the least. But If I may…..
ReplyDelete“When you express feelings of "I am sick of complaining", those are matched by feelings of “I wish god would have erase people hateful enough to treat my forefathers this way from the face of the earth".”
“Keep that same focus! Get angry!”
In these above quoted statements from you I hear that same (anger) that you and asking me for… I hear hatred, retaliation and revenge. I understand the emotions but when does logic set in. I’m not here to judge but from my view point; you people are being enslaved, held down and destroyed not by my ancestors but rather by yourselves. With your gangs, almighty street corners and ridiculous obsession with spinning rims and shiny things, you can not move forward. The glass ceiling has been removed, but it seems as if you don’t know it. Like crabs in a barrel you hold yourselves back and when asked why, you blame me???? NO! What happened was bad. This I agree, but what may be worse is the fact that you now use it as an excuse to not move forward(without the governments help that is).