Cultural Chasm
I was so upset Monday after hearing Ray Nagan, Hillary Clinton and Al Gore that I figured I ought to take a day to gather my thoughts so I wouldn't say anything in anger. Now that I've had time to mull it over, I think I'm more confused than angry. When I was in school, we were taught the Martin Luther King studied the non-violent protests of Ghandi and was trying to unite the races while assuring everyone had the same rights and opportunities. In almost every picture of the protests he staged, there are many white people walking along with blacks. Where did the idea of unity of the races go?
It seems the self-appointed spokespersons for African-Americans, such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, are more interested in creating a chasm between whites and blacks by constantly trying to convince their constituancy that they are being held back by white-run society and that they aren't getting everything they deserve. Perpetuating this myth is basically job security for them. History shows us that one of best way to unite people is to have a common enemy. You can't preach to people about their victimization if they don't feel they are victims. I honestly feel the difference in black people and white is that white people have lived in a culture for many centuries that rewards individual achievement. Black people came from a cultural mentality that was centered around the survival of their group rather than the individual. Both cultures have points of merit and both have inherent problems. When you take one culture and try to force it on another, you're going to have problems. I do see a light at the end of the tunnel, though. Many African-Americans who think and speak freely are understanding that the real equalizer is education. The problem with that is our educational system has become corrupted by people that want to revise history to perpetuate the cultural chasm. I hope that when Martin Luther King day comes around next year, more people understand that they are the only ones who are responsible for their condition. Too many people, both white and black, have shown us that existing conditions have no bearing on future results provided the person has the determination to overcome them. Watch the movie "Cinderella Man" and I think you'll get it.
The constitution guarantees us the basic rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. What this means to me is that the government should be involved in defending me against foreign intruders and insuring the safety of our communities. It should also allow me to make decisions, right or wrong, about how I intend to live my life as long as it doesn't infringe on other's basic rights. The Pursuit of Happiness means that I have the opportunity to pursue the interests I feel will complete me as a person, again as long as it doesn't affect other people's basic rights. What has happened is that these basic rights have been cheapened by others who have the intention of having our government attend to individual needs rather than the the society as a whole. The result of trying to micro-manage our society is the government(federal, state and local) have become bogged down with ridiculous mandates. We can't continue to pander to individuals when our society is crumbling around us.
It seems the self-appointed spokespersons for African-Americans, such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, are more interested in creating a chasm between whites and blacks by constantly trying to convince their constituancy that they are being held back by white-run society and that they aren't getting everything they deserve. Perpetuating this myth is basically job security for them. History shows us that one of best way to unite people is to have a common enemy. You can't preach to people about their victimization if they don't feel they are victims. I honestly feel the difference in black people and white is that white people have lived in a culture for many centuries that rewards individual achievement. Black people came from a cultural mentality that was centered around the survival of their group rather than the individual. Both cultures have points of merit and both have inherent problems. When you take one culture and try to force it on another, you're going to have problems. I do see a light at the end of the tunnel, though. Many African-Americans who think and speak freely are understanding that the real equalizer is education. The problem with that is our educational system has become corrupted by people that want to revise history to perpetuate the cultural chasm. I hope that when Martin Luther King day comes around next year, more people understand that they are the only ones who are responsible for their condition. Too many people, both white and black, have shown us that existing conditions have no bearing on future results provided the person has the determination to overcome them. Watch the movie "Cinderella Man" and I think you'll get it.
The constitution guarantees us the basic rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. What this means to me is that the government should be involved in defending me against foreign intruders and insuring the safety of our communities. It should also allow me to make decisions, right or wrong, about how I intend to live my life as long as it doesn't infringe on other's basic rights. The Pursuit of Happiness means that I have the opportunity to pursue the interests I feel will complete me as a person, again as long as it doesn't affect other people's basic rights. What has happened is that these basic rights have been cheapened by others who have the intention of having our government attend to individual needs rather than the the society as a whole. The result of trying to micro-manage our society is the government(federal, state and local) have become bogged down with ridiculous mandates. We can't continue to pander to individuals when our society is crumbling around us.
posted by Paul Thomas at 7:14 AM
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