It is a sobering world we live in, yes? This whole thing with George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin has most of us asking some very important questions about racial harmony.
Do you think we can ever achieve it? I'm not so sure. Perhaps one day in the future, after all of the last vestiges of what it means to be an American have been scrubbed out of our schools and universities, it will be attainable, but that remains to be seen. I think many of our metro-sexual males these days don't really think in terms like I do. Pop music tastes of the young seem to reflect that these days. A mixture of rap and rock is popular with our youth. Even rap music is popular with many of the young whites these days. It should be well known (as well as obvious) that Mr. Obama could not possibly have been elected without the white youth vote. And they voted for him in droves. But, I don't want to lose my point here. Which is: perhaps someday in the future, we can have racial harmony, but I don't see it any time soon.
But see, then there's me. I'm 50. I have some black friends. I mean, we don't hang out, but I count them as friends. I even have black neighbors. We get along fine. They are quiet and keep their house and yard up. And those are my only requirements for you to be my neighbor. If you lead a relatively quiet life and keep your house and yard up, I could not care less what you look like. You could be candy-striped for all I care.
Yet, at the same time, I just don't hang out with any black folks. I'm too different. I don't care for Obama (didn't like Bush either, but that's another story). Virtually every black person I know thinks Obama is awesome. In many cases, blacks don't think like I do. For example, I think it's crystal clear that O.J. Simpson murdered Nicole Simpson. But I will never forget the sheer joy and happiness I saw in my black coworkers when he was found not guilty of Nicole's death at trial. When I heard about George Zimmerman, my only thought (other than "here we go again") was, "Let the facts come out. Don't rush to judgement." But here in Florida, we had people marching in the streets threatening to kill George Zimmerman. The New Black Panther Party called for his DEATH. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine any white calling for the death of a black in public? That guy would be tarred and feathered and have to go into hiding for a long time. See, there's another disconnect in our thinking. A guy that was clearly guilty got away with murder, but a guy that hasn't even been tried yet is guilty and deserves to die.
My musical tastes are different, I don't care for a lot of "soul food" though I admit I haven't tried much of it. Not because I'm a racist, but because I've heard the ingredients and I'm pretty sure I don't want a lot of it. But I do love me some greens now! I think much of affirmative action is reverse discrimination. I don't care to see the underwear of black males either. See, I'm just too different, and this explains why I don't hang around with blacks. I don't hate their being different. Some of it I don't understand, but I don't hate over it.
I could go on, but you probably get the picture by now. But you know something? I don't hang out with Serbians or Chinese either. Those are different cultures. They like their cultures. I like mine.
In the end, we have to find a way to get along. Respect for each other's views would go along way toward that, but I will always believe this is a spiritual struggle more than anything. Scripture makes it clear in Ephesians 6:12 "For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens." We must learn to accept that we are different, and no amount of forcing it can make it go away.
What is required more than anything is humbling ourselves. I must, once and for all, get it through my head that I am no better than anyone else. I must learn to see everyone for exactly what we all are: broken, damaged, fallen.
3 comments:
Hey JD!
Thank you for coming by to see me at Sia's!
Big hugs for the support!
Hawk
You are so welcome! Can you tell me who you signed with?
Hey JD!
Thanks for stopping over to visit me...these days I don't have time for a lot of posting so it's nice when I see friends stop in anyway - just to say hi!
So, how have you been me friend? Life treating you right? And how is your son doing, is he safe?
I say a little pray each day for you and yours.
Hugs
Hawk
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