Thanksgiving 2012 finds a nation that has changed dramatically since the end of the U.S. Civil War in 1865. Yet there are still those who want to continue fighting this war as if nothing has ever changed. There still remains an ongoing attempt to select racial winners and losers when a person’s conduct, professional or otherwise comes into question. The latest example has been U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice’s ineptness in presenting the White House cover up account of the U.S. Benghazi Consulate American murders.
Last week several U.S. senators, who happen to be white, questioned her statements to five Sunday network news shows, as being false, misleading and indefensible, they were attacked by the president first. Obama said they were picking on her, and implied that the poor defenseless black woman needed a male hero to defend her.
Then there was the Congressional Black Caucus chorus on Friday, November 16th, calling the U.S. senator’s criticism racist. Come on now. Look in the American mirror. This is an America that is way past defining itself as racial sub-cultures or ethnic sub-sets. Does one really believe that there is a need to have a Black Congressional Caucus cry out racism now?
Even Congresswoman Eleanor Norton Holmes, former chair of the Equal Opportunity Commission called the “racist charges” had no foundation when she appeared on Fox News, Monday, November 19th!
On Tuesday, Rep. James Clyburn, a Democrat, attacked nearly 100 Republican congressmen who sent a letter to President Obama, opposing a possible nomination of Susan Rice for Secretary of State. The congressmen cited her recent apparent incompetent behavior as the reason for their opposition. Congressman Clyburn to the rescue! He called the congressmen’s comments racist. There Clyburn goes again.
The need to define oneself as sub-cultures or subsets of America, in a 21st century America is indeed offensive to a one nation under God of 2012. The victims and the victimizers of the past are now buried in the past. If there was ever a need for something to be thankful for is that outdated stereotypes like racial caucuses, ethnic identifiers are assimilating into the one American melting pot.
Well, there is still Clyburn, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, the diminishing exceptions who are the race-based clingers. They cling to racial solutions for colorblind problems. They embrace easy simplistic gotcha assertions, like “that’s racist!” or “They hate blacks” or they keep blacks down!”
This behavior must be called out for what it truly is. This is race bating and hate mongering. Blacks and liberals engage in this practice to make political and racial hay. They use racial division as a pay day card for their elections, non-profit race bating organizations and television network talk shows. But America is tired and America must move on.
America must grow up and Americans of all colors must accept that bad attitudes, incompetent behavior, or irresponsible conduct should not be defended because of race!
So, enough is enough of this school yard nonsense. The shadow of a racist past in America is not the nation of 2012.
This nation does not need an affirmative action answer for every real or imagined problem or issue that besets American minorities. America has to realize that if there is a civil rights issue that confronts a person who feel wronged or rights have been abridged, then repair it with the same laws that any person who has his or her rights abridged.
This is not a nation that should continue to have two sets of laws and two sets of results. The law of the land should not be used to pick winners and losers as if it were some type of carnival game, where the deck is stacked.
What will it take for black officials or black people in general to understand that the America of the turn of the 20th century is not the America of today? If a black official screws up, maybe it’s because he or she is just a bona fide screw up.
America, both white and black is also tired of being tired. America is tired of having its citizens being discounted, diminished, and dismissed because of the sins of the father being placed on the backs of the sons and daughters if they are white.
Blacks, who are working hard to achieve and to find a place of respect and dignity, are also tired of being saddled with the “affirmative action” label when it was their determination and initiative which made them successful.
So the stereotypic labels have to end and with it the notion that there must be two sets of rules, two sets of applications and two sets of results that must continue into the 21st century.
Beginning now, not tomorrow or 2013, but now, America must build toward a colorblind civil rights, called American justice which is equal for all. When this happens it will be an American justice system united to produce color blind results with no black winners and no white losers.
That is a Thanksgiving holiday gift that all Americans can celebrate!
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