Racism in America

 

When the Hell are White people going to wake up. I ask this as someone with a personal pedigree that reads like America itself. It begins before America was a country. When examining my larger family tree like everyone else’s there are many branches. What’s important about America’s family tree is how we view our branches, that’s critical. Right now, as a country we prefer to keep those branches of shame, the branches of racism that made America a financial powerhouse in the 18th century, hidden from sunlight. We leave them withering but not yet dead, like the back side of a shrub.

We must stop doing that. We must admit, acceptance for the sake of “peace in the family” of our racist branches is wrong. Not inviting them to Thanksgiving Dinner doesn’t cut it. You can no longer remain silent. When Uncle Walter says, “They should do what cops tell them to do”, you can’t walk away for another piece pie. You have to stand there and call him out.

What can the average person do about racism in America? One thing is as simple as writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Recognizing that it’s not Twitter and posting comments to articles also gets your opinions out there. Just as important, read your local newspaper.

If you’re reading this you know how to use the Internet. Good it’s important that everyone does. This goes for senior citizens and rural people who “don’t have time for such things”. If you know someone who is still not online, help them find their way. The Internet is “We The People’s” greatest tool for a being included in the conversation of the nation.

I describe myself as an activist. I have traveled to Annapolis and Washington, DC to lobby as an unpaid citizen in favor of legislation. However, I have also contacted via the Internet, lawmakers in other states. Sometimes they are legislators I align with and sometimes I’m telling a conservative Senator to wake up. The point being is, it’s a point, click & type operation, everyone can do it.

Remember how the Internet began. First it was bulletin boards and chat rooms, which became file sharing sites, and eventually Amazon & EBay. While EBay and Amazon came along around the same time, now the only time I see EBay is when shopping on Amazon. The point being is the power of the Internet is still being explored.

I know this, for every Daily KOS there’s a Daily Stormer or worse the Tucker Carlson backed Daily Caller. I’ve been writing a blog for over fifteen years. I’m pretty sure the handful of op-eds I’ve had published have been more read. I guess some habits die hard, my Internet activism began blogging.

I have found letters to the editor, reader submitted op-eds, and direct communication with the lawmakers’ key to an issue, are the best tactics. The next best tactic is large marches on the Capitol. One this summer, where people march on Washington in support of Congress and the three branches of government could be quite exciting. A march beginning at the Supreme Court heading to the South side of the White House goes right past the Capitol and is only forty minutes by foot. Sounds reasonable for a march to me, but then I’d doing it from an electric wheelchair.

Let DHS intercept our chatter about marching in support of democracy. Allow them to hear plans about speakers coming to read historic addresses, Frederick Douglass’ 4th of July speech, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Eisenhower’s Farewell, Washington’s Farewell all come to mind.  Even Barack Obama’s “Red State, Blue State” speech could be recited.

And what music such a march could garner? Would it be really that hard to get the living acts that performed at Woodstock to come together for something like this. And that works because some of those musicians play country & western now.

Maybe that’s the answer; a march in favor of something rather than opposed to something. I was tear gassed at 16 protesting Nixon. It maybe fifty years later, but still, it is really hard to declare people singing, “For What It’s Worth” a violent mob and therefore a riot. But unless we do something, in Florida three Black people walking down the street singing a protest song could be declared a riot. That’s going back to state sponsored White supremacy.