It seems like today everyone in our society is worried about being "politically correct." What does the term "politically correct" mean? In short, it means phrasing things or doing things that are all-accomidating and non-specific as to make sure that no group of people or subject gets singled out.
To be frank, I'm tired of the obsession with political correctness that has overtaken our politicians and the media. Everyone is so worried about offending other people that they silence themselves and don't say what should be said (in some situations).
With that said I want to take a moment to discuss race in this country. Where are we at with race? How far have "we come" in terms of race relations?
First I want to start with the election of President Obama. I think we have moved on in our society to a point where it is acceptable for many Americans to have a black President. And yes, I use the word "black" and not "African American" because they are Americans. My family is from England, but that doesn't mean I should be referenced as an "English American."
First off, why is President Obama considered "black?" He's half white and half black, yet he is unquestionably and immediately called "black." Why can't he choose what he wants to be referred as? It's almost as if the ethnicity of "black" is being treated as something infectious or corrupting to something or someone that would otherwise be considered "white."
Personally, I would consider the Commander in Chief in fact black, at least genetically and ethnicity-wise, I just believe that these are questions we should be asking about our society.
This brings me to the great "double negative." It's okay for blacks to have a "Black Student Union," "Black History Month," "National Association for the Advancement of Colored People," a "United Negro College Fund," and so on. But what about whites? What do you think would happen in our society if a white student wanted to make a "White Student Union?" What do you think would happen if somebody wanted to initiate "White History Month?" What do you think would happen if whites had an association designed for the advancement of only white people? What would happen if we had a college fund that only awarded whites financial aid for college?
The truth is that it wouldn't happen, at least not in this society. And why? Because any of those initiatives would automatically and quickly be labeled as "racist" organizations. And who would be making those accusations? The National Association for the Advancement of COLORED PEOPLE. How does this make any sense? Why is it that the only group that still calls black people "colored people" is supposedly fighting for racial equality?
I would argue that they are not. I would argue that things such as the NAACP, Black History Month, Black Student Unions, and black-only organizations are actually getting in the way of racial equality. If we are on this grand American quest to make every race equal, then why do we have legalized separations between the races? Why do we have affirmative action, in which students with high grades will get declined to go to college due to their spots being filled by minority students with lower grades? I'm not saying that all minority students have low grades, I'm simply stating what affirmative action does. And it is LEGAL to discriminate. It's almost better to do worse!
I am no fan of affirmative action. Personally, I believe that college applications should be sent in without gender or race, just grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities. The college selection boards shouldn't even be allowed to see the names of those applying, because names can give away both gender and race. After they have made their selections, then both gender and race should be revealed to the college acceptance boards. That way, colleges will get students with good work ethics and proven past success.
But how does it actually work? You submit your gender and ethnicity and colleges are given Federal-mandated quotas as to how many "multi-cultural" students they should enroll. Some colleges want the appearance of a "multi-cultural" school and will purposely accept students of ethnic backgrounds. In some cases, a low-transcript black or mexican female student will have a much better chance than a straight-A male white student.
Do you see what's happening in our society today? We are so worried about minorities getting oppressed that we have actually bounced backwards in the opposite direction. It is my belief that whites are beginning to be oppressed in some areas of this country. Making a statement like that would automatically make me a "racist." By simply saying how I feel about what is going on in our society, something I believe is actually happening, some would label me as a racist.
This anti-white symptom has gone so far that even defending myself against racial attack will make me a "racist." A person of another race can call me all kinds of racist "white names" but the moment I call a black man the "n-word" I will be called a racist. I'm not arguing that I should be allowing to call anyone the "n-word," I'm arguing that nobody should doing anything in the first place.
I believe that this obsession with making sure minorities are not oppressed has gone so far that whites are now being discriminated against. I believe that it's gotten to the point where we can be attacked with racist motives, yet we cannot respond or defend ourselves because we will then be labeled racists.
Back to affirmative action: what message is that sending to our kids? The Federal Government has made affirmative action legal, it's been that way for a while now. To me, affirmative action is sending a message that minorities are not "up to standard." That minorities are not as good as white people, so the Federal Government has to come in and give minorities a "leg-up" or a "crutch" to get on-par with whites. That's the message affirmative action is sending, and I think it's totally racist and discriminatory. That's in line with my belief that the organizations or initiatives that claim they are working towards the majestic dream of "racial equality" are actually working against it. For example, as I already stated, why does the NAACP claim they are for racial equality when they are the only people that still use the term "colored people?"
One of my most favorite actors, Morgan Freeman, has his own opinions about Black History Month. The truth is that Freeman despises Black History Month and has made the argument himself that he believes there should be a "White History Month" if there is a Black History Month. He believes that things such as Black History Month are actually getting in the way of racial equality, and I couldn't agree more.
This invasion is everywhere in our society. There is an all-black American pageant, only open to black women. In the American pageant, the contest is open to all women. God forbid anyone try to make a "white American pageant," everyone would go crazy.
I think this all comes down to the roots of the situation. For centuries in the past, whites have controlled, owned, and used blacks and other minorities. Whites were in control and the blacks were the slaves, even in our own country this was legal at one time. And now that we have progressed since these times, it has become a tidal wave. Everyone is so afraid of the slightest stench of whites over-powering minorities that they go out of their way to over-accommodate blacks and other minorities. And what's the end product of that? Whites are beginning to become oppressed and discriminated against.
A black rapper can use the "n-word" in his songs, yet the moment a white rapper or artist tries to use the "n-word" he would get killed. That hateful word took years of hard work and change through open minds and the efforts of people like Martin King, and it's a shame to see black people using the "n-word" without regard to how much suffering their previous ancestors endured in the hopes of getting rid of that word in our society.
I'm also tired of minorities claiming that it is the whites that create all the violence against blacks and other minorities, why are the "ghettos" the most dangerous places to be then? Most especially dangerous for whites to be in, there are parts of Los Angeles that you better not be in if you're white after the sun goes down or period.
I think the solution to racial equality is time and change. Change these initiatives and organizations, if we have the Federal Government handing out free money and assistance but only to certain races, then that's sending a message to our kids. If we have only black student unions and a black history month, then what is that saying to our kids? If we only have Cesar Chavez Day and Martin King Day, then what is that saying to our kids?
When Governor McDonnell was elected as the new governor of Virginia, one of the first things he did was declare April "Confederate Heritage Month." And of course he got massacred by the media onslaught of blacks and minorities going ape shit over the whole thing. Anyone that thinks the Civil War was only about slavery is too ignorant to even help or save. There was a lot behind that war, and many Virginians gave up their lives for their homeland of Virginia and their sacrifice should not be forgotten, even if they didn't win the war. History is written by the victors and the assassins, and if the Confederacy had won we would have had Confederate Heritage Month a long time ago, but that's a whole other topic.
So what am I saying after all of this? I'm saying that we are too concerned about offending people in this society and that we are so concerned about making sure that minorities aren't oppressed, that we end up oppressing whites in the end. I'm advocating for neither, I want us to all be equal. I don't want there to be associations that use the term "Colored People" or "Negro." I believe they are just getting in the way of achieving racial equality. I don't want associations that are for the advancement of only blacks, and if you happen to be white well then you can just take a hike, because they only advance blacks in society. That's fine, it's an interest group, they have the freedom to make a private group exclusive to certain people, let's just make our own then. Oh wait, we cannot, because if we did exactly what they did then we'd get destroyed by the media and cursed as racists. I could not make the "National Association for the Advancement of Honkeys." That just sounds absurd, doesn't it? That's exactly what the NAACP is, except for blacks. Don't believe it? Then wake up and smell the coffee.
I want racial equality, I want students to be accepted to colleges based off their merits and not their race, I want people to be hired or not hired based off their merits and not their race. I want racial equality, I just believe that there are many special interest groups out there that are getting in the way of accomplishing this. And the ironic thing is that the groups that are in the way of progress and change are the very same groups that claim to be in support of racial equality. They are only making it worse.
If you believe I am a racist after all of this, then the point just flew over your head. That WAS the point. To confront our race issue head-on and not sweep in under the carpet and take it sitting down. I'm tired of not being able to make a white student union or a white history month. I have no desire to do such things, but I am tired of living in a society where that is not possible because of the one-sided backlash that would occur. To be more direct, I am tired of living in a society WITH a Black History Month and WITH the NAACP and WITH affirmative action and WITH all the other obstacles that are in the way of progress and equality.
Hopefully this gave you something to think about. The next time you see anything racially-involved in the news, take a second look at it. Filter what you hear and think on your own. Question everything, even my blogs, don't take anything to heart without looking into it and making sure it is what it is said to be. Look at these organizations that claim to be for something, and you'll be surprised to find that in the end they are actually against what they say they are for, whether they intend it to be so or not.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
America Today
Hello Everyone,
I think there's a topic we all think about every now and then but rarely discuss with each other, and I believe this topic needs some attention. Where are we going as a country today?
The answer isn't simple and it varies from person to person, but I'll offer what I believe is going on with America. I was prompted to write this blog from a conversation my history professor and I had. He said "some people study the past so much they get stuck there, and then they begin to believe that the only good things are things that have passed."
His statement got me thinking about a lot of things. The first main theme I began to think about was the good things I wish we still had in this country.
SCRAP METAL AND GREASE
During World War II kids would walk around the streets and neighborhoods with their red ryder wagons, they were not playing, they were collecting scrap metal. Families were growing "Victory Gardens" in hopes of limiting the amount of goods bought to conserve on foodstuffs and supplies. Women put down the dishes, took off the aprons, and put on leather gloves, overalls, and welders masks and began making munitions and weaponry for their men abroad. When they cooked they would save their fats because the fats in left over kitchen grease can be used to make glycerin, a key component in bombs and explosives. Junkyards were overhalled and piles of metal were taken against the will of the owners to make equipment. People made do with old, bald, and worn tires to save on rubber production. The list goes on but the point I'm making is that during the war Americans did everything they could to conserve on everything possible. They did it not to save money (although it was a nice by-product), but they did these things as their patriotic duty. They saw it as their patriotic duty to pay taxes, buy war bonds, conserve, and go without.
WORKING AT TARGET
I used to be a cashier at Target and I began to get disgusted with people as I worked this job. I would scan items so people could buy them, and these were cartloads of items these people didn't need. Who needs a fashionable-looking toothbrush holder when a basic one could do? What about making one yourself, what happened to that? What happened to just sucking it up and putting your toothbrush in a holder or in a drawer? I got fed up with people who didn't seem to care that there was a war on and wives going on a spending binge always telling me very often "my husband is going to kill me." The women aren't just to blame, what about the guys buying all the electronics and clothes they know they'll never wear?
The point I'm trying to make is that I would behind my counter and scan items for people who bought things in this little world we all existed in, for just a moment, in which it seemed there was no such thing as world hunger or a war where people were dying every day. They'd buy their expensive crap they didn't need, pack it in their lexus or BMW vehicles (I lived in Southern California for a time), then drive off to their expensive town house or home and decorate it with their junk. So what am I getting at? Would I like us to be more conscience about the money we spend and the decisions we make? Yes, absolutely. Do I wish we had more concern about what was going on in the world? Yes of course.
PATRIOTISM
I think we are so caught in our free-entreprise system that we forget that we are all in it together as one nation. There are still many patriotic Americans in this country, but I just wish there were many more. Maybe I'm a rare case, but I love my country more than I've ever loved anything in my life, including family, friends, and girlfriends. I love America to death, and I would face death to save her. I would face death if she asked it of me, and I would do so with others behind, next to, and in front of me. We have never been perfect, America does have many issues, but I believe in what we are doing as a country. I believe that we are, as President Reagan said, 'the last bastion of freedom' in this world. I believe in the American dream, I believe in it and think of it everyday. Start with nothing and through hard work, dedication, and raw assertion you can "be whatever you resolve to be by the grace of God." My grandmother came through Elis Island with her mother from England, then got dumped off in Brooklyn with $54 to their name with no connections whatsoever. They started with nothing and ended up with everything, and by everything I mean financial stability, something to be proud of, and family. Work hard, pay your dues, keep your eye on the prize, and keep your self and you will make it. That's what I believe in, and I just wish more Americans did too.
THE CONDITIONS
I think through the decades leading into the 21st Century we have lost some of our age-old American spirit of the "self-made man/woman." People are easily able to blame their own problems on other sources, sue people at the drop of a hat, and complain if things aren't exactly right to their liking. I'm not a fan of people believing that every little accomidation should be given to them in this world. I believe you must react to the world, not it to you. As I write this I know that there are many Americans that still believe that nothing is handed to them and that they don't deserve to think for even a second that the world revolves around them. They work hard, most especially when no one is watching, and they fight for every last penny to pay for the food or books or whatever they or their family needs to survive. Part of the American experience, in my opinion, should be hard. I believe we all need to have a point in our lives when we think it could not possibly get worse. I believe we all need to experience absolute Hell. I believe we need this because it will make us stronger and show us that the world is not sugar coated and happy all the time. As Winston Churchill said, 'when you're in hell, keep going.' It teaches us to push through. When you reach an obstacle, beat the hell out of it, shove it out of the way, kick it in the ass, or destroy it, but NEVER let it get in your way of achieving your dreams, whatever they may be. We have the right to pursue our happiness but we must supply our own ammunition in securing that right.
SO WHAT ABOUT IT?
I believe this country is still full of a lot of great Americans that are willing to put a lot on the line for the better of the country. I believe there are still millions of Americans with the "get it done" mindset, that don't have time for bickering or complaining and just get it done. I believe Americans are competitive people, in the words of General Patton we "don't tolerate a loser." If we want something we make it happen and don't care what people think, we just get it done. We have a natural distrust for anything acting in the "interest for our safety and happiness." As Americans we believe we have unalienable rights that nobody can take away. We believe we are doing good for the world and we believe we have the capacity and ability to WIN and do what's right. I believe these things, without a doubt. It's how I live. It's who I am.
CHANGES
I am suspicious of dramatic, quick change, yes I'll admit it. I do believe some things that are gone were good and should still be in place. I am also glad some themes from our past are dead and gone. I am glad a black man can sit at the same table I can at a bar or use the same drinking fountain I can. I am glad a woman can vote. Although I did not vote for our current President and I do not favor most of his decisions, I am enthralled and elated that we have reached the point where a black man can not only get the nomination for the US Presidency, but he can WIN. I am glad that we have more equality in this country than we have ever had at any point in our history. I am glad that not only do we talk the talk of "all men created equal," but we are more and more closer to walking the walk every day.
IN THE END
In the end, I am proud to be an American. I love my country and I may not agree with all the things happening within it but I realize that we have something unique here people. In this country we have what no other country has. We have such a diverse population with diverse culutral aspects, and I believe this diversity and equal appreciation is what makes us strong. It's why we do so well in the Olympics, it's why we are responsible for many uncountable influencial inventions, and it's why we don't give up. "Give me your poor, you're tired, and your weak" and we will provide the conditions for them to become anything. Yes, that is my country, and in the words of Daniel Webster "I was born and American, I shall live as an American, and I will die as an American!" I love this country so much and I ask that you do what you can to better it. No contribution is too small, no effort is pointless. I believe before we make our millions and start our American dream, we should give back to the country and its people that make it possible.
CLOSING COMMENTS
I urge you all to keep the fire burning. What was it you wanted to be when you were a kid? What did you want to do with your life? What do you want to do with your life? Who or what do you wish you could be? A job is not what we do, it's who we are. BE who you want to be. Don't put up with the norm, don't let life fly by with nothing to say for yourself. Don't be content with the usual, the mundane, and the simple. Be who you want to be and strive to better your situation. Live each day like you've got none left. I ask myself every night that if I passed away in the night, would I be content with my life so far? I have never answered "yes." Keep dreaming, keep living, but most importantly KEEP FIGHTING. God Bless America.
I think there's a topic we all think about every now and then but rarely discuss with each other, and I believe this topic needs some attention. Where are we going as a country today?
The answer isn't simple and it varies from person to person, but I'll offer what I believe is going on with America. I was prompted to write this blog from a conversation my history professor and I had. He said "some people study the past so much they get stuck there, and then they begin to believe that the only good things are things that have passed."
His statement got me thinking about a lot of things. The first main theme I began to think about was the good things I wish we still had in this country.
SCRAP METAL AND GREASE
During World War II kids would walk around the streets and neighborhoods with their red ryder wagons, they were not playing, they were collecting scrap metal. Families were growing "Victory Gardens" in hopes of limiting the amount of goods bought to conserve on foodstuffs and supplies. Women put down the dishes, took off the aprons, and put on leather gloves, overalls, and welders masks and began making munitions and weaponry for their men abroad. When they cooked they would save their fats because the fats in left over kitchen grease can be used to make glycerin, a key component in bombs and explosives. Junkyards were overhalled and piles of metal were taken against the will of the owners to make equipment. People made do with old, bald, and worn tires to save on rubber production. The list goes on but the point I'm making is that during the war Americans did everything they could to conserve on everything possible. They did it not to save money (although it was a nice by-product), but they did these things as their patriotic duty. They saw it as their patriotic duty to pay taxes, buy war bonds, conserve, and go without.
WORKING AT TARGET
I used to be a cashier at Target and I began to get disgusted with people as I worked this job. I would scan items so people could buy them, and these were cartloads of items these people didn't need. Who needs a fashionable-looking toothbrush holder when a basic one could do? What about making one yourself, what happened to that? What happened to just sucking it up and putting your toothbrush in a holder or in a drawer? I got fed up with people who didn't seem to care that there was a war on and wives going on a spending binge always telling me very often "my husband is going to kill me." The women aren't just to blame, what about the guys buying all the electronics and clothes they know they'll never wear?
The point I'm trying to make is that I would behind my counter and scan items for people who bought things in this little world we all existed in, for just a moment, in which it seemed there was no such thing as world hunger or a war where people were dying every day. They'd buy their expensive crap they didn't need, pack it in their lexus or BMW vehicles (I lived in Southern California for a time), then drive off to their expensive town house or home and decorate it with their junk. So what am I getting at? Would I like us to be more conscience about the money we spend and the decisions we make? Yes, absolutely. Do I wish we had more concern about what was going on in the world? Yes of course.
PATRIOTISM
I think we are so caught in our free-entreprise system that we forget that we are all in it together as one nation. There are still many patriotic Americans in this country, but I just wish there were many more. Maybe I'm a rare case, but I love my country more than I've ever loved anything in my life, including family, friends, and girlfriends. I love America to death, and I would face death to save her. I would face death if she asked it of me, and I would do so with others behind, next to, and in front of me. We have never been perfect, America does have many issues, but I believe in what we are doing as a country. I believe that we are, as President Reagan said, 'the last bastion of freedom' in this world. I believe in the American dream, I believe in it and think of it everyday. Start with nothing and through hard work, dedication, and raw assertion you can "be whatever you resolve to be by the grace of God." My grandmother came through Elis Island with her mother from England, then got dumped off in Brooklyn with $54 to their name with no connections whatsoever. They started with nothing and ended up with everything, and by everything I mean financial stability, something to be proud of, and family. Work hard, pay your dues, keep your eye on the prize, and keep your self and you will make it. That's what I believe in, and I just wish more Americans did too.
THE CONDITIONS
I think through the decades leading into the 21st Century we have lost some of our age-old American spirit of the "self-made man/woman." People are easily able to blame their own problems on other sources, sue people at the drop of a hat, and complain if things aren't exactly right to their liking. I'm not a fan of people believing that every little accomidation should be given to them in this world. I believe you must react to the world, not it to you. As I write this I know that there are many Americans that still believe that nothing is handed to them and that they don't deserve to think for even a second that the world revolves around them. They work hard, most especially when no one is watching, and they fight for every last penny to pay for the food or books or whatever they or their family needs to survive. Part of the American experience, in my opinion, should be hard. I believe we all need to have a point in our lives when we think it could not possibly get worse. I believe we all need to experience absolute Hell. I believe we need this because it will make us stronger and show us that the world is not sugar coated and happy all the time. As Winston Churchill said, 'when you're in hell, keep going.' It teaches us to push through. When you reach an obstacle, beat the hell out of it, shove it out of the way, kick it in the ass, or destroy it, but NEVER let it get in your way of achieving your dreams, whatever they may be. We have the right to pursue our happiness but we must supply our own ammunition in securing that right.
SO WHAT ABOUT IT?
I believe this country is still full of a lot of great Americans that are willing to put a lot on the line for the better of the country. I believe there are still millions of Americans with the "get it done" mindset, that don't have time for bickering or complaining and just get it done. I believe Americans are competitive people, in the words of General Patton we "don't tolerate a loser." If we want something we make it happen and don't care what people think, we just get it done. We have a natural distrust for anything acting in the "interest for our safety and happiness." As Americans we believe we have unalienable rights that nobody can take away. We believe we are doing good for the world and we believe we have the capacity and ability to WIN and do what's right. I believe these things, without a doubt. It's how I live. It's who I am.
CHANGES
I am suspicious of dramatic, quick change, yes I'll admit it. I do believe some things that are gone were good and should still be in place. I am also glad some themes from our past are dead and gone. I am glad a black man can sit at the same table I can at a bar or use the same drinking fountain I can. I am glad a woman can vote. Although I did not vote for our current President and I do not favor most of his decisions, I am enthralled and elated that we have reached the point where a black man can not only get the nomination for the US Presidency, but he can WIN. I am glad that we have more equality in this country than we have ever had at any point in our history. I am glad that not only do we talk the talk of "all men created equal," but we are more and more closer to walking the walk every day.
IN THE END
In the end, I am proud to be an American. I love my country and I may not agree with all the things happening within it but I realize that we have something unique here people. In this country we have what no other country has. We have such a diverse population with diverse culutral aspects, and I believe this diversity and equal appreciation is what makes us strong. It's why we do so well in the Olympics, it's why we are responsible for many uncountable influencial inventions, and it's why we don't give up. "Give me your poor, you're tired, and your weak" and we will provide the conditions for them to become anything. Yes, that is my country, and in the words of Daniel Webster "I was born and American, I shall live as an American, and I will die as an American!" I love this country so much and I ask that you do what you can to better it. No contribution is too small, no effort is pointless. I believe before we make our millions and start our American dream, we should give back to the country and its people that make it possible.
CLOSING COMMENTS
I urge you all to keep the fire burning. What was it you wanted to be when you were a kid? What did you want to do with your life? What do you want to do with your life? Who or what do you wish you could be? A job is not what we do, it's who we are. BE who you want to be. Don't put up with the norm, don't let life fly by with nothing to say for yourself. Don't be content with the usual, the mundane, and the simple. Be who you want to be and strive to better your situation. Live each day like you've got none left. I ask myself every night that if I passed away in the night, would I be content with my life so far? I have never answered "yes." Keep dreaming, keep living, but most importantly KEEP FIGHTING. God Bless America.
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