Affirmative action is supposed to overcome centuries of oppression
There was yet another letter to the editor in Sunday’s paper from someone, undoubtedly a white person who has never been really discriminated against, complaining about affirmative action because it is discriminatory.
Well of course it’s discriminatory. It’s designed to overcome the effects of over 350 years of discrimination based simply on skin color. It’s called swinging the pendulum back the other way. It could also be called payback which is as they say an uncomfortable experience.
It’s payback for 250 years of slavery. It’s payback for masters being able to beat their slaves whenever they felt like it, rape the women whenever they felt like it, give the women to a friend for his pleasure whenever they felt like it, sell a slave whenever he needed a few extra dollars, and finally for a master being able to murder any slave at any time for any reason and the only punishment he might be subjected to would be to pay his victim’s master the slave’s market value.
It’s also payback for 100 years of denying blacks their rights, rights that were guaranteed by three different constitutional amendments and at least one federal law . Most of the rest of the world called them human rights, something that our country was supposedly founded on. We called it segregation while the South Africans called it apartheid. And, in the height of hypocrisy, we cursed the Communist bloc for denying their citizens these same rights.
It’s payback for whites being able to murder blacks with absolute impunity for such heinous crimes as whistling at a white woman.
It’s payback for whites taking blacks out of jail, without resistance from the authorities, and stringing them up and setting them on fire because they were accused of a crime against a white person.
It’s payback for blacks being beaten or murdered for having the audacity to demand their rights like eating at a public lunch counter, taking the bus, drinking out of a public water fountain, or not standing aside for a white person.
And for all of those who are mumbling to themselves about me being yet another black person who thinks they deserve better treatment than whites because of something that happened a long time ago, well I’m not. I’m white and my family has been in this country since before it was a country and we’ve served in almost every war from the Revolutionary War to Desert Storm. I enlisted in 1966, which is more than many of our current crop of leaders can say. The point is that I have every right to preach about what this country should stand for and what we should do to make up for past wrongs.
So if you’re willing to pay outrageous gas prices for the privilege of driving your SUV or minivan, and ridiculous heating bills for the privilege of owning a McMansion, then don’t complain about having to pay the price for your country’s, no, your ancestor’s immoral deeds. And before you complain that nobody in your family every owned a slave or you never discriminated against a black person, think about this - can you honestly say that you or your family never benefited from this country’s racist past, from not having to compete on a level playing field?
John A. Joseph
St. Louis
Hey John, The question begs to be asked; “What do you get out of this?” Write more, this letter was a hoot.
Keep up the socialist pimping.
While I find Mr. Joseph’s comments appalling, I find his honesty refreshing. He could have saved himself much typing by merely saying that everything is the white man’s fault and “kill the pig.” I know it is usually a waste of time to respond to such an emotional rant but here goes. The letter writer seems to subscribe to identity politics rather than individual rights. The only way racism will ever be defeated is if we quit viewing people as part of a group and start viewing them as individuals. People like Mr. Joseph who judge people by the color of their skins are racist.
Slavery is one of the biggest wrongs in history. At times during history, most people’s ancestors have been slaves and slaveholders. Nobody has any greater moral authority based on the color of their skin. There is not a person alive today that has owned a slave nor a person that experienced being a slave. In a free society we are responsible for our own actions, not the actions of some long dead person with similar skin pigment. White and black people were both responsible for slavery. In fact, virtual slavery still exists in many parts of Africa. The vast majority, if not all, of the African slaves that were shipped to American were sold by black people. Black people in the USA have a far greater standard of living than their counterparts in other parts of the world..
I have honestly never seen any institutional racism except that which benefits a minority group. Mr. Joseph also conveniently forgets to mention all of the various groups demanding special privileges that are not members of a group which ever experience slavery in America.
The attitude expressed is fostered by demagogues that rile up people like Mr. Joseph. The antidote for this line of thinking is a clear philosophical basis for individual human rights. Any attempt by the government to determine who is worthy of a job, admission to a school, or contract by looking at the persons race or ethnic background is an affront to all fair thinking people. Our entire system of government and society will crumble if people only think of themselves in tribes that should use the power of government to take from others.
“I have honestly never seen any institutional racism except that which benefits a minority group. Mr. Joseph also conveniently forgets to mention all of the various groups demanding special privileges that are not members of a group which ever experience slavery in America.”
I would urge you, David, to look closer at the dynamics of the city of St. Louis. The way the city is laid out is an intentional effect of the history of racism. Practices like redlining and the structure of the Metro system have strengthened the segregation of the city. The racial segregation corresponds to the socioeconomic segregation of the city. And this continues the cycle of lack of education, lack of decent jobs, lack of adequate housing, lack of social mobility.
No Mr. Joseph, I cannot say either of my parent’s families, who originated in the South, benefited
from the institution of slavery. The exact opposite in fact, in ways historic, economic, and karmic.
“I would urge you, David, to look closer at the dynamics of the city of St. Louis. The way the city is laid out is an intentional effect of the history of racism. Practices like redlining and the structure of the Metro system have strengthened the segregation of the city. The racial segregation corresponds to the socioeconomic segregation of the city. And this continues the cycle of lack of education, lack of decent jobs, lack of adequate housing, lack of social mobility.”
Willigillbert, The city of St. Louis has been under the thumb of the Democratic machine for over 50 years.
John -
Slavery was an atrocity…no one disputes this fact. However, only putting the blame on white people in American and Europe is ridiculous. American and European slaves were bought and/or traded from African warlords/tribal leaders for monetary gain…not hunted and stolen like in the far-fetched story “Roots”. Equal blame should be placed on the “motherland Africa” as well as American and European people for past atrocities.
Furthermore, collectively blaming white people for lack of black prosperity only perpetuates the sense of entitlement, and it enslaves future generations from living a productive life based on personal responsibility. The Democrats have sold black people a “bill of goods” regarding affirmative action. Basically, the Democratic liberal agenda has stated “black people are inferior and need preferential treatment in the workforce in order to thrive”
You can state your opinion about this subject matter, but that all that it is…an opinion. So tell me John, just how has slavery affected your personal life in 2008?
I wonder if Mr. Joseph holds African who sold other Africans into slavery as he does to Americans?
David H., and others who are in denial of their and America’s evils,
Please let’s not attempt to justify or redeem White America from guilt in this way that you are attempting. Your thinking that Blacks as well as Whites were responsible for slavery is error on your part and is just plain stupidity. Then to go on and state that the vast majority, if not all, African slaves brought to America were sold by other Blacks is very foolish in thinking.
Black slaves did take part in this trading of slaves because they where forced and trained to through beatings and cruel mental conditioning and training, such as was done to that poor child Shawn Hornbeck.
This mental conditioning and training was exactly as discussed in the Willie Lynch letter (speech), “How to Train a Slave” as can be read at the following:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=14992
The more you learn about mankind through the eyes of God, you don’t think so much about how racist White’s or some are, but only just how evil man is apart from God/Christ. You see Satan at work through indiviuals. That’s all one should see when they see racism no matter where it has surfaced, through individuals. laws, government, employment, etc…
Look at Rowanda, even though it were White Europeans that were used by Satan to stir up the jealousy between the two African tribes. Much how some White Americans are doing in this country today to stir up conflict between Hispanics and Blacks. People must become wise and not fall into Satan’s traps no matter what it cost you. People must turn away from evil and stop taking part in it.
Look at the Drew Peterson case, now, it took many in authority, other policeman, the coroner and others taking part in the evil of protecting that cop from prosecution and covering up that homocide as an accidental drowning. These types of evils are happening everyday in our government everywhere. These ones with authority truly believe that they will escape punishment and Hell. Or, they foolishly in error think that they will just have to spend some time in the non-existent place some call Purgatory to pay for their sins then go on to Heaven.
Americans make strong claims of being a Christian Nation, ignoring the fact that no Christian Nation (government) could possibly participate in such evils as slavery, murder etc…, if it were a Christian Nation. Such evil would grieve a Christians spirit and he would not be able to live with such evil(s) because Christ lives within the true Christian. Just isn’t possible to carry on in evil ways when Christ lives within you. Evil behavior separates one from God.
Evil is not tolerated by God from those that He consider belonging to Him.
This country (government), even in this present day have not turned away from its unfair and oppressive practices and the White superiority complex that is a curse to so many in this country even though they are blind to the fact that it is indeed a curse to them and not the privilege that some see it as.
This country also attempt to justify itself as being a great place to live by comparing our government to other countries who do not claim to be Christian Nations, how narcisstic. We Americans fail to realize that we are in a worst state than all those non-christian nations in the eyes of God because we like the Pharisees claim to be godly.
Remember that it took God 500 years to come against the great country of Eygpt when they held the Hebrews in slavery. Just because this country have faired well thusfar, we are foolish in our thinking that it was because we were a godly and righteous country. The one thing for certain is, if this country ( government) keep in their foolish and evil ways, this country will be brought down to nothing just as Egypt was. We are getting a glimspe of what is to come unless we change.
The citizens of the country reflects the heart of the government.
What are the symptoms of oppressed people in a Country? Think about that one.
When a governemt is corrupt, the citizens behave dishonestly and corrupt also, and some including our corrupt authority behave as though they are surprised by high crime etc…
Our citizens are nothing more than a reflection of the government they live in.
Lastly, affirmative action is needed in the United States because sadly we have here due to this country’s ugly past and history, tand present, he demonic spirit of racism. Racist, unfair and oppressive ways will not disappear from one’s heart unless that person is changed by God, which happens only once that person truly becomes a child of God.
And just think, churches have one of the most racist histories than any other organization in the United States. We justify that too instead of accepting God’s truth that He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. There is no justification for any of America’s evils.
Mr Joseph,
you are suffering from “white quilt”. the origination of the term is from a book written by
Shelby Steele in 2006 titled White Guilt: how blacks and whites together destroyed the promise of the civil rights era.
here’s an excerpt:
“Whites (and American institutions) must acknowledge historical racism to show themselves redeemed by it, but once they acknowledge it, they lose moral authority over everything having to do with race, equality, social justice, poverty and so on. [...] The authority they lose transfers to the ‘victims’ of historical racism and becomes their great power in society. This is why white guilt is quite literally the same thing as black power.”
you would enjoy reading this book, Mr. Joseph, as the author is black.
Keep blaming the white man. Who sold you as slaves? Your Chiefs.