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
Nom de Plume,
Are you stating that African slaves agreed to be slaves to pay off debts etc…which was approved by God, and where no one was allowed to hold another human being as a slaves more than seven years unless the slave agreed to this?
Are you stating these were the conditions under which slavery existed in the United States?
Why do you have such difficulty in recognizing that the African slaves (Blacks) of America, were slaves under Exodus 21:16 and not any of the scriptures that allow and regulate slavery?
What distortions you are displaying. See, if you would only study scripture with a genuine heart and pure intentions you would understand these things.
Yes, I do make many errors in my writings, If I probably should review it before sending, but I never do, so you will find many mistakes and incorrect grammer because I have no plans of going back through correcting my postings. I am not a good first draft writer by no means.
Nome de Plume,
You state that the passage that I cite is anti-kidnapping and not anti-slavery.
“Whoever kidnaps someone, either to sell him or keep him as a slave, is to be put to death”.
It is the evil that American slavery was regardless of what ever kind of spin that you are attempting to do.
You remind me of those KKK ones you see flashing around the bible and distorting God’s word.
Why is it that you hate God’s truths?
Please stop attempting to distort God’s word.
It is stating that kidnapping and placing into slavery, human beings as how America’s slave trade was is evil, and those who did this were to be put to death.
Michelle, you David H. and Nome de Plume are three peas from the same pod.
So Michelle, exactly what do you think concerning affirmative action, or anything that has been discussed in these posts, other than I am off my rocker, and my poor writings?
Mr. Walker,
Here is what I’m saying about slavery - unlike the Bible, I don’t think slavery is EVER justified. I don’t care what the reason is, I don’t care how well regulated it is – slavery is NEVER moral. I know this is an un-Biblical view – but it’s an American view. Yes, that’s right. The same America you call evil, corrupt, immoral – they finally overcame the Biblical teachings that slavery can be acceptable.
PS – It looks like you at least ran that last post through a spell checker – thank you.
Mr. Walker,
#63 was written in response to you post at #61. Your post at #62 is just hate filled, and unworthy of a response.
To FINALLY get back on topic, affirmative action is state sponsored racism. Like I said in my first (short) post, #22 summed it up nicely. Slavery was wrong. Affirmative action is wrong. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
D. Walker,
Thank you for including me is such distinguished company. The three of us are all against slavery and racism as well as harboring suspicions regarding you underlying mental condition.
Nome de Plume,
See, there you go again replacing your moral standard for God’s moral standards, while distorting His Word.
Your opinion is that any slavery of any kind is wrong, that is not what God’s Word say, that’s what you yourself think and say.
The bible nor doesGod say that slavery (servants) when it is agreed on between the parties to pay off a debt or for payment of keep is wrong or evil. God’s view that forced slavery as was done to the Hebrews and kidnaping human beings for the purpose of enslaving then is evil.
Such as Isaac’s father-in-law Laban in Genesis chapters, 29-31, requiring Jacob to work off the payment required for his daughter in marriage. He worked as Labens servant for seven years.
Force slavery as was practiced by the Egypt when Egypt held the jews in forced slavery is evil.
God’s view is that slavery as was known in America is evil, not having servants, same thing as slaves.
God did not view all slavery (having servants) as evil. It was regulated and no man woman or child could be held as servants (in slavery) more than seven years iregardless of if that was enough time to pay off any debt. One could agreed to continue to be a slave if that is what was desired and agreed on between both parties of the agreement.
By the way, thanks for the compliment, by actually I just got lucky that time. I did not use spell check.
D. Walker,
I believe slavery was an atrocity. I also believe what was done to the native Americans (my grandmother was 100% Cherokee, by the way) was an atrocity. I believe affirmative action does nothing to correct those wrongs, nor the multitude of other wrongs committed by our forefathers. Affirmative action is discriminatory. Discrimination is wrong. Period. End of story.
#66 D Walker,
Did you just make a Pro-Slavery argument?!!??!!
My jaw is agape. This is America, we don’t allow ANY slavery. I don’t care who’s in debt to who, who’s selling whom -slavery is NEVER moral!
OK – my mind is officially blown. I’m out.
Good luck and Good Night.
Hey John,
Nice letter, but since my ancestors were essentially serfs in eastern Europe at the time of slavery in the Uniited States, I feel that as a Polish-American I owe absolutely nothing to the black man.
So Michelle how do you suppose that we deal with discrimination. Certainly, you do acknowledge that workplace and other forms of discrimination is still very present in our society and institutions, unequal and unjust treatment based on one’s race. How do you suggest that we deal with it.
It must be dealt with in some form. How do you suppose it be?