It is no doubt that our great nation has a not-so-great past. The Civil War, all the way up through the Jim Crow era, stained America's racial relations - a stain that cannot easily be wiped away. With all of the emotion, violence, and pain of the past, I can't help but wonder... why is this separation continuing?
Point #1: Barack Obama becomes the 44th President of the United States.
Cause: Our nation elects its first President who is not Caucasian.
Effect: Racial differences/separation runs rampant.
Proof: Just look around you - Facebook, Twitter, the radio, news programs, political graffiti... Because Obama is a democrat and also happens to be black, it's as if republicans are anti-black simply because they are anti-democrat.. How does this make sense? How does this explain black republicans? It doesn't. Further, when was the last time you saw a magazine that explicitly stated it was for whites? I bet you haven't. Yet there is Madame Noir, Essence, Ebony, Black Men, Jet, and Heart and Soul. There is BET but no White Entertainment channel. Are whites so oppressive that ALL entertainment caters to them, and blacks need special outlets? I don't think so. Some of the most famous entertainers/performers of the day are black, and mainstream media reports on them regularly.
Point #2: Obama continues to further divide the races.
Cause: Obama releases a
youtube video launching "African Americans for Obama"
Effect: African Americans are directly represented/approached by Obama, whites are not.
Proof: Is there a Whites for Obama video? What about a Whites for Romney video? Of course not. And I strongly doubt there ever will be.
Point #3: Blacks insult whites for their political/religious beliefs.
Cause: Bus driver told a 12-tear-old with a Romney sign in his yard that he should have been aborted.
Effect: Bus driver is changed to a different route, then fired ONLY AFTER increased complaints/uproar from the community.
Proof: Here is Fox and Huffington reporting on the topic
here and
here. (Further, I am called racist almost daily for displaying my support for Mitt Romney/other republicans but the mindless masses at
my liberal indoctrinating school Kennesaw State. Pretty insulting if you ask me.)
Point #4: Blacks condemn other blacks for supporting their candidate of choice... if it is not Obama.
Cause: Actress Stacey Dash announces support for Romney, rapper Snoop Dogg tweets reasons he supports Obama.
Effect: Stacey Dash is repeatedly told she is not black enough, thinks she is white, and is too stupid to vote. Snoop Dogg is praised for using racial slurs against Romney.
Proof: Don't believe me? Search Stacey's name on Twitter and read the replies. Still don't believe me? Look at Snoop Dogg's twitter pictures and read the list, then read all the tweets about how great Snoop is.
Point #5: Obama continues to further divide the races... and not in a good way.
Cause: Welfare, unemployment, entitlement programs - the majority of recipients are black.
Effect: African Americans continue to suffer. The majority of blacks are not advancing.
Proof: Google it. I'm not at all arguing that whites are not taking advantage of entitlement programs or that all blacks do. There are outliers all around. However, of the people that do receive government help, the majority is black.
Here is what it comes down to... Obama is not elevating the African American population; he is hindering it. Think back to MLKJr versus Malcolm X days. King fought for justice and equality. Malcolm told blacks to be proud of what they are. This pride put a stopper on growth and advancement. ANY person, not just members of a particular race, should constantly strive to be better than those that came before him/her. Instead, we have many blacks that are comfortable with the status quo: higher unemployment rates? higher incarceration rates? lower literacy levels? lower percentage of 2-parent families? Malcolm X said to be proud of all of this, because it is what makes you black. I say why have you stopped growing and become complacent? Many people say it is a result of racism. I say bull.
Jim Crow laws have long been abolished. In fact, the opposite is in place - affirmative action is actually a Jim Crow law in reverse for many blacks in America today. Because of this law, many students are not accepted to a school they are well-qualified to go to, simply because the "white" quota has been filled, but the "black" quota has not. Or what about jobs? Do workplaces really need a certain percentage of color, or do they need a certain percentage of skill, education, and expertise? Is an employer or an admissions counsel racist because an applicant didn't meet standard requirements? No, they aren't. Take a minute and think... have you ever heard of a scholarship offered exclusively to whites? I haven't...
Before people begin commenting and calling my racist, remember that: 1.) I moderate all my comments. If you cuss/are rude instead of state your argument and attempt to prove why I'm wrong, your voice will not be heard; and, 2.) I am saying all of this because I don't want blacks to continue failing.
If Malcolm X insisted racial issues are solved by pride, then I don't understand why it is racist to be proud to be white, but empowering to be proud to be black. This is a legitimate question - why is it only okay to be proud if you are "different," especially considering that blacks are far from a minority in America today? (This is not to say blacks are not a minority - it is addressing that the minority is growing smaller every day.)
Government help is nothing new to the African American population. For many years, it was absolutely necessary. It was a constitutional amendment that ended slavery. It was new legislation that eliminated Jim Crow laws. It was affirmative action that gave blacks a chance in higher education. But the advancement has long ended - the question is no longer "how can the government assist me so that I may advance myself?" The question has changed to just "how can the government assist me?" There is a huge difference. It is saddening to see so much potential in the African American community just wasted.
Is it cultural? Maybe. Is it racism? I don't think so.
