BLM

When I was young, there was a racist sitcom that picked on a particular tribe. I remember the sitcom was uncomfortable to watch.

It seems that nowadays, racism is changing. Former oppressors are now victimized. Then again, there’s still plenty of the old double standards to spare. 

Murder is on the rise. Sometimes the motivation is race. Sometimes the target is the mentally ill. The commonality is the victim is never rich, especially if the police are involved. But a white policeman choking a subdued black man to death still resonates, and Black men continue to be the highest-risk demographic

U. S. law enforcement has been color biased. The most upsetting example, I thought, happened a few years ago, when a white policeman chased and killed an unarmed black man. Both men were on foot. The black man, had stopped to buy gasoline after a day’s work.. What made him get out of his car and flee? What made the policeman discharge his weapon with fatal results? Responses to these questions were given in court by the policeman. When the dead man was buried, his family lost a breadwinner and a father. The policeman was required to attend a sensitivity class, before he was reinstated on the force with full pay. Afterwards, the person, who had hired the policeman was not penalized.

Police departments often investigate alleged wrong-doing by their own. In-House Investigation, it’s called.. Always, it seems, In-House Investigations absolve the police of any wrong-doing.

A few months ago, policemen in Uvalde, Texas didn’t try to rescue trusting preschoolers from a maniac with a machine gun. The police had the numbers, but their firepower was inferior. They had taken an oath, however, to face all dangers. They vowed to be valiant. They did not vow to put their personal safety ahead of public need.

Another victim was white. He rang a doorbell to pick up his girlfriend from a party,. He was beaten to death by two black men. I assume that words preceded the killings. But the article I read didn’t mention any words. Only that one of the attackers had exceptional football skills. His manslaughter charge was pardoned by a court of law. The football player was subsequently granted a full college scholarship, and the boyfriend was dead.

Judging people by the color of their skin happens everywhere. People classify each other. If you belong to a different tribe, believe in a different god, are of a different gender, you may be injured or killed because you’re different..

It’s convenient to regard individuals as representative of a group, convenient to place people on permanent probation.  Spiritual beliefs, preferences, race, gender, and other differences cause judgements to be made, Many people would rather kill a person than change their mind. Faith is a refuge. Faith, many think, will usher them into heaven—faith, or a yard sign. But people of faith can hate, and often hate in secret—-if not outright. We all want neighbors, who are honest and considerate. Hatred feels bad, and we all deserve understanding. i hope hatred is in my rear-view forever.

Logic seems to be more important than faith—-why? Faith matters just because is no answer, and, logically, if anybody matters, then everybody matters. Life is a struggle. People try to get to the top. But what is the top, and if a person gets there, what’s next? Dust the prestigious trophy, park the new car, and put your throbbing ding-dong in somebody! Or get a ding-dong put in you!!

Anyway, here’s to all the parents, who haven’t taught their kids to hate. And here’s to life. We don’t have it long.