Semantics & Racism

A close friend sent me this video via email with the message "They wrote white pride, not white power. Please keep this going."

Semantics...really?

Let's get down to reality here. The black kid in the video stated that the words "White Power" were used. They were not. The white kid who was behind it, chose to inflame the situation by wearing a shirt with a confederate flag on it...considered by NORTHERNERS to be a sign of racism. (In my time spent in the south, I've seen black AND whites fly the stars and bars...they know the reality of it's background)

Needless to say, if you know me at all, you just KNOW I had a response to this...and here it is, verbatim:

"Good Lord.....

OK, you know I have to speak my mind on this. First off, "White Pride"
"Black Pride" "Yellow Pride" "Plaid Pride" is ALL stupid. Hear me?
It's ALL stupid.

We're all on this planet together. We have differing beliefs.
Differing background. Differing "cultures". As an American, the
country with NO culture of it's own...I can tell you, I'm always
interested in seeing a unique "culture".

That said, in this day & age, with much thanks to the Internet...we've
ALL become a bunch of fucking crybabies!

I grew up with REAL racial tensions. I've had the words "WHITE NIGGER"
painted on my house because I have close black friends. I don't see
"race". I see "people"...and guess what, I know assholes of ALL races.

I know white people that sicken me. I know black people that sicken
me. I know Asians, Latinos, SPI's, etc...that sicken me. I also know
people of ALL races that I love, adore and respect.

What a simple world it would be IF we could classify by race, creed,
religious background, etc. Fortunately, at least for those of us who
use our brains, we can't.

Who's to blame here? The media. Remember this, at all times: the media
is corporate-owned INFOTAINMENT. It's NOT news. It is designed to
inflame opinions, not present facts. Why? To get you to watch....so
they can sell advertising time to CORPORATIONS that want to sell YOU
(the viewer) their wares.
Sadly, many fall for it.

I live in the USA. Once, the greatest country in the world. It didn't
matter WHO you were...you had the CHOICE to attempt to become "great"
(as so identified by your peers). Success should be determined by the
individual, not the masses.

Watching this video, I have to say this: sure...the white kid behind
the chalk messages was within his rights to do so. But...with those
rights comes consequences. Some will agree, some will disagree, some
will just not care. As for the young black man...GROW A PAIR! If a
message written in chalk is going to make you wet your pants, you
young man, are NOT a man. A MAN would ignore it and go about his
business of being the best MAN he can be...despite of the opinions of
others!

At what point did we become such a bunch of crybabies???? Growing up
in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, I saw REAL change in the way that the races
in this country mixed with each other. Sadly, in the past 10-15 years,
I've watched THE MEDIA do everything in it's power to disrupt and
change all of this. I'm sorry folks...but I just think that is
PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!

To think that by virtue of being born one color or another makes ONE
RACE better than ANOTHER RACE is just MORONIC! Those that cling to
those ideas are just that...MORONS! WAKE UP PEOPLE!

It doesn't matter what color you are...or what religion you...if any.
It doesn't matter where you live or where you grew up. What DOES
matter is how you adapt to YOUR surroundings.

If you grew up in an urban, single race neighborhood and CHOOSE to
live in a suburban neighborhood of a different race, YOU must
adapt...not the neighborhood. If you are a Christian or Jew who choose
to live among Muslims, YOU must adapt to that culture. No one says you
have to CONVERT...but you must adapt.

WHEN IN ROME, DO AS THE ROMANS DO.

Do NOT look for excuses. Do NOT make excuses. If YOU are not mature
enough to make such decisions, stay in your comfort zone. IF you
choose to step outside of your comfort zone, expect things outside of
what you already know. Embrace those challenges. They WILL make you a
better person.

Once upon a time, my best friend (who happens to be black) and I were
stopped by police and roughed up. Why? Because a black kid and a white
kid were hanging out. Period. That is the world I grew up in. And that
was 30 years ago. I would like to think that the world has changed for
the better...obviously it has not.

To those of you COWARDS, MORONS and IDIOTS who CHOOSE to hold on to
such antiquated ideas...YOU SUCK. YOU are the problem, NOT the
solution.

Yes, there are idiots and evil people out there. Don't be one of them."

I have MAJOR, personal issues with racism. I have a great-niece who is of mixed races. Anyone who EVER thinks they will cause that child any grief, KNOW THIS: That child means the world to me. I will personally FUCK UP YOUR WORLD if you think you will damage her life in any way.

I have many, many close friends of all colors, religions, etc. I have been intimately involved with people of many different races and backgrounds. There are two types of people in this world: Good and Bad. That said, how each of us is perceived will vary according to the person viewing us.

It is up to each of us to simply be the best person we can be. As my dear auntie Ann used to say, "We do right because it IS right". If you have to debate it, it ain't right. Period.

Grow up people. You can be part of the problem or part of the solution. And remember...actions speak louder than words.

P.S.

To the television station in Baltimore that ran this originally...YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES! You did everything possible to make this a race issue rather than show it for what it is; a bunch of college morons whining. I hope the FCC scraps your license! I think anyone reading this should DEMAND it. One can contact the FCC at:

http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm