America, Where Are You?

 With the recent chaos that has engulfed our cities in the United States, I have found myself bewildered at the seeming acceptance of all the lawlessness. America has always been a land of law and order (now, before you jump down my throat and bring up the race riots of the 60’s, Rodney King, and events like those, I will speak to those events later). As a whole, we have always sought for peace and to settle discord through legal means. Yes, demonstrations have occurred throughout the history of our great nation, and some have devolved into bedlam, but America has always sought for justice through law.

 

Let me define America. America is not a land, it is not borders, flags, politicians, etc. America is the people. We are what make America, America. The opening words of the Constitution of the United States of America states, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish the Constitution for the United States of America.” You see, “we the people” moved to establish a more perfect union. “We the people” establish justice, domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare of our fellow citizens, and “we the people” secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity. Therefore, America is “we the people”.  There is no other way of defining what America is, America is the people. 

 

There is a lot to be said of the people. We come from all walks of life. Whether from the squalor of poverty or from the lavish luxury of wealth and everything in between.  We come from many varied experiences in life. We are a strong and resilient people. We are giving and charitable to our core. We have a long tradition of protecting those who cannot protect themselves. We hate bullies and never back down when faced with opposition.

 

That being said, I ask again, America, where are you? We are witnessing our cities burn, get looted, vandalized and taken over by thugs and lowlifes. That’s right, I said lowlifes. Those who would put their desire to destroy and pillage before the needs of all others are lowlifes, selfish, self-centered, pathetic, and scum. I make no apologies for my harsh critique of these thugs. No man (and I use that term loosely) or woman should feel that they have the right to destroy other’s property or to take life because of an ideology that they adhere to. And that is what it is, an ideology base on emotion and lies. They refuse to look at facts, but would rather believe the hype because it fuels the innate animal within them. 

 

Have there been innocent people shot and killed by the police? The answer is admittedly, yes. Yes, there has been. Just one innocent person killed at the hands of police is horrible. Just this year alone there have been 558 total police shootings; 111 of those were of black citizens and 215 were of white citizens. The remaining are a combination of Hispanic, other and those of an unknown race. That’s a lot of people. Some of those people were innocent and some were not. 

The reality is that not everyone shot and killed by police are the victims of police brutality. There are some who were in the act of committing a crime. Who were fighting with police and/or were threatening to hurt or kill an innocent person. In all actuality, the vast majority of encounters with law enforcement do not terminate with the death of someone. That is the Hollywood portrayal of police encounters. There are indeed some bad officers. Just as there are bad teachers who rape their students, just as there are bad truck drivers who kidnap and kill people, the list can go on and on. There are bad people. We know that, we see it all around us. The murder rate in the United States is 6 in every 100,000 people. That’s a lot of bad people. Not that I am attempting to marginalized those who are killed at the hands of officers of the law. But if you take a look at the previously noted number of 111 black citizens (since this seems to be the only number of victims that we are concerned about in the United States right now) only a fraction of those individuals was unarmed, and out of those only a small fraction were innocent victims of what could be characterized in the majority of cases as a split-second decision that was wrong. I wholeheartedly believe that the vast majority of police officers do not have a personal vendetta against people of color. I believe it to be a disingenuous argument to say otherwise, and those who pound their moral chests and pontificate upon the injustices committed against people of color by the systemic racism that exists in law enforcement are stoking the fires of discord for political and personal agendas. And America is silent.

I am tired of watching my beloved country collapse into a chasm of moral decay. The citizen is silenced by a minority of the populace fearing that they will offend, or be ridiculed into silence. People express their feelings and they lose their job. Online trolls scour the pages of social media to lay waste to those who dare hold a differing opinion than their own, and then they scurry back into their online anonymity like the roaches that they are. 

 

There is no guarantee within the Constitution of the United States that you will not be offended. The fact that there are such a vast number of differing opinions on any given subject should cause the average American to shout hallelujah at the showcase of freedom that that represents to the world, but we don’t. We cower to the chaos. We sit in silence as we watch our land descend down the rabbit hole from which there is no easy escape, and our nation burns and crumbles before our eyes and we shut our eyes and pretend that nothing is happening and we go our merry way. We pound our chests and foam at the mouth as we defend a political affiliation, but when it comes to this Land, we sit idly and quietly doing nothing.

 

My heart breaks at the sight before me. Death goes unnoticed unless that death is a black citizen and the cops were the cause of death otherwise the death doesn’t matter to the masses gathered demanding that we declare the supremacy of black lives. This while the murder rate in Chicago and other cities skyrocket dwarfing previously reported years in the same timeframe. How can we expect to live free and perpetuate this great city set on a hill when we cannot even stand for justice for all people? When we are lambasted for declaring that all life matters? When we defend the right to life of an unborn child and are ridiculed for those personal beliefs, and then are sentenced to years in prison for ending the life of a litter of puppies. Life matters means nothing to society today. Because life doesn’t matter, agendas matter, political platforms matter, the new trendy hairstyle, clothing line, car, Tik Tok challenge, etc matter, but life doesn’t matter to society anymore. Unless that life can be used as political fodder. Then and only then does life matter.

 

This is not America. At least the America that we are supposed to be. It’s not the America bequeathed to us by our forefathers. Yes, our forefathers. The Constitution was written for all people regardless of color, race or creed. It was written to protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people. So, America, where are you? Are you going to rise up and take your country back from the brink, or are you going to sit there in quiet repose and do nothing and watch it burn? Will you rise to the occasion or shrink before the cause of liberty?

 

This all stops when we arrive at the conclusion that we are America. That we are not racists. That we are not hate filled. That we are the most giving and charitable nation upon the face of the earth. That we are great because we are good in our hearts and we should be willing to spread our goodness.

 

So, America, where are you? Stand and be counted! Stand and take back your cities. Take back your freedom. Take back your nation and be a Nation United!

Race in America

Much has been said about what America is as of late. Most of what is being said is not good. If you were to take a surface level look at everything that is published in the media or reported on our television sets you would think that America is the most egregious violator of civil rights in the known world. As a Nation, we are so racist that people of color fear leaving their homes every day because they don't know whether they will return because they might be killed by a cop. The rioting hordes in the streets denounce the United States. Those taking part in "peaceful" protests are demanding that systemic racism be ferreted out and everyone punished for their role.

You have entertainers (from all genres) and politicians demonstrating their angst and anger over their recent revelation that "racism" is a problem in society. They pound their chests and claim a new level of enlightenment that has helped them see the problem. Then, like all good boys and girls, they swear to do something, to be a part of the solution and to promulgate their solution to the whole United States to stop this great injustice to people of color.

First of all, before I go on, let me tell all of these self-righteous, hypocrites that I don't need them to defend me. Yes, I am a person of color. Yes, I have experienced bigotry, prejudice, bias and in a very few instances actual racism (and that was in Spain, not the United States of America). I am more than capable of handling my own issues when they arise and they don't arise often. I don't wake up terrified of walking out my door and driving to work thinking that I am going to be stopped by the police and beaten or worse yet killed. There is nobody who actually feels that way. Those who do are not afraid of the police, but those that the police are trying to stop from committing crimes against society. So let's be perfectly honest here, the police are not evil and they don't put on their uniform every day with the hope that they will be able to put another notch in their belt indicating another person of color that they either beat or killed that day. It's disingenuous to say otherwise.

Secondly, let's define racism. I know what society's definition is, which is pretty much anything that they want to say it is, but none of these definitions are the actual definition of racism. Racism is defined as "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race". I do not believe that there is a systemic problem among white people thinking that they are superior to people of color. Don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that there are not some people who actually believe that they are superior to another based solely off of race. What I am saying is that there is not a systemic problem with this. Additionally, I believe this is a universal problem found within all races. Growing up I would here my people going around saying "la raza" (the race, for those who don't speak Spanish). I asked what it meant and was told that is was to signify the power and superiority of our race. The blacks in our neighborhood would shout "black power". There would be fights in school and in the community with one race trying to subject the other through fear and intimidation (and no, the whites didn't have a dog in that fight). So it exists among all sects of society.

So if I don't believe that racism is the underlying problem; what is the problem? Well, let me answer that. I believe that we have a problem with prejudice, bigotry and bias based on race. And this is rooted in ignorance and intolerance. Ignorance is dangerous and we are seeing just how dangerous being played out before our eyes on the evening news cycles. We are bombarded with scenes and stories of victimization or perceived victimization. I apologize to those reading this for what I am about to say. Please understand that I mean no disrespect, but I must say it. We see our lily white neighbors foaming at the mouth screaming at the top of their lungs that we need to stop killing black people. Well in practice I think that is pretty good advice. If they are killing black people or anybody of color or other white people for that matter, I think that they should stop immediately and turn themselves in to be prosecuted. If they are not, they need to shut their mouths and stop acting like fools. 

I saw a video the other day of a white gentleman screaming in the face of a black police officer calling him every obscenity in the book telling him that he was a 'black Judas'. Now, let me put this into perspective for you (me being a man of color and maybe your not. I don't know), how do you think it feels as a person of color to be told by a white person how you should be feeling and what you should be doing? Think about it for a moment before you move on. You done thinking about it? Let me tell you how it feels. Nothing drives me more crazy and nothing screams actual racism than when a white person tells me how I should be feeling and what I should be doing about how I should be feeling. Or, when they tell me that if I don't agree with them then I must have never experienced anything in my life and lived a sheltered existence and that I need to open my eyes to what's going on. I have actually had "well meaning" white people tell me that. I don't need them to tell me what I've experienced in my life. I've experienced it. I don't need them to tell me how I need to or should react to what I've experienced, because I've already dealt with it in my own way, and guess what they didn't have to tell me how to deal with it because I somehow without their help knew what to do. It's amazing I know, a person of color not needing a "well meaning" white angel screaming in my face telling me how to feel.

Yes, I've experienced prejudice, bigotry and bias. My 4th grade year I went to a predominately white school. When I say predominately white I mean 99.9999% white. I was the only Hispanic and there was one Native American. Every day that I went to school I was called "spic", "wetback", "cherry picker" and so forth. Every day someone wanted to beat me up because of the color of my skin. I learned to defend myself quickly. I would pretend that I was sick so that I would not have to go to school. We tried to get a district waiver to allow me to go to a more diverse school, but we were told that it was all in my head and was denied the waiver. I was forced to go through hell every day. I was so happy when we moved. A few years ago I was stopped for DWM (driving while Mexican). I just came from a business meeting and was in a suit and a big old truck. I noticed that I had an unusual amount of police vehicles following me, but didn't think much of it because I wasn't doing anything. I then noticed that these police vehicles were actually starting to box me in and then all of a sudden I was forced off the road, surrounded by about 10 cruisers and demanded to keep my hands in open view. I complied since they all had their guns drawn and they seemed pretty serious. I was questioned and vetted then was told that they stopped me for not having insurance on my truck. That was a lie because I did have insurance on my truck. A couple of days later the same thing happened again. 
I've been followed in stores, refused service in jewelry stores, gun stores, car dealerships, etc. The list goes on, but that is not the point of this posting. I just want to establish that I've experienced things and guess what I am still alive and for the most part I think that I am well adjusted.

I saw a video a couple of weeks ago of a white lady kneeling before a group of black men and she was kissing their feet pleading for forgiveness. Each man made her kiss his feet and then came back to have her do it again. This scene was disgraceful and I am appalled that one; she felt the need to do that, and two; that they were relishing in the act. What kind of society are we trying to create here? Are we determined to make all white people out to be the enemy and pariah of society? We demand equality by demanding the un-equalization of  society. I know of no white person who currently owns or has owned a slave. I know of no white person who currently owns or has owned a white robe and pointed hood. I know of no white person who wakes up every morning looking for that one unsuspecting person of color that they are going to make miserable that day. I do know many who just want to live their lives. They could care less about the color of the skin of the person that sits next to them. And it's not because they don't see you and your struggles, it's because they have their own struggles that they are dealing with.

If we are to have peace we need to stop pitting one race against another here in the United States of America. We need to stop looking for racism and start looking for solutions. One solution would be to eliminate laws that put people on uneven ground (i.e. hate crime legislation because all crime is rooted in hate). Stop fighting school choice options, thus allowing children from inner city failing schools to attend better schools. We have proven that throwing money at schools doesn't make things better. We need to refocus our educational efforts to allow for learning rather than mere indoctrination. We must focus on removing ignorance from the general populace understanding that it is a choice to remain in ignorance. The Constitution of the United States, does not intend to put everyone on equal ground, but rather it provides the opportunity for everyone to have equal opportunity and access. There is a difference.

We need to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. We need to teach its principles and ensure that our laws justly represent it in scope and purpose. We need to ensure that all rights are being extended equally to all individuals regardless of the color of their skin. The freedom guaranteed within the Constitution of the United States is for all and is universal in nature. 

Primarily, we need to turn to God and establish His word in our hearts and ask for forgiveness. We need to put down our weapons of our rebellion against His laws and accept all as our brothers and sisters, equal in the eyes of the law. We need to stop the violence against our own people. We need to respect life at all stages. We need to acknowledge that life is a gift from a loving God and that life matters regardless of who you are or what you've done. The popular rebuttal to the "all life matters vs. black lives matter" argument is that when we say that all lives matter are we saying that pedophiles matter, and thus we can't say all lives matter. My answer to that is yes, the life of a pedophile matters. His crimes are heinous and represent the deepest betrayal of society, but he or she is still a son or daughter of God and will answer for their sin, but of us it is required to forgive all...their trespasses.

Lastly, we need to stop hyphenating our Americanism. We have so many hyphenated Americans that it is ridiculous. No other country does that, yet here we are dividing ourselves with words and grammatical markings. This encourages the us vs them mentality. Let's just be Americans. Let's stand shoulder to shoulder and honor this Nation as the freest Nation on earth (or at least it should be). Let's take those that would divide us and pit us against each other for power and control over us and show them the door (in some cases a prison door). Let's show these high-minded erudites that they are nothing. Let us, We The People, take back this Nation and the power which belongs to us. We can do this, and we must do it, or all will be lost, and this great experiment of freedom will be gone forever.
My fellow Americans, let us on this day, this Independence Day here declare that America will not fall on our watch. Let us stand united in purpose and resolve to ensure freedom's noble banner waves from sea to shining sea. Let us be that light on the hill that we have always been meant to be. That beacon to the world that freedom reigns supreme. Let us be a Nation United!