Today in class, I was talking about the Bill of Rights. The first amendment states we have the freedom of speech, religion, press and assembly. Who knew this would spark a discussion on the current state of race relations in the United States today?
You know, it is really hard for me to talk about race in America, let alone write about it. It is difficult, because I grew up in a small town; one that was racially divided. The maids for the upper middle class were all black. We were the second Jewish family to join the country club and the black people only worked there. I always considered our cleaning lady, a black woman, to be part of the family -- I called, visited until she told me where she lived was just too dangerous to come around for a visit, and loved her until the day she passed, -- which was just a few years ago. To me, she was my second mother. And yet, this from a child that grew up in a home that was less than tolerant of other races. I try to stay away from discussions about racial topics because I know where I came from and I fear that there is a tiny part of me that may harbor a piece of the town I grew up in.
I grew up in the 1960's. Back then it was considered okay (at least in my world), to refer to black people as negroes or colored. In the 1970's, the politically correct term was black. As times changed, the term became African American. The entire time my children were in middle and high school, they accused me of being racist because I referred to African Americans as blacks. Apparently, it is now okay to use that term. I didn't know that until just a few months ago.
So, if I am feeling so awkward, what about the rest of America? Apparently, this is quite the conversation around the kitchen table as I was told by a student today that his mother said all policemen were racist. Now, it is really hard for me to address that; first of all, because this boy said it with conviction and he clearly believed his mother. The question became, how do I brooch this subject delicately yet tactfully without coming off as racist? My white aide was likewise uncomfortable, yet this was a talk we had not had with the class. And for whatever reason, I suppose God felt it was time.
So, using examples he could understand, we talked about how it feels to be in another person's shoes. I, for one, cannot imagine growing up in an urban area because I didn't. I cannot imagine what it feels like to be black because I'm not. However, I do understand racial profiling. My married name is clearly not a Smith or a Jones. And so, every time I flew after the 9/11 attacks, I was put through intense scrutiny at airport security. I even had my hands checked a couple of times for explosive residues. Yet, being married at the time, my ex never had to do any of that; even though he was middle-eastern and carried the same last name. Guilt by association? However, I personally didn't mind the inconvenience. In my mind, if that is what is needed to keep myself and others safe, go for it!
I also talked with this boy, and my class, about the part the media played in stirring the pot. In my humble opinion, I believe they did. After all, bad news makes better copy than good news in this day and age. And so, they did their best to heighten the tensions of the day with their commentary.
I have to wonder, if it was a black police officer who was involved, would there have been as much of a stir? What about a white suspect and a white police officer? I honestly don't think it would have made the news, much less the headlines.
And so, at the end of the day, speculation doesn't matter because there are lives lost. It is sad because "we the people" doesn't seem to be happening in this country. We are not a people that are "united we stand". Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech has fallen on deaf ears.
I don't pretend to have the answers. I only know that I can try to work to help the young people of today understand. It is not about the color of our skin but rather the content of our character. What is that? Can we look beyond how we were raised and have a meaningful dialogue?
I can only pray that today our society is so diverse that our children and grandchildren of today, will actually live in a world where co-existing is not an ideal but rather, the state of our society. That in fact, we will do more than co-exist -- we will love, yes genuinely love, our brothers and sisters -- regardless of the color of their skin. We will not just follow Jesus in some sort of ethereal way but act in a Christ-like manner. You see, if we allow our faith to guide us, then we can't go wrong. Open your hearts to His leading and believe in the power He gave you to change this world for the better.
You see, He commanded us. Here are His words from the Bible.
"We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen." 1 John 4:19-20
So there you have it. God's own Truth. You can choose to believe it or not. But imagine, if we all put into practice what this Scripture says -- it would be a crazy, amazing world.
"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
http://youtu.be/A3yCcXgbKrE
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