Another race issue that many take exception to is the double standard mentioned in the previous blog post on this subject. This is also the result of poor minority leadership. Why is it acceptable for blacks to treat women with disgrace, use racial slurs towards each other, and promote hip hop and rap music that advertises violence and bad behavior? But when Don Imus says a racially insensitive remark, he is a bigot. Why does it matter if the inflammatory comment comes from a white person or a black person? To treat your own race with disrespect, but expect others to treat your race with respect is simply the viewpoint of a hypocrite. If African-Americans do not want others to say derogatory comments, they should not say them. It is as simple as that. It goes with the motto of treating others the way you expect to be treated. If racial barriers are going to be eliminated, then African-Americans and their leaders need to influence their communities to stop all inappropriate behavior. If the behavior is wrong and insensitive, it needs to be wrong for everyone. Listening to music that supports violence, racial slurs, and bad behavior towards women and then say it is not right for other races to use the same language and behavior is not acceptable. If African-Americans really want to break down the race barrier, they cannot be hypocritical about the issue. In fact, minorities should be setting the example of how they want to be treated.
I truly believe the anger portrayed by black leaders such as Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and even those by pastors such a Reverend Wright is real. I certainly do not know what it is like to be brought up black, but I do understand what it is like to have a lot of anger. I am sure these leaders have every right to be angry because they have witnessed countless terrible acts of racism and bigotry. However, nothing good will ever be accomplished by passing their anger on to their followers. And certainly nothing good will come from passing conspiracy theories and racism on to their followers. This only creates more racial friction, by instilling into their followers the same racism these leaders want to stop. A true civil rights leader is not a hypocrite and is peaceful with their protests. This is the style that Martin Luther King followed. Although, in his latter years of leading the civil rights movement, King’s anger and frustration could be apparent in some of his speeches. It is certainly understandable. I am sure he felt the inroad he was making was miniscule when compared to the effort he had put forth. No doubt, any minority leader is probably frustrated and angered with the lack of progress on racial divides. Although they have every right to be angry, nothing will be accomplished by passing anger on to their followers. It will only deter progress. There is never a good reason to take out one’s emotions such as anger on innocent people. I am certainly not insulted or offended by any actions of these minority leaders. However, I do believe they are going about solving one of society’s toughest issues in the wrong matter, and their efforts have only made the race situation in this country worse. This is certainly not to say that any white leaders have done any better to solve this issue. White leaders are complicit in not being able to resolve racial tensions.
As mentioned earlier, most people consider me a pessimist, and maybe that is true to a certain extent. And maybe that is why my outlook on the race issue is a very bleak one. Although I feel those that are prejudice is a very small number, the media and civil rights leaders continue to cover race issues as if all Americans are bigots and racists. This fanatical coverage of race only adds unnecessary fuel onto an already hot topic.
My Book: Is America Dying? (Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com)
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