Fired-up!
"All you got to do is open your ears and listen with all your might: Listen got-damn-it, Listen!" -- Archie Shepp
My person is an activist within my social sphere; not a person who is prejudice. Let's get that straight from the door! Controversial? Without a doubt! If we weren't, you wouldn't be learning anything new. New means you have to think about it or take a fresh look at the angle presented. As Sly (Steward) Stone said in the song, Everyday People, "My own beliefs is in my songs"-- i.e., I contemplated and researched what I present to you. Been this way since childhood: Meaning we've been one who dares to be different and thinks for myself: "Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win" is the motto of those who are serious about this stuff: That is, "the unlearning the nonsense taught to us at youth." At least that's what Godfrey Higgins said in his preface to "Anacalyptus: Unveiling the Veil of Isis." We are not a follower! So if you see my persons with a group, we are either advocated for the same common cause-- have some alliance of some sort-- or a disciple with intent to lead. "Think, think! It ain't illegal, yet!" -- [George Clinton's Maggot Brain (live)]
I am not on an anti-American campaign. I am not militant And as much as I talk about government control and media manipulation, I am not opposed to it: In fact, every government does it Mostly to protect its' constituency, to watch over its members, to avert panic and chaos and to protect their country against enemies-- both foreign and domestic. That is only a smart thing to do as a country. It's just that we were not originally included in this country as constituency and we still are not technically. We came here as property. We were stamped by the government as institutionalized property. We were put on the legislature ledger as three-fifths of a man, to be included as livestock-- hence chattel slavery. We fought for civil rights in the 1960's. Malcolm X (Malik Al-Hajj Shabazz) urged us to push for human rights and take our issue up in the League of Nations to get full citizenship rights, but that was not actively pursued by the masses. Civil rights activists pushed for so-called integration; which was really a request by this group to have the government accept our petition to be a part of what was previously a segregated society and these activist promised to get along by trying to learn and do like an Americans. This gave the American government a chance to change their world image by passing legislation like affirmative action laws to guarantee Black's social acceptance by law. But saying it and making sure it happens that way is two different things: Putting out laws is meaningless without the proper attitude of the ruling class people or the proper reinforcement through law enforcement and the courts..
And its not like I want to keep talking about this slavery issue, but it is at the heart of a lot of our issues. You can talk about slavery on the overall and you'll find many whites who have been enslaved at different times in history, having almost all of their possessions taken from them-- but you cannot name another people (other than Blacks) who has gotten everything taken including their language uprooted from them and forced into a life of servitude.
Words are what you use to create the social images that form the culture-- without your native tongue, its' words, and/ or language, you are fighting your battle from the lowest of the low. The battle we are fighting is Research & Self Development: The struggle is the Recapturing of our Culture by unlearning the non-sense taught to us as youth.. You won't know where you're going, if you don't know where you been. Our people were enslaved prisoners of war and today we became slaves from mental death and power. The images we Blacks have within the Western culture are mainly their images, aspirations, values and ideas about how to evaluate things. Our concepts about ourselves in their society is strongly based upon Western ideology on beauty, success and wealth. A lot of Blacks in the West simply don't want to think too hard about working too hard establishing our own Black Aesthetic (esthetics) -- or breaking our old habits. that keeps us in a rut.
The truth is we are being taken care of and managed by outsiders. We are allowed to remain right here in our growth as a people within the West, having most of our politics handled is by someone else, most of our employment through someone else, most of our schooling through someone else, most of our cultural concepts are an outgrowth of someone else's culture-- even our neighborhood government and surveillance for the most part is by someone else. We are being managed by others. Western culture can't possible know our interests, but they are making the decisions for us. We are the Black situation: We can never be the star in their movie (though are athletes and entertainers make a good show of it). Therefore one of the by-products is a feeling of inferiority-- for some it is the need to overcompensate (by showing each other we are better or more blessed). These are the ones who will tell you how hopeless it is to make the attempt to recapture our culture. These are the ones who do not believe in the Black Aesthetic. These are the ones who criticize works like these but brag of what they have in the Western societies' left-overs. These are the ones who have children and abuse or abandon them. These are the ones who have parents who live alternate lives and feel they have to overcompensate for it by providing they are more man or woman than others. These are people with self-esteem issues. You cannot hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree itself. You give me a Black person who can only talk negative about Black people and I will show you a person that is not at peace with-- nor loves-- himself.
Our situation is very similar to the Jews in the bible-- captured and enslaved several times. But the difference is, they won their freedom. We did not. Also they voluntarily lost their language and cultural concepts, seeking fortune in the lands of their captivity. We lost ours by the slave master's design. This started the process of making us other than ourselves.
Some of our people rely of the fairness of the government that made the slave laws and institutionalized slavery Some of us rely on others to make it right instead of having our own society, where we could be it's ruling class: This type of thinking is what I don't agree with. A lot of us have gotten comfortable with trinkets of Western society; working for people who are other than our own, setting our standards by a false sense of values. Managed by people other than our own. Schooled by teachers other than our own A lot of Black youth are not interested in politics, so who's going to manage their areas and interests when they are of age? Probably someone who doesn't think highly of you... We come from a people who have huge extended families and communities run by a single lineage or two family lines-- yet we can have descendants who don't get involved in community politics. That's because many of us have not risen from slavery, but we believe we have. When the truth is we get paid less than it takes to live and live off of the credit of others (that is, when we don't have bad credit).
When are we going to get up and be a people within this nation that governs our own destiny? We are in a box car on someone else's train right now-- that has to change. Otherwise, where ever the Western nations are going, so are we-- for better or for worst. And let me tell you brothers and sisters, today is a very scary roller coaster ride! Look at the stock exchange...
As a people, we should be moving towards being able to take care of ourselves. We should be able to take care our own people-- without living vicariously. To pull this off will take re-education on our part, because we still need reconditioning: This is the purpose of this Blog spot. Some of us have gotten comfortable with the ride, even though yesterday they were beating you with whips as you passed by ,,, This is madness!!!
A lot of us have gotten comfortable with the illusion that we are equal citizens: Looking at their heroes as our heroes and claiming to be a part of a society that reject us on a collective basis. A lot of us still have a slave mentality! Alright, alright, sharecropping and buying items from the company store as a condition of residency! That better? No. At least as slaves, you had room and board but no spending money and human rights. Here, you don't have enough, you pay for everything and you have to stay within the lines or they put you in jail (where slavery is legal and you forfeit many of your rights). This is what must change and we must fist change our way of thinking and change ourselves along with it! As long as you keep relying on someone else, you are subject yourselves to them. We need to do for self, but our attitude toward ourselves must change first before we can do that.
I am not on an anti-American campaign. I am not militant And as much as I talk about government control and media manipulation, I am not opposed to it: In fact, every government does it Mostly to protect its' constituency, to watch over its members, to avert panic and chaos and to protect their country against enemies-- both foreign and domestic. That is only a smart thing to do as a country. It's just that we were not originally included in this country as constituency and we still are not technically. We came here as property. We were stamped by the government as institutionalized property. We were put on the legislature ledger as three-fifths of a man, to be included as livestock-- hence chattel slavery. We fought for civil rights in the 1960's. Malcolm X (Malik Al-Hajj Shabazz) urged us to push for human rights and take our issue up in the League of Nations to get full citizenship rights, but that was not actively pursued by the masses. Civil rights activists pushed for so-called integration; which was really a request by this group to have the government accept our petition to be a part of what was previously a segregated society and these activist promised to get along by trying to learn and do like an Americans. This gave the American government a chance to change their world image by passing legislation like affirmative action laws to guarantee Black's social acceptance by law. But saying it and making sure it happens that way is two different things: Putting out laws is meaningless without the proper attitude of the ruling class people or the proper reinforcement through law enforcement and the courts..
And its not like I want to keep talking about this slavery issue, but it is at the heart of a lot of our issues. You can talk about slavery on the overall and you'll find many whites who have been enslaved at different times in history, having almost all of their possessions taken from them-- but you cannot name another people (other than Blacks) who has gotten everything taken including their language uprooted from them and forced into a life of servitude.
Words are what you use to create the social images that form the culture-- without your native tongue, its' words, and/ or language, you are fighting your battle from the lowest of the low. The battle we are fighting is Research & Self Development: The struggle is the Recapturing of our Culture by unlearning the non-sense taught to us as youth.. You won't know where you're going, if you don't know where you been. Our people were enslaved prisoners of war and today we became slaves from mental death and power. The images we Blacks have within the Western culture are mainly their images, aspirations, values and ideas about how to evaluate things. Our concepts about ourselves in their society is strongly based upon Western ideology on beauty, success and wealth. A lot of Blacks in the West simply don't want to think too hard about working too hard establishing our own Black Aesthetic (esthetics) -- or breaking our old habits. that keeps us in a rut.
The truth is we are being taken care of and managed by outsiders. We are allowed to remain right here in our growth as a people within the West, having most of our politics handled is by someone else, most of our employment through someone else, most of our schooling through someone else, most of our cultural concepts are an outgrowth of someone else's culture-- even our neighborhood government and surveillance for the most part is by someone else. We are being managed by others. Western culture can't possible know our interests, but they are making the decisions for us. We are the Black situation: We can never be the star in their movie (though are athletes and entertainers make a good show of it). Therefore one of the by-products is a feeling of inferiority-- for some it is the need to overcompensate (by showing each other we are better or more blessed). These are the ones who will tell you how hopeless it is to make the attempt to recapture our culture. These are the ones who do not believe in the Black Aesthetic. These are the ones who criticize works like these but brag of what they have in the Western societies' left-overs. These are the ones who have children and abuse or abandon them. These are the ones who have parents who live alternate lives and feel they have to overcompensate for it by providing they are more man or woman than others. These are people with self-esteem issues. You cannot hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree itself. You give me a Black person who can only talk negative about Black people and I will show you a person that is not at peace with-- nor loves-- himself.
Our situation is very similar to the Jews in the bible-- captured and enslaved several times. But the difference is, they won their freedom. We did not. Also they voluntarily lost their language and cultural concepts, seeking fortune in the lands of their captivity. We lost ours by the slave master's design. This started the process of making us other than ourselves.
Some of our people rely of the fairness of the government that made the slave laws and institutionalized slavery Some of us rely on others to make it right instead of having our own society, where we could be it's ruling class: This type of thinking is what I don't agree with. A lot of us have gotten comfortable with trinkets of Western society; working for people who are other than our own, setting our standards by a false sense of values. Managed by people other than our own. Schooled by teachers other than our own A lot of Black youth are not interested in politics, so who's going to manage their areas and interests when they are of age? Probably someone who doesn't think highly of you... We come from a people who have huge extended families and communities run by a single lineage or two family lines-- yet we can have descendants who don't get involved in community politics. That's because many of us have not risen from slavery, but we believe we have. When the truth is we get paid less than it takes to live and live off of the credit of others (that is, when we don't have bad credit).
When are we going to get up and be a people within this nation that governs our own destiny? We are in a box car on someone else's train right now-- that has to change. Otherwise, where ever the Western nations are going, so are we-- for better or for worst. And let me tell you brothers and sisters, today is a very scary roller coaster ride! Look at the stock exchange...
As a people, we should be moving towards being able to take care of ourselves. We should be able to take care our own people-- without living vicariously. To pull this off will take re-education on our part, because we still need reconditioning: This is the purpose of this Blog spot. Some of us have gotten comfortable with the ride, even though yesterday they were beating you with whips as you passed by ,,, This is madness!!!
A lot of us have gotten comfortable with the illusion that we are equal citizens: Looking at their heroes as our heroes and claiming to be a part of a society that reject us on a collective basis. A lot of us still have a slave mentality! Alright, alright, sharecropping and buying items from the company store as a condition of residency! That better? No. At least as slaves, you had room and board but no spending money and human rights. Here, you don't have enough, you pay for everything and you have to stay within the lines or they put you in jail (where slavery is legal and you forfeit many of your rights). This is what must change and we must fist change our way of thinking and change ourselves along with it! As long as you keep relying on someone else, you are subject yourselves to them. We need to do for self, but our attitude toward ourselves must change first before we can do that.
What you see in the word "PreJudice" is two components: "Pre" meaning "before" and "Judice" "the act of judging." Just from the word itself, you can see that this word roughly means to "judge before knowing." Having preconceived notions (and beliefs of some sort, before actually knowing the truth). As they say, "You can't judge a book by its' cover"-- meaning you can't access something by its' appearances. "Everything is not how it seems"... Look at contracts: The original makers of contracts present all the Attractive Parts in Bold Text, but as my parents always said, "Better read the fine print because that's the part that will jam you up." The culture which derived the contract must have been as slick as the Greeks were to the Trojans. Wasn't it the Trojans who gave us the phrase: "Watch out for Greeks bearing gifts!" They must have had quite a bad experience, now didn't they?
In my blind days, I could not understand all the hostility Blacks had for Whites and Jews in the inner-cities, but in the back of my mind we knew it had to be based upon some incidents-- that attitude alone, (well, accompanied with patience) allowed me to find out why. But I know it is not right to form an opinion on some one or some people based upon scant information, appearance, or based on rumor. That's a very "half-cock way" of going about things (which is simply not the case with my kind). But when you have gathered enough information and have experienced much events throughout your chronicles (documented occurrences throughout the pasting of time; chronology), then these things substantiate why you access things the way that you do. Notice: I did not call it history because that means "that is HIS story." I have a brother (let's call him Larry, that was so silver-tongue- smooth in his vocal presentations, that he could get almost anyone to believe what he said-- whether he was lying or not. Well, you know how that went. After a few experiences with His stories, you learned to be wary of him! As they say about the Yankee trader: "Let the buyer beware!"
The way I see it, awareness requires knowledge and those devoted to acquire such knowledge are by definition scientists. When a scientist encounters something "unknown," the scientist makes it a practice to follow specific scientific procedures. The first step along these lines is observation and research. This requires that one gathers all the available information before making a decision, assessment or evaluation. Of course, first semi-assessment comes in a form of an educated guess, which is called an hypothesis-- but the hypothesis summary is not a full assessment; it is just an perspective based upon the elements known at the time. The full assessment will take research, experimentation, case studies, and a lot more observation than just the initial one and definitely not for the purpose of proving or disproving the hypothesis-- but to find out what is the true. If we set upon this methodical journey just to prove the hypothesis, then our hypothesis would be no better than a preconceived notion or a prejudice preposition-- now wouldn't it? Once again, you may find plenty of people out there who live like that, but these people are not my kind: People who just look for one or two little things (in the midst of several non-corresponding facts), which coincides with their view-- then they're off and running, calling their view the 'gospel.' That would be ignoring all the other "signs" that did not coincide, just to be right-- even though other signs were there. Or worse yet, getting caught up in the rapture of a charismatic speaker, then become urged to light up torches and start burning something! These are people who are sort of seeing what they want to see and hearing what they want to hear, thus becoming deaf to anything that doesn't coincide or things that they don't agree with. Do you know the type? Sounds familiar? You should be sure before you act, otherwise you wind up in most causes being wrong! You should want the what's true and real, regardless of how you feel.
Oh, you may not be the kind who wants to be wrong, but it is far better than basing your life or moves on false premises... This is what prejudice is: Basing your position upon what you think you know -- or feel you know-- instead of all that's known and/or revealed. You must seek to remain un-bias until more things are known about the situation. Being un-bias is very important when attempting to seek the truth. You can't just simply listen to others or let your feelings and desires get in the way of you seeing what is really going on. If you do, your errors are your own fault due to scant information! Even your best hypothesis has to be tested for how real it is (a.k.a.its degree of veracity or authentic truth). Veracity is not based upon how one feels, it is based upon consistent recurrences. You may not like what you see, but that's the way it is. This is why it is so very important for you to remove those barricades called boundaries.
In my blind days, I found myself being prejudice about the Black Southerners who moved up north in the inner-cities, calling them "country" and thinking they were not as sophisticated as we Northerners Blacks were. How stupid was that? I mean, my father came from North Carolina and my mother is from South Carolina. All my aptitude and attitude was made up from a pool of resources called genes-- born from DNA that culminated in this life-time from a place we call the south. After all, we're just awareness swimming in gene pools (maintaining our innate purpose, identity and integrity), while furthering friends and family as well as influencing people. As you remember, isn't DNA described as the instructional code of the cell? Isn't that the same as being the knowledge-holder of all the ingredients of each cell? Last time I checked, instructions are procedures which are based upon awareness and capabilities which require a certain amount of aptitude and wisdom to use such knowledge and principles. And isn't the reverse equally as true-- that if you demonstrate an ability, that your aptitude is brought out of the innate capability of your DNA? How foolish was my persons, as to think we displayed potential that was not represented within my gene pool-- much less to look down on the potential of those who came from the same place as my parents. What a ignorant a notion! But that's the issue with bias: You see what you want to see and you hear what you want to hear; ignoring everything which doesn't support your theories...
The root word of "ignorant" is "to ignore" --as in free speech, because-- "you can't miss what your can't measure!" It is real ignorant to speak on things without proper reference. In other words, behaving like this means you "slept on the real things," voicing your opinion-- without caring what the facts are. That's both ignorant and arrogant and is equal to "an accident waiting to happen." This is the main reason why we (Blacks within American society) have to stop doing what American conditioning has taught us: Identity ourselves in terms of state, country, religion and locale. When you think this way, you bind and blind your persons to other customs, areas and locales. Its like human beings placing themselves in boxes in which they cannot conceive of anything outside of that box. And when you do this, you cannot think of yourself truly as a group of people who are located around the world!
It is another form of prejudice in which you do not pay attention to others of your genus in other places-- often expressing itself as a lack of concern-- not to mention manifesting itself an inaccurate view of the total situation. Malcolm X (Malik El Hajj Shabazz) once spoke concerning this type of mentality. He spoke to Blacks in America in relation to analogous Blacks around the world, in most of his speaking engagements. In the word "Ignorant" is the word " ignore" which means "to not pay attention." You cannot find the truth if you ignore some of the signs and details. That's like heaping up diamonds, while you are searching for cut-glass! Funkadelics lyrical guru, George Clinton once said to, "Pay attention, you can't afford free speech!" In One of Malcolm's 'current state of affairs for Black people segments' of his speaking engagements, Malcolm said something like this: 'Some of you are sitting there, acting so cool, like this doesn't effect you. What makes you think they're going to act any different because you have, what you feel, is an unique situation with those people? I'm here to say, that if they can do it to us over there, he can do it to us over here. You are in a society that is just as capable of building "gas ovens" over here as Hitler did in Germany.'
It is another form of prejudice in which you do not pay attention to others of your genus in other places-- often expressing itself as a lack of concern-- not to mention manifesting itself an inaccurate view of the total situation. Malcolm X (Malik El Hajj Shabazz) once spoke concerning this type of mentality. He spoke to Blacks in America in relation to analogous Blacks around the world, in most of his speaking engagements. In the word "Ignorant" is the word " ignore" which means "to not pay attention." You cannot find the truth if you ignore some of the signs and details. That's like heaping up diamonds, while you are searching for cut-glass! Funkadelics lyrical guru, George Clinton once said to, "Pay attention, you can't afford free speech!" In One of Malcolm's 'current state of affairs for Black people segments' of his speaking engagements, Malcolm said something like this: 'Some of you are sitting there, acting so cool, like this doesn't effect you. What makes you think they're going to act any different because you have, what you feel, is an unique situation with those people? I'm here to say, that if they can do it to us over there, he can do it to us over here. You are in a society that is just as capable of building "gas ovens" over here as Hitler did in Germany.'
What is interesting to note here, is that it isn't so much the prejudice that other persons objects to in the prejudice person-- as it is the air of superiority and entitlement that one who is prejudice oft-time displays. If one is prejudice and has nothing in their possession that the other person feels they must have, the effects are not as damaging. But when one is in charge of things (such as resources and employment) and discriminates on the basis of a feeling or dislike of another group of people (while concealing that these feelings has anything to do with such a decision), this can be very damaging. In North American society, racism and its' various forms of prejudice is one of the leading causes of disenfranchisement of Blacks and other non-ruling class people. As well, the act of concealing these prejudices and discriminatory feelings towards non-ruling class people is horrible because it gives the impression to the discriminated person that he/ or she did something wrong, or he/ she is just not wise and intelligent enough to "make the grade." I've also watched people point to unfocused anger, rage and hostility amongst some Blacks (who cannot figure out who's causing all this to happen and lashing out at all whites) as being prejudice-- which is in fact blaming the victim. Just because the force of discrimination and dominance can not be located by the one who this happening to, does not mean he is wrong for sensing that feeling of injustice. Nor is it wrong for him or her to want something done about it, in the name of justice and fairness. This is like so often in the NBA, one does not see the one who started the foul behavior, but the person who gets "tagged" is the person who retaliates..
THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NAUGHTS
As discussed, it isn't so much prejudices and biases in men (and women) which causes issues, as it is the sense of entitlement and preferential expectations over top of all others which evokes a stir. I mean, if you are a person who has very little, the sense of entitlement and idea that you should have above everyone else (a.k.a. preferred or preferential) does not become an issue-- unless it is accompanied by a inclinations towards thievery: In all other cases, ownership or proper entitlement means nothing: In the terms of the thief, he would merely take what they want-- until someone or something stops the perpetrator. Within his/or her limited scope of thinking-- appropriateness (sense of right or wrong) would not be any concern to that person. Maybe, that is, until he/or she owns something-- then the former thief would be concerned about ways to preserve their ownership of it. I guess, in this regard, the Native Americans should have been more concerned about the foreigners (that is, the colonist) that they were allowing into the bay of their homelands...
Our condition as Blacks, was wholly another issue. We were a people, taken by others, with the express purpose of cultivating another's land (once the land had been stolen from the natives that is) and performing menial tasks for their pleasure. This should not be confused with prostitution (known as the white slave trade), although the pay for entitlement makes it very similar. Blacks in this country were owned by Whites; making anything slaves owned, property of the owner who owns the slave! Granted, Blacks had a small stint of indentured servitude in this country; but that quickly changed into slavery according to color. In a court case: Scott vs. Emerson & Scott vs. Sandford (formerly known as the Dred Scott case), a slave attempted to sue his master for transgressions involving property (Mr. Scott was trying to buy himself out of slavery). Mr. Scott was summarily told by Judge R. Taney, "The courts do not recognize his rights as a human or citizen, nor his rights to ownership." Given our past chronicle in this country, it comes as no surprise why persons of the ruling class today would attempt to continue trying to play our people this way. After all, this type of behavior is what they were accustomed to, our "freedom and Justice" changes were altering what Whites were traditionally comfortable with. Ironically, given our current employment opportunities, we still rely on semi-servitude conditions in order to keep our people afloat on this country-- that ladies and gentlemen is not freedom. Part of the reason for this is because our solidarity and "Black-for-Black" employment is anemic, at best.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RACISM, DISCRIMINATION AND PREJUDICE-- AS OPPOSED TO BEING SICK AND TIRED OF BEING ABUSED?
Normally when we see the word PREJUDICE, we see it in conjunction with DISCRIMINATION and RACISM. This combination of terms seems to indicate that there are actions carried out here, which tend to give preferential treatment to some and deny others. Discrimination is created from reasons like prejudice and racism. Like when someone does physical harm to someone or to some one's property because of prejudice or race-- it is commonly known as "hate crimes." This implies something has to be done (or not done) for prejudice and racism to be an issue. This only makes sense because you cannot control how a person thinks, but you can do something about inappropriate actions-- yet we do need to be more precise with who and what we call prejudice, bias, and discriminatory. Just because you refuse to continue to "play the game" when you are treated unfairly, does not make you a bigot or prejudice-- just tired of being the one who gets abused in an unequal relationship. But we must come up with other words for those who get tired or fired up from insults and inappropriate behavior from other groups. Often militancy are incorrectly grouped in with hate groups or perpetrators of hate crimes, but this is an inaccuracy and an over-exaggeration. Militant groups are usually formed from individuals who are tired of being pushed around. And while some of their motives and ideologies can be considered questionable and some acts not well thought out maybe considered "hate crimes." is it only because of improper judgment-- not to be considered that because of the poor judgment on the part of some individuals, that all militants are the same as a hate groups.
This is very important to comprehend because, just as countries have their relationships with other countries, peoples have their relations with other groups or races: And usually due to old occurrences and frequent encounters, postures are developed and these tend to initiate one to form a general attitude and possible opinion concerning the other group-- such as "beware of Greeks bearing gifts," "The world is our oyster" (Romans), "In conquering and war, Mongolians show no mercy," "Aryans are the Superior race," Darwin's "Survival of the Fittest" (natural selection theory on evolution)-- "To all Romulans, Terraens (earthlings/humans) are a terrible waste of flesh," (Star Trek series-- LOL)! If you were the other stock of people, what would be your sentiments if you had such people as your "next door neighbors?" But you should recognize that these above statements are not the product of prejudice, they are defensive gestures and reactions created from the other groups sense of "entitlement." Let us recognize this before continuing...
This is very important to comprehend because, just as countries have their relationships with other countries, peoples have their relations with other groups or races: And usually due to old occurrences and frequent encounters, postures are developed and these tend to initiate one to form a general attitude and possible opinion concerning the other group-- such as "beware of Greeks bearing gifts," "The world is our oyster" (Romans), "In conquering and war, Mongolians show no mercy," "Aryans are the Superior race," Darwin's "Survival of the Fittest" (natural selection theory on evolution)-- "To all Romulans, Terraens (earthlings/humans) are a terrible waste of flesh," (Star Trek series-- LOL)! If you were the other stock of people, what would be your sentiments if you had such people as your "next door neighbors?" But you should recognize that these above statements are not the product of prejudice, they are defensive gestures and reactions created from the other groups sense of "entitlement." Let us recognize this before continuing...
Prejudices and biases can produce such atrocities in war that eventually conventions like the Geneva Conventions and the League of Nations have to be created to limit their affect. Note the Rwanda incident, the effect of Nazism upon the Jews and the annihilation of the Native Americans in this country by those who felt they were "entitled" to take this land from the ones who assisted the so-called entitled ones survive the harsh winters of America... Nations have allies and enemies because of the commonality of ideologies-- as do people and individuals. There are those who are sympathetic to other causes and those who are antagonists. This suggests the notion of the need of evolution and a better sense of humanity amongst all people. People evolve according to sensitivity, ideology (philosophy) and environment. National environments often produce indoctrinations which often serve to de-sensitize and cloud one's perceptions on things, as well muddy issues-- take war propaganda for example.
Although there are many environments where nationality, religion or philosophy and the stock of people are one and the same (Chinese/Japanese/Persian--Iranian, for example.) -- there are others, like the United States and Canada (or multi-cultural nations)-- which tend to muddle the issues of nationality, religion, and people. The multi-cultural appearance of some nations, seems to give one the impression that its' ethnic groups can get along and live in harmony with each other under one nationalistic umbrella. This perspective is often a "hard-sell" on the part of multi-cultural nations under the influence of indoctrination. But you will often find that these same multi-cultural societies form strata or levels, which are based upon economics, racial prejudices, class, sex, religion, and/ or creed-- who commonly feel that those who are in the dominant position should get preferential treatment.
When the Europeans came to colonize North America, those who were already here often made it difficult for the other Europeans to establish themselves on American soil. During the inception of the New World (North America), England and Ireland brought their British Isles cultural conflicts right over here to United States, when they settled in this country. Immigrants and colonizers as well-illustrated in the Martin Scorcese film "Gangs of New York" behaved in the above sort of manner, as did the indentured servant environments in the early rural south. Within these types of multi-cultural environments, biases, prejudices, and travesties, often exist beneath the surface, within the creeds that the overall country projects.
A lot of people outside the United States often criticize Blacks in America for not rising above the station designated to them within the American fabric. But I will remind them that a lot of prejudices are institutionalized in America and therefore its affects are very subtle: They are often hidden underneath tradition and social interaction, child rearing, customs, and various forms of indoctrination which lies underneath the surface of the American fabric-- often where outsiders can rarely see it. A lot of means of controlling the interests in this country are manipulated by the hands of the ruling class in this manner. This explanation is not an excuse; only an elaboration on some of the contributing factors to our suppression! A lot of what ethnics groups do within a multi-cultural society boils down to conform in order to survive. Often unspoken policies, attitudes, and prejudices are incorporated in how a people are raised-- so much so that many things are ingrained surreptitiously, and institutionalized by the society-- so that ones who practice this way of life often do not realize what is implicated when they are doing such things. Many times, if you bring these sort of things up, those who are doing them may think that you are delusional for saying that they have these sort of biases towards others.
I will say here however, pointing out biases and discrimination-- as well as the atrocities caused by them-- is not the same as being prejudice for pointing them out. It just means you are aware of the chronology and history of others, recognize the types of infractions, and you are wary of the possibilities. In multi-cultural environments within one national backdrop (like that of the United States), you can find yourself fighting for the ideals of a society (like freedom) while (as a people) your own people do not have those entitlements. When Frederick Douglass urged Abraham Lincoln to allow Blacks fight in the Civil War, his urge for our people to fight for the Union was done, as a means of gaining privileges we did not have. And while Blacks fought in World War II as Americans, they did so within a segregated (so-called "Separate But Equal") society. This was further compromised by the fact that Blacks entered into the war in segregated ranks, while fighting to maintain rights and freedoms for Whites that they themselves did not have. In the Vietnam war, Blacks may have entered into the war de-segregated, but besides seeing how the "other half lives" (and also given greater latitude while they were in Vietnam), they returned back home to their same old inferior neighborhood conditions that they previously experienced. I wonder how Mr. Douglass would feel concerning our gains as Black people within this country (from his day to ours currently), were he still alive! The sad fact is that we have entered several wars and conflicts with this country, only to come back to so-called 'separate but unequal' conditions-- which is a testament to the disparity between the race representing the ruling class (the colonizers) and its' miscellaneous 'subjects.'
Although there are many environments where nationality, religion or philosophy and the stock of people are one and the same (Chinese/Japanese/Persian--Iranian, for example.) -- there are others, like the United States and Canada (or multi-cultural nations)-- which tend to muddle the issues of nationality, religion, and people. The multi-cultural appearance of some nations, seems to give one the impression that its' ethnic groups can get along and live in harmony with each other under one nationalistic umbrella. This perspective is often a "hard-sell" on the part of multi-cultural nations under the influence of indoctrination. But you will often find that these same multi-cultural societies form strata or levels, which are based upon economics, racial prejudices, class, sex, religion, and/ or creed-- who commonly feel that those who are in the dominant position should get preferential treatment.
When the Europeans came to colonize North America, those who were already here often made it difficult for the other Europeans to establish themselves on American soil. During the inception of the New World (North America), England and Ireland brought their British Isles cultural conflicts right over here to United States, when they settled in this country. Immigrants and colonizers as well-illustrated in the Martin Scorcese film "Gangs of New York" behaved in the above sort of manner, as did the indentured servant environments in the early rural south. Within these types of multi-cultural environments, biases, prejudices, and travesties, often exist beneath the surface, within the creeds that the overall country projects.
A lot of people outside the United States often criticize Blacks in America for not rising above the station designated to them within the American fabric. But I will remind them that a lot of prejudices are institutionalized in America and therefore its affects are very subtle: They are often hidden underneath tradition and social interaction, child rearing, customs, and various forms of indoctrination which lies underneath the surface of the American fabric-- often where outsiders can rarely see it. A lot of means of controlling the interests in this country are manipulated by the hands of the ruling class in this manner. This explanation is not an excuse; only an elaboration on some of the contributing factors to our suppression! A lot of what ethnics groups do within a multi-cultural society boils down to conform in order to survive. Often unspoken policies, attitudes, and prejudices are incorporated in how a people are raised-- so much so that many things are ingrained surreptitiously, and institutionalized by the society-- so that ones who practice this way of life often do not realize what is implicated when they are doing such things. Many times, if you bring these sort of things up, those who are doing them may think that you are delusional for saying that they have these sort of biases towards others.
I will say here however, pointing out biases and discrimination-- as well as the atrocities caused by them-- is not the same as being prejudice for pointing them out. It just means you are aware of the chronology and history of others, recognize the types of infractions, and you are wary of the possibilities. In multi-cultural environments within one national backdrop (like that of the United States), you can find yourself fighting for the ideals of a society (like freedom) while (as a people) your own people do not have those entitlements. When Frederick Douglass urged Abraham Lincoln to allow Blacks fight in the Civil War, his urge for our people to fight for the Union was done, as a means of gaining privileges we did not have. And while Blacks fought in World War II as Americans, they did so within a segregated (so-called "Separate But Equal") society. This was further compromised by the fact that Blacks entered into the war in segregated ranks, while fighting to maintain rights and freedoms for Whites that they themselves did not have. In the Vietnam war, Blacks may have entered into the war de-segregated, but besides seeing how the "other half lives" (and also given greater latitude while they were in Vietnam), they returned back home to their same old inferior neighborhood conditions that they previously experienced. I wonder how Mr. Douglass would feel concerning our gains as Black people within this country (from his day to ours currently), were he still alive! The sad fact is that we have entered several wars and conflicts with this country, only to come back to so-called 'separate but unequal' conditions-- which is a testament to the disparity between the race representing the ruling class (the colonizers) and its' miscellaneous 'subjects.'
Now just because I talk about racial issues like prejudice and discrimination within this country as it is perpetrated on people of non-White ethnicity, that does not make me racist. Because I speak about the damage done to us by bigotry and advocate that we do for ourselves instead of relying on others, does not make me a bigot. Because I choose to speak out about the inequities between those who rule this country (those of European ancestry) versus Blacks, along with other non-White ethnicity-- does not make me prejudice. My views are not bias or prejudice-- simply because the judgment is an assessment of the damage done based upon chronological events (not a judgment before any acts were perpetrated).
However, I have noticed that many of my contemporaries (who are of European descent) often get defensive-- accusing me of being what their ancestors obviously were. Because Blacks are descendants of the First Man and Woman, we should always entertain the path of the trendsetters; not the people following the trends... I'm just a journalist, writer/ reporter who is just stating the truth. If you don't like the effects, don't produce the cause! And while many from the ruling class may question Blacks sense of patriotism-- I never see them ready to swap social conditions with us, then saying they would fight for that. As a matter fact, most foreigners rarely migrate into the Black areas (so-called Black lands) within the United States. This should tell you something about the inequities that everyone knows exists, yet some of the reasons that most Whites cannot see such things is because they are indoctrinated with an attitude that refuses to view at these things objectively.
However, I have noticed that many of my contemporaries (who are of European descent) often get defensive-- accusing me of being what their ancestors obviously were. Because Blacks are descendants of the First Man and Woman, we should always entertain the path of the trendsetters; not the people following the trends... I'm just a journalist, writer/ reporter who is just stating the truth. If you don't like the effects, don't produce the cause! And while many from the ruling class may question Blacks sense of patriotism-- I never see them ready to swap social conditions with us, then saying they would fight for that. As a matter fact, most foreigners rarely migrate into the Black areas (so-called Black lands) within the United States. This should tell you something about the inequities that everyone knows exists, yet some of the reasons that most Whites cannot see such things is because they are indoctrinated with an attitude that refuses to view at these things objectively.
Now on the other hand, from my personal observations, there is something intrinsically wrong with Blacks maintaining a position, wherein another group of people can affect our position and destiny so strongly. Meaning that, should White people in America suddenly lose everything they had acquired in this country, (through both honorable and/ or nefarious means), Blacks would also experience that same inevitable depression-- is pathetic condition for us as a people. There's something intrinsically wrong that we have become a people in America who accepts the position of members of the same race who enslaved us-- to validate us, or even employ us. I mean, given the demonstrated attitudes directed at our kind (biased opinions, apprehensions, and inflated fears, etc.), versus the increased rise in black enterprise. You would think we as people would be looking at this and making further crossroads.
Activism means to be actively doing something about our shortcomings as a people. We have made too many gains individually for this to be our fate collectively. And maybe that's the point. We should not be relying on anyone else to be doing the things we need to do ourselves, otherwise we are in a vicarious situation-- despite having numbers that rival many nations and that is ludicrous and pathetic; considering the chronicles of US and THEM who we rely on in this country. No it is not prejudice, it is knowledge based upon the events which supports it. It is already a proven fact that to continue in the way that Blacks have done, in relation to the powers that be in American society, is surely mingling with mayhem. I am not saying you should dislike them, I am saying we have to be more reliant on ourselves. In other words, in the words of KRS-1: "Self is the true reality of All, Self by itself does fall. Often when a Black man starts his own business, he doesn't get much help-- many times he can not depend on his own men and woman but, we need to be working much harder at a better resolution than the one I just spoke of. I think changing our attitudes about each other is important. I think solidarity is a good start. How about you? Let's make it happen. Create the love we say that we be about. After all, on the continent, we have large extended families. After all, I might be one of your relatives. Send me your comments. After all, it is up to us...
Activism means to be actively doing something about our shortcomings as a people. We have made too many gains individually for this to be our fate collectively. And maybe that's the point. We should not be relying on anyone else to be doing the things we need to do ourselves, otherwise we are in a vicarious situation-- despite having numbers that rival many nations and that is ludicrous and pathetic; considering the chronicles of US and THEM who we rely on in this country. No it is not prejudice, it is knowledge based upon the events which supports it. It is already a proven fact that to continue in the way that Blacks have done, in relation to the powers that be in American society, is surely mingling with mayhem. I am not saying you should dislike them, I am saying we have to be more reliant on ourselves. In other words, in the words of KRS-1: "Self is the true reality of All, Self by itself does fall. Often when a Black man starts his own business, he doesn't get much help-- many times he can not depend on his own men and woman but, we need to be working much harder at a better resolution than the one I just spoke of. I think changing our attitudes about each other is important. I think solidarity is a good start. How about you? Let's make it happen. Create the love we say that we be about. After all, on the continent, we have large extended families. After all, I might be one of your relatives. Send me your comments. After all, it is up to us...
Love, Peace and Blessings,
C. Be'erla Hai-roi Myers
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