We have some very serious problems in this country and we need to come up with some solutions. Solutions that will be relatively immediate and get right to the heart of our problems.
Stupidity - including racist attitudes of any nature - is never going to play a part in formulating one workable solution. We must stop giving people an audience who want to argue points that do not address immediate problems.
If a man, woman or child is dead, no amount of socioeconomic change can solve any of their problems..So I would suggest to you that our principal and most immediate challenge is to insure the safety of all innocent, law-abiding people in America.
All people - regardless of color - deserve the right to walk down the street without fear of being shot and killed. So let's start right there.
Sound like a good idea? Well, the problem is this. We have lots of people who wouldn't be willing to start there. They want to argue lots of other points.
To illustrate, consider this totally fictional account. No disrespect intended toward men and women who fight fires. This is a fable.
Your place catches fire. You call the fire department.
They show up fast, but your place is burning even faster. The firemen hop out of their trucks, but start arguing over how to connect the fire hoses. You overhear them yelling at each other over personal issues. As their anger escalates, they begin arguing economic issues, some apparently upset that others are being paid $2 or $3 dollars more per hour.
As your place becomes almost fully engulfed, a fistfight breaks out between two firefighters who begin arguing over when the Department's problems really started. One guy argues things went wrong in 1968 when the new fire station was built; the other insists that his grandfather told him the real problem began when sanctions were originally placed on the firefighter's union in 1927. He says he can prove it because he has his grandfather's scrapbooks at home. He takes one of the trucks and drives off.
The roof on your place collapses.
A firefighter strips his gear and sits down on the curb. A reporter from a local TV station approaches. He waves her away saying, "I refuse to be involved because chances are good this property owner - or one of his forefathers - had a hand in seeing to it that a certain percentage of Americans have historically been oppressed. I'm fighting for them."
Your place is all but leveled at this point and the men are packing up their equipment.
You spot the Fire Chief and say to him, "Your guys stood here arguing over B.S. that happened decades ago and now my place is burned to the ground. Why did you let this happen."
The Chief tells you to wait and walks towards the trucks.
He returns and says, "I had the men vote on this. Frankly, there wasn't much agreement. Let's face it, this is 2016 and there's plenty of blame to go around."
You repeat, "I want to know why you guys let my place burn to the ground."
The Chief looks at you sheepishly and says, "Well, this is completely off the record, but I've overheard some of the men complain that Abraham Lincoln was actually a racist."
An outraged neighbor steps up and says, "I can't believe your men would trace this back to Lincoln. Have you forgotten that Thomas Jefferson wrongfully impregnated a Black slave years before Abraham Lincoln was born."
The Chiefs nods apologetically and says, "I know. I know. Some of my guys are too young to remember that. It's probably something we should discuss at the next fire."
An old lady who lives nearby walks up and says, "I heard what you just said and I'm appalled. The man's house burned to the ground for one reason. Eve was tempted by the serpent."
* * * * *
Stupidity - including racist attitudes of any nature - is never going to play a part in formulating one workable solution. We must stop giving people an audience who want to argue points that do not address immediate problems.
If a man, woman or child is dead, no amount of socioeconomic change can solve any of their problems..So I would suggest to you that our principal and most immediate challenge is to insure the safety of all innocent, law-abiding people in America.
All people - regardless of color - deserve the right to walk down the street without fear of being shot and killed. So let's start right there.
Sound like a good idea? Well, the problem is this. We have lots of people who wouldn't be willing to start there. They want to argue lots of other points.
To illustrate, consider this totally fictional account. No disrespect intended toward men and women who fight fires. This is a fable.
Your place catches fire. You call the fire department.
They show up fast, but your place is burning even faster. The firemen hop out of their trucks, but start arguing over how to connect the fire hoses. You overhear them yelling at each other over personal issues. As their anger escalates, they begin arguing economic issues, some apparently upset that others are being paid $2 or $3 dollars more per hour.
As your place becomes almost fully engulfed, a fistfight breaks out between two firefighters who begin arguing over when the Department's problems really started. One guy argues things went wrong in 1968 when the new fire station was built; the other insists that his grandfather told him the real problem began when sanctions were originally placed on the firefighter's union in 1927. He says he can prove it because he has his grandfather's scrapbooks at home. He takes one of the trucks and drives off.
The roof on your place collapses.
A firefighter strips his gear and sits down on the curb. A reporter from a local TV station approaches. He waves her away saying, "I refuse to be involved because chances are good this property owner - or one of his forefathers - had a hand in seeing to it that a certain percentage of Americans have historically been oppressed. I'm fighting for them."
Your place is all but leveled at this point and the men are packing up their equipment.
You spot the Fire Chief and say to him, "Your guys stood here arguing over B.S. that happened decades ago and now my place is burned to the ground. Why did you let this happen."
The Chief tells you to wait and walks towards the trucks.
He returns and says, "I had the men vote on this. Frankly, there wasn't much agreement. Let's face it, this is 2016 and there's plenty of blame to go around."
You repeat, "I want to know why you guys let my place burn to the ground."
The Chief looks at you sheepishly and says, "Well, this is completely off the record, but I've overheard some of the men complain that Abraham Lincoln was actually a racist."
An outraged neighbor steps up and says, "I can't believe your men would trace this back to Lincoln. Have you forgotten that Thomas Jefferson wrongfully impregnated a Black slave years before Abraham Lincoln was born."
The Chiefs nods apologetically and says, "I know. I know. Some of my guys are too young to remember that. It's probably something we should discuss at the next fire."
An old lady who lives nearby walks up and says, "I heard what you just said and I'm appalled. The man's house burned to the ground for one reason. Eve was tempted by the serpent."
* * * * *
