Thursday, October 06, 2016

Time for Christians to start "digging" and "weeding"

 I don't usually post essays from people of faith, but the following essay was so on point that I thought it needed to be posted as a part of my Field Negro education series.

h/t  Thabiti Anyabwile 

"When my wife and I purchased our first home, I determined our lawn would be at least comparable to that lovely lush landscape of the guy two doors down. Our street took a lot of pride in curbside appeal. I joined them in the weekly ritual of weeding, seeding, planting, mowing, watering, raking, trimming and brimming with pride.

I spent a lot of time rooting shrubs and flowers, and sometimes digging up the roots of things that needed to go. I learned something valuable while bent over my spade, turning mulch, and worming my fingers into loam to find the extent of root balls: Only well-rooted plants survive, and sometimes that means roots must run deep.

That came home in a powerful way when someone gave me a cactus to plant. Actually, it wasn’t even a complete cactus, just a leaf. They told me it would grow anywhere and wouldn’t need much attention. So I stuck it in the dirt at the mailbox, the pretty white mailbox perched atop a white post with colorful tulips painted on its side. The cactus was meant to be the backdrop to the dancing colors of real tulips surrounding the post. Soon the cactus grew. The one leaf became two, then doubled again. Before I knew it the cactus had taken over the mailbox area, drinking up all the moisture and nutrients. My tulips drooped, faded and died.

Finally I decided to remove the cactus and replant the small bed around the mailbox. That’s when I discovered how deep and wide cactus roots run! That sprawling system of tentacles forced me to dig up a sizable section of the front yard curb area! After a couple weekends of toilsome digging and searching—and a couple of weekends of hard looks from neighbors—I dug up the cactus, roots and all, and started anew.

In the last couple of weeks we’ve gotten a good glimpse into the root system of racism. We thought we could stick the racists into the country’s past, next to a post marked “obsolete,” and gladly forget about it. But the roots of racism run deep. That’s why an entire police department and many others appear shot through with indications of that insidious root system. That’s why we’re now inundated with reports of municipal governments and court systems complying with police to raise revenue on the backs of African Americans. And that’s why we’re watching youtube videos of students on college campuses—both secular and Christian—engaging in acts that are at least stupid and insensitive and in some cases plainly racist.

The roots run deep, deeper than the natural eye can see, beneath the soil of our hearts, our cultures and our institutions.

We need to do some digging—especially Christians and Christian leaders. It’s necessary we take the shovels from our garages, put on our gardening gloves, and get to weeding.

Seems to me a few things need to be recognized perhaps more fully and even gladly than they have been.

1. Racism Is Alive and Well.

Greatly exaggerated were any reports of racism’s demise. That should be obvious now. But just a few short months ago a lot of people pressed back against claims of racism. They told us we could not know for certain if any racist motivation were a part of incidents like Ferguson or Staten Island or Cleveland. These were sad events, some said. But perhaps these were isolated incidents, not connected, almost random. Why cry “racism”?

Well, now we have a look at the roots, sprawling beneath the soil of assumed respectability and authority. Ferguson, Staten Island, Cleveland and an untold number of other places all share the same root system. They all manifest human depravity, and that depravity sometimes takes the form of racial animus.

For my part, the DOJ report on the Ferguson Police Department tells us quite plainly that the vital signs of racism are quite strong. The old man lives. And more than that, the DOJ report decisively proves the prevailing reality of institutional racism and systemic injustice. Those numbers do not lie and they cannot be explained away as chance. And when the statistics say African Americans were less likely to be guilty of the crimes for which they were stopped than white drivers, then appeals to black criminality won’t do either. Still further, Ferguson isn’t alone among Missouri towns in these practices. And Missouri isn’t alone among the states. There’s a piling mound of research evidence that shows the same thing in other places as well.
Sad to say, but racism is alive and well.

2. Racism Cavorts with Power.

Rarely does racism walk alone. She dances with power. Not just the raw, unlettered, erratic power of stereotypical toothless hillbillies who sometimes “have a few too many” and cause trouble for brown-skinned people while embarrassing the good white-skinned town folks.

No. Racism acts far more seductively than that. She prefers men in robes or suits or uniform. She rathers young people wearing the letters of fraternities, with power over who can and cannot join their organizations. Racism makes her deals in country clubs, once segregated by club rules, now segregated by club fees and culture. Racism likes smoky rooms with dark cherry paneling, where the makers of futures and cities like to laugh, back slap, and cut deals. She would marry power, but that’s too public and people would talk. So she continues as power’s mistress, the unseen influence that poisons his heart toward his wife, Justice.

We cannot have any discussion of power without suspecting that fallen human alienation along racial lines is at least a possibility.

3. Racist Contexts Cast Clouds Over Us.

The root system of racism spreads beneath all our feet. There are a lot of people in Ferguson who had no clue about what was going on in its police department. They were sympathetic toward police and trusting of authority. They couldn’t see the cactus draining water and nutrient from their community.
But the DOJ describes a pervasive corruption along racial lines. That corrupt context informed the attitudes and actions of some officers and it created racially misinformed impressions about African Americans (i.e., more likely transporting or selling drugs, less respectful of law, more criminal). The shooting of Mike Brown, the police reactions to protests, the kangaroo grand jury and the aftermath all occur in this context, under this burgeoning cloud of racist stereotype, mistreatment, frustration and anger. That cloud bust and everyone got wet.

If we don’t let the winds of justice blow then we cannot be surprised if cumulus clouds of racial hostility form overhead. And we shouldn’t be surprised when the rain comes and it’s toxic. We can’t let racism go unchallenged or it’ll come back to hurt everyone.

4. Frat Boys and Judges Have A Lot in Common.

Here’s another kindness from the Lord: On the heels of reading the DOJ report and perhaps beginning to think to ourselves, Those racists in Ferguson are terrible, the Lord shows us that our children and our brightest students can be just as terrible.

Judges go to college. They make good grades. They lead student organizations. Then they graduate and begin legal careers. Some of them run for office and make public policy. The students in Oklahoma University’s SAE grow up to be prosecutors and judges and city officials. And guess what: Sometimes such students attend Christian colleges and universities.

Perhaps the Lord is telling us that this racist root system gives rise to that Ivy and Kudzu crawling up academic towers. If any of us think we’re immune by virtue of education and class, we ought to be careful lest we fall. Education doesn’t eradicate racism any more than it eradicates any other sin. We need something more profound, that reaches farther down in the human soul.

5. Racism Destroys Lives.

This point isn’t to be forgotten. When we talk about Ferguson’s criminal justice system or systemic injustice generally, we’re talking about the weight of the State crushing citizens. We’re talking about everyday people being harassed, imprisoned, and further impoverished by a government that’s supposed to be “of the People by the People for the People.”

To put it plainly: These things kill Black people. Sometimes slowly. Sometimes suddenly. But it’s always deadly. It could be the death of long sentences or the death of bullets. It could be the lingering death of poverty and resource restriction or the infectious death of disease and few health options. But it’s death.

Things are better compared to, say, 1960—which is to say the overreaching hand of deadly oppression has been beaten back through long years of protest. But the owners of the hand are not happy about being pushed back. So the snarled hand of racism continues to overreach. And it kills what it touches. That’s why none of this is a game and none of this should be left to our favorite talking heads, whoever they are.

6. This Is a Christian Discipleship Issue as Much as a Social Justice Issue.

Tell me what you think, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the Christian Church desperately needs to be discipled regarding “race,” racism and justice. I once thought the most significant deficiency in Christian theology (at least in the West) was a deficiency in the theology of suffering. But I think there’s more ink used to help people with suffering than there is to help people think of themselves primarily as Christians and radically apply their new identity in Christ to fallen categories like “race” and insidious sins like racism.

It’s tragic that the country’s biggest sin is racism and the Church’s biggest omission is racial justice. The tragedy gets compounded when one remembers that some quarters of the Church were once the strongest supporters of this sin. That means we’re working our way out of a deficit. The roots of racism are tangled with our faith. And this means we can’t assume some neutral stance, being formally against this sin but practically uninvolved. The root keeps creeping. We had better be weeding the garden of our faith and growing one another up into the fullness of Christ with attention to this anti-Christ called “racism.”

Over and over the question I get from genuine and well-meaning Christians is, “How can I think about…?” Or, “What should I do about…?” Those are discipleship questions that desperately need answering in every local church—assuming we don’t want the roots of racism to find any soil in the body of Christ.

Conclusion

The roots of racism run deep and wide. They’re deeper than the outward actions of a self-professed racist. That’s surface mulch.

They’re deeper than the actions of an officer in a corrupt police force. That’s only the potted soil.
They’re deeper than police policy and institutional practices. They’re deeper than education. That’s the surrounding soil.

The roots of racism are as deep as the fallen soul. That’s bedrock.

We’re going to have to dig that deep to eradicate this poisonous root." [Source]






78 comments:

Lori said...

Hell yeah!

Anonymous said...

Racism is alive and well ... and growing.

Thank God.

Anonymous said...

I was taught all my life NOT to be racist - by my parents, my church, by school and, most of all, by thousands and thousands of hours of televised propaganda. And you know what? I'm racist as hell now. Wanna know why?

Experience. A lifetime of dealing with blacks has taught me more than a million hours of TV shows and a billion pages of printed lies ever could. Blacks, by and large, are whiny, entitled, spoiled, childlike, noisy, violent, irresponsible brutes. They are simply unpleasant to live around, and are detrimental to everything they touch. More and more people can see everyday, thanks to the internet. (Bet y'all can't wait until Hillary gets in and censors everyone you don't like, huh?)

Now respond with "toothless hillbilly Nazi" and "muh dik." You always do.

Yīshēng said...

The soul of this country was doomed once the decision was made to kills millions of First Americans and use slavery to build it.

dinthebeast said...

Yisheng: That may be true, but I still feel that it's up to us to try and make it better.

-Doug in Oakland

Yisheng is a genius said...

Case in point, @12:21 only the devil himself has a comparable "soul".

And you are a Nazi, but it's moot to mention your likely non existent dik.

Yīshēng said...

@Doug, millions of people would need to die off before this place could get better. And their children would need to die off too since racists attitudes tend to get passed down from generation to generation.

Anonymous said...

The races are not equal.

As individuals, we all have equal rights. We all have our own set of attributes and deserve to be judged for who we are.

But as groups, the races are different.

The lie of equality causes a lot of harm. It makes the lesser feel they are being discriminated against when they are not. It makes the elite feel they don't owe anybody anything because any differences in outcome must be due to lack of effort.

We are living a lie. All men are not created equal.

Ray Ciss said...

Yīshēng said...
@Doug, millions of people would need to die off before this place could get better
----

You can kill all the white people Yisheng, and you'd still be a moron.

What are you teaching your children? Will they grow up to be as filled with hate as you are?

Anonymous said...

Is this racist?:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CuIgB7WVUAIU_oh.jpg:large

PilotX said...

"They told us we could not know for certain if any racist motivation were a part of incidents like Ferguson or Staten Island or Cleveland. These were sad events, some said. But perhaps these were isolated incidents, not connected, almost random. Why cry “racism”?"

Well, Mike Pence and his running mate firmly believe all cops are good and there is no such thing as institutional racism or inherent bias. Nothing to see here, carry on.

dinthebeast said...

Yisheng: No, we make it better with every little thing we do. Not cured or solved or even necessarily acceptable, but better. If we didn't count anything except the whole enchilada, things would still be as bad as they were when I was born, and they're not. We, like the millions before us, won't see the end of the struggle in our lifetimes, but we can give those who come after us a firmer footing to stand on.

-Doug in Oakland

Jack said...

I like this blog so much that I have decided not to kill myself anymore!

The Purple Cow said...

A Marxist analysis of the USA's current economic state makes for grim reading.

https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2016/10/04/the-us-rate-of-profit-1948-2015/

"What is interesting about the update of data to 2015 is that it reveals that, whatever measure is used, the rate of profit in 2015 is lower than in 2012; lower than in 2006 (the peak of the last cycle); and lower than in 1997 when most measures peaked. So there is currently a downward phase in the rate of profit. Given the fall in the mass of profit during this year, we can expect to see a further decline in 2016."

In a nutshell the rate of profitability of capitalism on the USA is falling steadily and in the last couple of years the mass of profitability has followed suit. This has caused a massive increase in American corporate debt (up $752 Billion in 2015 alone) and global corporate debt now stands at an astonishing $2.5 Trillion.

This matters because American fixed investment has now ground to a halt, and eleven out of the last twelve times that investment stopped a recession has followed.

If you also take the time to read the previous post on his Global situation you will see that the world is either a) heading for another 2008 style crash, or b) is still in the 2008 crash - depending on your point of view. It's important to note that this issue is a structural problem with global capitalism - one that most non-Austerian economists acknowledge but no politician is prepared to deal with.

Unintended Consequences! said...

Yīshēng said..."The soul of this country was doomed once the decision was made to kills millions of First Americans and use slavery to build it."

Indeed, this country lost its soul, owing to the crimes it committed against, not only this nation's indigenes, but against millions of sub-Saharan Africans who were kidnapped and brought to the New World--a voyage termed the Middle Passage--to spend their final days as slaves.

"An estimated 15% of the Africans died at sea, with mortality rates considerably higher in Africa itself in the process of capturing and transporting indigenous people to the ships.[6] The total number of African deaths directly attributable to the Middle Passage voyage is estimated at up to two million; a broader look at African deaths directly attributable to the institution of slavery from 1500 to 1900 suggests up to four million African deaths."

The brain drain on Africa was enormous, and when taking into account the number of African deaths associated with the slave trade from all sources, the number is staggering:

"Many of you have seriously questioned the claims of some of our people regarding the African Holocaust. In your minds, it sounds like an exaggeration when it is said that 100 million Africans were murdered or just died due to slavery. You must remember to include all those who died because of slavery: people killed as a direct result of the wars that were caused by the slave trade, those who died or were murdered on the journey of up to 400+ miles to the coast, those killed by the miserable slave castles on the coast of Africa and of course, the people who died during the absolutely intolerable conditions of the "middle passage" on slave ships or in the "seasoning" process where your ancestors were taught to be slaves. To understand the enormity of the number you must first focus on a few facts that are not emphasized by the slavery "apologists" you usually read."

Anonymous said...

I don't consider myself a racist but I am a realist. i know that blacks have problems in their community they are unwilling to face or at least acknowledge. So when blacks start to move into a community the inevitable happens. House prices fall, crime increases and schools begin to fail as low IQ students clog the system. Not its not racism that makes me think this...its realism of what blacks really are.

The Purple Cow said...

When I said Marxist analysis above I should have more correctly used the term Marxian of course.

Soz.

Anonymous said...

Once again African Americans were "Made In America". A race of people that has never had any real power in America react and perform what is placed in us. Every facet of our existence here in America has been steered by others.

I will only give one example of how in 2016 we have NO POWER. Last month, Virginia Tech football team played Tennessee at a converted racetrack to hold 150,000 football fans. Did the Blacks have any input or financial gains in this construct?, Did the monies generated went to the hands or banks of Black America. I am sure the whites controlled all gains. Examples such as this has been going on for damn near 500 years now. So yes, African Americans- as a whole will ALWAYS be secondary. I don't blame the white race, "I will never share in the wealth until someone TAKEs it from us".

Sadly, this formula has worked for centuries. Now in 216 there is no use for African-American. We must create a "niche" in society before any change is to be made. Please forget about that drivel about those young "slaves" getting an education. The Universities (plantations) allow these so called student-athletes to be enrolled with SAT scores that equate to the 8th grade. Now think- under the BEST circumstances' what are the odds of these ill prepared (academically) guys to be successful? I guess Carolina is the best example. The athletes were given grades just to play.

StillaPanther2 said...

That Anon was me. StillaPanther2

Unintended Consequences! said...

StillaPanther2 said..."I will only give one example of how in 2016 we have NO POWER."

We have "power," but we fail to leverage it to good effect. We have consumer power, as well as voting power.

If we united, created a unified force, we could leverage that power to demand justice, and to advance every black cause that now sits on the back burners of this nation's policymakers.

What's need is an economic, political, and governmental overlay--a black one--upon the system that now exists, composed of black representatives from every state in the union, representatives for which each state has voted, establishing our own president to preside over our affairs, along with an adjunct officer who would serve as a Vice President, in case something happened to the president.

Our computer age has made this possible, as long as we have in place safeguards to protect the integrity of the system.

Blacks would collectively establish a list of prioritized demands, and present them to both political parties, negotiating for the best deal possible, if either party is to have our votes in local, state, and national elections.

There's more to this, but, for now, I won't take the idea further.

field negro said...

No response needed. Your screed speaks for itself. Thanks for sharing.👍

field negro said...

UC, I like where u are going with this. Can't wait to hear more.

Limpbaugh said...

Maybe there is a racist backlash reaction to important steps of progress, like Truman integrating the military, Johnson passing the Civil Rights Act, and Obama being president. But the essay is right, the racism was always there. Racists were racist before an historical event riled them up. It is ingrained in them. It is there when it isn't making them angry. When racism is under the surface it effects the quality of life of a lot of people. They miss out opportunities in hiring, promotions, and housing, etc. They get arrested and ticketed more. The bright side of periods where it is more visible and out in the open is that's when it gets more attention and something gets done about it. Getting to the roots of racism is a very good point. Cops do need to be held accountable, and that might cut down on the killings. But educating them to be less racist would get them to treat people more fairly.

Anonymous said...

"Well, Mike Pence and his running mate firmly believe all cops are good and there is no such thing as institutional racism or inherent bias"

Yes, they are representatives of the reality-based community.

Yisheng said...

@SAP as a Carolina Alum I gotta chime in here especially since Mom was denied admission because she's Black.

It's NOT the school's fault athletes slid through the system while playing football. It's their PARENTS fault for not making learning a priority.

Most people,when given the opportunity to CIT corners, take the easy way out, WILL.

Anonymous said...

The Purple Cow said...
"In a nutshell the rate of profitability of capitalism on the USA is falling steadily"

We are not much of a capitalist country anymore. It's not a favorable tax climate to invest in, compared to other parts of the world. Our population is growing, but it is becoming less educated, less dynamic. What we have under the current regime is rigged economy, where those who play ball with the politicians get preferred access and treatment - "crony capitalism". Hillary is their poster child.

Anonymous said...

Yīshēng said..."The soul of this country was doomed once the decision was made to kills millions of First Americans and use slavery to build it."
--

This is ignorant nonsense.

No "decision" was made to kill millions of indigenous people. There was no genocide, the continent was conquered over several centuries.

Slaves didn't build America. Slavery was a net expense, which is why it was abandoned.

The Purple Cow said...

Quote: Anonymous

"We are not much of a capitalist country anymore. It's not a favorable tax climate to invest in, compared to other parts of the world. Our population is growing, but it is becoming less educated, less dynamic. What we have under the current regime is rigged economy, where those who play ball with the politicians get preferred access and treatment - "crony capitalism". Hillary is their poster child."

As usual you are missing the point. The problem is global and structural - little or nothing to do with US policy. By any measure you can come up with capitalism is less profitable than it was - world wide. As I said corporate debt is now at $2.5 trillion, profits are falling so there is no money for investment which means that productivity is falling.

Anonymous said...

Capitalism is less profitable than it was because it less capitalistic.

As you squeeze the Golden Goose, the eggs get smaller.

There is a cost to an ideology that imposes fines on non-donors, cancels drilling leases, blocks pipelines and puts "a lot of coal miners out of business".

Seth Rich said...

No one fears for their safety when they speak out publicly against Trump.

Same can't be said for the Clintons.

That tells you everything.

Yisheng said...

If Hillary is the poster child, Trump is the mascot.

And who in their right mind, debates Econ with a person with an MBA?

IDIOT!!

Anonymous said...

^^^^^^
What?

"who in their right mind, debates Econ with a person with an MBA?"

A glimpse into the mind of Yisheng.

Yisheng said...

^^^ short bus rider.

Yisheng is a genius said...

I think you meant to say that whooteemoos didn't build America.

Lester Holt said...

Sunday debate moderator Anderson Cooper helped raise money for Hillary.

Martha Raddatz had Obama as a guest at her wedding.

They are NOT neutral. Another rigged debate.

Woutremeaux said...

Yisheng is a genius said...
I think you meant to say that whooteemoos didn't build America.
--

Your contention is that America was not a creation of white Europeans?

Do go on.

Yisheng is a genius said...

^^^^ shorter bus rider.

The Purple Cow said...

"Capitalism is less profitable than it was because it less capitalistic."

Yeah that used to be the argument of some right wing economists pre-2008. Squeeze every last drop of profit out of workers by destroying their human rights, smash the environment and capitalism might be saved. Truth is, that would give you a wrecked planet a mutinous working class, and you would have achieved nothing but a delay of the inevitable.

Anonymous said...

Well looks like you allready have an excuse for Trump blowing another debate. It can't be that trump sucks as a candidate the moderators must be in the bag for Hillary

Anonymous said...

"Squeeze every last drop of profit out of workers by destroying their human rights, smash the environment and capitalism might be saved."

Straw man.

You don't have to go back to the Robber Baron days, just realize the huge cumulative cost of excessive ideologically-based regulation and the corruption of the managerial state and do something to trim it back.

Lester Holt said...

"Well looks like you allready have an excuse for Trump blowing another debate. It can't be that trump sucks as a candidate the moderators must be in the bag for Hillary"

Let's have a debate moderated by Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter and we'll see how Hillary handles that.

The Purple Cow said...

"Straw man."

Not at all. There is both a financial and a moral cost to destroying the environment and treating the proletariat as drones.

**

"You don't have to go back to the Robber Baron days, just realize the huge cumulative cost of excessive ideologically-based regulation and the corruption of the managerial state and do something to trim it back."

Riiiiight.

So remind me again what happened in 2008 after we "trimmed back" banking regulations...?

Anonymous said...

"So remind me again what happened in 2008 after we "trimmed back" banking regulations...?"

We bailed out the people who fund the government. In fact, in some of the latest DNC/Clinton Foundation email hacks (Google "Guccifer 2.0"), the Democrats were keeping score of how much each Wall Street bailout recipient was donating back to the Democratic party.

And those banking regulations were "trimmed back" in 1998, during the last Clinton presidency.

You are still beating that straw man. I never said we need an unregulated financial system. There are however tens of thousands of regulations that absolutely impose a huge cost on the economy for zero common benefit. We have today the most corrupt government in the history of this country, busy fleecing the middle class for the benefit of billionaire globalists. It's not rapacious capitalists doing battle with a government representing the interests of working people, it's an obscene criminal partnership between the economic elite and their servants in government, glossed over by an establishment media paid to keep the suckers ignorant.

ThatDeborahGirl said...

I should write him another essay entitled, "Religion, Especially Christianity Cannot Solve Racism: 11 a.m. on Sunday Still the Most Segregated Hour in America for a Reason."

PilotX said...

"If we united, created a unified force, we could leverage that power to demand justice, and to advance every black cause that now sits on the back burners of this nation's policymakers."

In many ways we already have this in place. Check the Urban League and maybe even your local chapter. There is unity but not blaming you of this some folks don't know about the efforts of certain organizations and call us disunified without power or purpose when that is definitely not true.

Flying Junior said...

I apologize for not following the thread of this conversation, but this relates to the pain and suffering caused by police killings. Maybe you have seen this, Field. The little girl at the City Council Meeting in Charlotte, Zianna Oliphant?' Your entire face just fills with tears.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/special-reports/charlotte-shooting-protests/article104331386.html

“I come here today to talk about how I feel. I feel like that we are treated differently from other people. I don’t like how we are treated… just because of our color doesn’t mean anything to me. I believe that… (long pause) We are black people and we shouldn’t have to feel like this. We shouldn’t have to protest because y’all are treating us wrong. We do this because we need to. And it ain’t right. I been born and raised in Charlotte, and I’ve never felt this way till now. And I can’t stand how we’re treated. It’s a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed, and we can’t even see them any more. It’s a shame that we have to go to the graveyard and bury them. And we have to see this. And we shouldn’t have to. We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side.”

Out of the mouths of babes... Children can really speak to truth.

The Purple Cow said...

"And those banking regulations were "trimmed back" in 1998, during the last Clinton presidency."

So what?

**

"You are still beating that straw man. I never said we need an unregulated financial system. There are however tens of thousands of regulations that absolutely impose a huge cost on the economy for zero common benefit. "

Name them.

PilotX said...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/10/07/donald-trump-brags-about-nonconsensually-groping-women-in-newly-uncovered-recording.html?via=mobile&source=copyurl

PilotX said...

"Name them."

mic drop!

Anonymous said...

PilotX said...
mic drop!
-----

You are such a dick. And a moron. Stay out of the adult conversations.

@Purple Cow: Tax codes that incentivize offshoring production and importing cheap labor cost American jobs while simultaneously lowering net tax revenues.

Any regulation regarding carbon limits, sequestration, or taxes imposes huge costs on society for almost no benefit.

Not allowing a pipeline to be built out of adherence to a religious zealotry saves no one from harm, yet costs thousands of jobs.

Omerica said...

Chicago Cop Chooses to Allow Herself to be Beaten, Rather Than Risk Long Prosecution Using Gun to Defend Herself (and Arrest Criminals):

http://abc7chicago.com/news/chicago-cop-says-she-feared-using-gun-while-being-beaten/1543015/

"She thought she was going to die. She knew that she should shoot this guy, but she chose not to, because she didn't want her family or the department to have to go through the scrutiny the next day on national news," Supt. Johnson said.

Obama's job is done. Let the chaos be unleashed.

Yisheng is a genius said...

Anonymous said...
.... Stay out of the adult conversations.
>>>>>>>>>

But YOU are not an adult!

Why don't you go back to posting in your other whooteemoo username, you're FAR more interesting when you do.

$HITHEAD!

Unintended Consequences! said...

PilotX said..."There is unity but not blaming you of this some folks don't know about the efforts of certain organizations and call us disunified without power or purpose when that is definitely not true."

I'm more conversant with their efforts than you're aware. I'm not here to defend my position, merely to offer one. And with your latest comment, I'm having second thoughts even about that.

As for black organizations, here's a list of them: http://www.blacknews.com/directory/black_african_american_organizations.shtml

I never said we didn't have "power," only that that our power is dispersed, not focused, not used to further our cause.

I had a great deal to share, but, right now, I'm just not that motivated, especially when I have to take on a straw man in my effort to share.

Were we effectively and strategically organized, there wouldn't be collective hand wringing, but real progress.


Black Lies Matter said...

Flying Junior said...
"The little girl at the City Council Meeting in Charlotte, Zianna Oliphant?' Your entire face just fills with tears."

It is incredibly sad the way little kids are taught lies and exploited by charlatans. Now this poor girl is trotted out to smear the police and white society, as if it were they who were at fault when violent criminals resist arrest.

The black community is a mess because it sides with criminals against law and order. Stop making martyrs out of the worst among you. Stand up and turn in the criminals ruining your neighborhoods. Take some fucking responsibility for your lives.

Anonymous said...

If the ridiculous story of the curse of Hamm had never been written in the unbelieveable book called the bible,and the Babylonian rabbis had'nt expounded on it in their writings,maybe racism would have taken a back seat. But too many people of color think like the writers of the so called scriptures,and believe this curse is true! Divide and conquer,"Until the philosophy that holds one race superior,and another inferior",,,,,,,,,

Hillary PR Team said...

As president, Donald Trump will NOT be able to stop future hurricanes from making landfall in Florida. Totally unfit for the office!

Hillary PR Team said...

Americans of all backgrounds and walks of life can agree that World War III with Russia is a small price to pay for regime change in Syria.

The Purple Cow said...

"Any regulation regarding carbon limits, sequestration, or taxes imposes huge costs on society for almost no benefit.

Not allowing a pipeline to be built out of adherence to a religious zealotry saves no one from harm, yet costs thousands of jobs."


Oh christ, you're a climate-change denier aren't you?

...and there was me thinking I was conversing with an adult.

Ironymous said...

There is a white-on-black gang-rape in Birth Of A Nation that never happened

The two blacks who wrote it gang-raped a white woman in real life.

Yisheng is a genius said...

@6:31, why don't you take message of fucking responsibility (literally) to rural Indiana where an HIV epidemic was created due the Pence's dumb ass.

DQAE said...

@7:17 the were MILLIONS of gang rapes including sodomy, of slaves by slave owners, so it would it take eons to catch up to your ancestors.

Anonymous said...

My ancestors never raped any slaves. My ancestors fought to free the slaves.

Do you believe is somehow justified for black men to rape white women because of what happened 200 years ago?

celia said...

The media is trying to smear Trump as a womanizer when Hillary is married to an actual rapist and she worked overtime intimidating his victims.

Trump the pussy grabber said...

Imma cave man, har, har, har!!

Trump the pussy grabber said...

I grabbed Melania's and she married me!! Har,har, har!!!

Lt. Commander Johnson said...

The Purple Cow said...
"Any regulation regarding carbon limits, sequestration, or taxes imposes huge costs on society for almost no benefit.

Not allowing a pipeline to be built out of adherence to a religious zealotry saves no one from harm, yet costs thousands of jobs."

Oh christ, you're a climate-change denier aren't you?

...and there was me thinking I was conversing with an adult.

7:14 PM

Oh, wow. Do you remember the Ice Age(s)?

Where did the horrible carbon emmisions come from?

Answer cow, or STFU.

Yīshēng said...

It's awfully quiet around here, where ARE all the Whooteemoos?

Unintended Consequences! said...

[Second Installment]

In August of 1970, Ebony magazine asked the seminal question facing black America at that time on the front cover of its newly-released publication:

Which Way Black America?

Separation?
Integration?
Liberation?

The premise proffered: Blacks didn't have to collectively choose one of the directions, among the three directions in which blacks seemed to be heading at the time. In that issue all three directions were analyzed, and Johnson, the publisher, rightly concluded, all three directions weren't necessarily at odds one with the other, but could be harmonized for the collective good of all black Americans.

So, we're not being asked to decide which of the three directions would bring us economic, social, and political parity with the larger society, but are being reminded that a conflation of the three would bode well, not only for black Americans, but bode "well for the future of these United States."

On its face, the question introduced a false equivalence, as though either of the three directions, if followed, could put us on an equal footing with the rest of America.

Given the depth of our roots in this society, to pursue only one of the three directions is fraught with failure.

We are, after all, more American than most, perhaps the only True Americans (as we were systematically stripped of all things African), with the exclusion of only one group, this nation's indigenes.

Therefore, I propose that black America embrace all three directions simultaneously, rather than rely on any one of the three directions to take us to the Promised Land.

In the next several Installments, I'll elaborate on how we can achieve that.



Lt. Commander Johnson said...

UH, huh.

Why did you stop commenting on the police shootings of Crutcher & Scott?

You were all over it when it first happened.

Now, it's disappeared from your blog. Sort of like the Killadelphia meter.

I guess the looting, arson, robberies, rapes, are just justified.

PilotX said...

"I'm more conversant with their efforts than you're aware."

Not sure how you came to that conclusion but I would be interested to learn how to discern such information without data.


"I never said we didn't have "power," only that that our power is dispersed, not focused, not used to further our cause."

Of course it's dispersed as we are a diverse and dynamic population. Who gets to determine "our" cause? You? Me? I'm sure even though we both have the betterment of our people in mind I bet a fat man we differ on the specific mechanisms. Would we expect Malcolm and Martin to agree 100% on the course that should be taken by Black folk? Do Min. Farakahn and Rev. Sharpton agree totally? Do any of us? If 100% capitulation to any one specific agenda and a complete separation which would include our own government, military, ect you will die long before ANY progress is made in that respect. Now, incremental progress by groups focused on improving education, economics, health and political power in the current structure now that is something that is being done and is achievable.

PilotX said...

"Therefore, I propose that black America embrace all three directions simultaneously, rather than rely on any one of the three directions to take us to the Promised Land."

Good, look forward to it.

PilotX said...

"Oh christ, you're a climate-change denier aren't you?

...and there was me thinking I was conversing with an adult."

Exactly, chide me to stay out of adult conversations while posting as a petulant anon.

PilotX said...

Now anon, if you are referring to the Trans-Canadian pipe line there are many reasons to take a critical look at that decision before jumping in. How many American jobs will it really produce?
Are these jobs temporary?
How much of an environmental impact will it have?
Check out the photos taken of the tar sands and the impact it is having on the environment, including huge amounts of forest being destroyed to create this energy. You have to admit this isn't a simple issue.

https://www.wired.com/2016/06/stuart-hall/

Lt. Commander Johnson said...

Hah. Another you won't answer the question.You know what the question was.

Why didn't you answer it?

The Purple Cow said...

Ahhh Lt. Commander Johnsone! Is there any subject on Earth that he doesn't know fuck all about, but mouths off about anyway?

Here's his alleged question...

"Oh, wow. Do you remember the Ice Age(s)?

Where did the horrible carbon emmisions come from?

Answer cow, or STFU."


I'll give you your answer, son.

The natural cycles that gave birth to the ice ages (known as Milankovich cycles) occur at a rate of 0.5C per 8000 years. The world has warmed more than 0.8C since WW2.

Incidentally, we are on a down slope of Milankovic cycles, so if the current cycle was natural the world should be getting cooler.

Unintended Consequences! said...

@PilotX (Your engine is sputtering.) said..."Of course it's dispersed as we are a diverse and dynamic population. Who gets to determine "our" cause? You? Me? I'm sure even though we both have the betterment of our people in mind I bet a fat man we differ on the specific mechanisms."

Forget it! You haven't heard me out, but you attack me anyway. It's your attack first attitude, and listen later, if then, the reason our progress as a black people is in a holding pattern.

No wonder people have stopped coming to this blog. It's an attack environment. Questions aren't asked to further one's understanding, only that you can find here an opportunity to attack--to attack any idea, any thought, any comment--even before you've heard them in their entirety.

"Now, incremental progress by groups focused on improving education, economics, health and political power in the current structure now that is something that is being done and is achievable."

Yeah, in a thousand years. King said we couldn't wait, but obviously you can.

So long folks. I'm outta here. So long Field Negro, for the second time. I'm outta here. I have better things to do with my time than knock heads with clueless people who'd rather attack than listen.

Unintended Consequences! said...

@PilotX (Your engine is sputtering.)

Oh, yeah, the other reason I'm leaving: You sound too much like the enemy to me:

"Now, incremental progress by groups focused on improving education, economics, health and political power in the current structure now that is something that is being done and is achievable."

I would expect this statement from a plant, but not from a black, which I presume you are. Are you black? You don't sound like one.

Wait, indeed!

Greg said...

Anyabwile talks like some 1950's suit and tie wearing racist ranting about the "unnatural sin of miscegenation" when it comes to sexual minorities

http://religionnews.com/2013/08/27/three-things-i-learned-from-thabiti-anyabwiles-gay-rant/