Racism

LOVE ONE ANOTHER Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

Chapter 1

I thought long and hard about whether or not to include this topic. When talked about openly and honestly it can be a very sensitive subject. I will start by saying that everyone is racist to a point. I don’t believe all people will act on it but we all have racist thoughts. For example, I’m a boxing fan. When I watch, if there are two boxers that I have not seen before and one is black, more often than not I will pull for the black fighter. If I am more familiar with the white guy then I will pull for him. Even when I am pulling for the white fighter there is still a part of me that wants the black guy to win. That is a racist thought to me. I believe that if we all told the truth we would all admit to thinking that way. That doesn’t mean we have to act on those thoughts. When we allow thoughts to influence our actions is when we truly are racist.

I hear people very often say racism is not that bad in the United States; that we should get rid of Affirmative Action because racism is gone. I would very much like to agree with them but I know better. As a black man living in The United States of America I know for a fact the racism is alive and well in this country. I’m going to tell you a few stories of things that have happened to me. I am not going to tell you all of them because that would take too long so I will just go into a few of them. In my mind they are without a doubt racist but you can judge for yourself.

When I was living in Sacramento California I got orders transferring me to Las Vegas Nevada. In the military it is called PCS which means Permanent Change of Station. When you PCS the base that you are going to sends you a relocation packet. In this case I was relocating to Nellis Air Force Base. In the relocation packet was a newspaper, a booklet with houses for sale or rent, apartments and various other papers about living in Las Vegas. I knew we would be living in an apartment until we found a house to buy so I focused on those. Some of the apartments had their prices listed in the booklet and some did not. One of the places that I was interested in didn’t list their price but did list a phone number so I called them.

When I called the property listed as Vegas Towers a woman who sounded white answered the phone. She sounded very professional over the phone. I asked her the price for the one and two bedroom apartments. She told me the price and followed by saying they were full and had no apartments available. I informed her that I was active duty military living in California and didn’t need an apartment right now. I would not be moving to Las Vegas for another six months or so. She kind of laughed and said “sweetie we have a waiting list of more than a year to move in here, we are a very popular property.” She was very nice in the tone of voice she used and I didn’t question her any further. I just thanked her for her time, hung up the phone and continued to call other places. For whatever reason was I could not get Vegas Towers out of my mind. Like I said the woman had been very polite over the phone but I kept thinking about it.

When my wife, who is white, got home a few hours later I had her call. The same woman answered, I know this because I was listening on the other phone. My wife told her she was moving to Las Vegas and wanted to know the price of their apartments. This same woman who only a few hours ago had told me The Vegas Towers had a waiting list that was more than a year long was now telling my wife she had apartments available. She was not just nice to my wife she was overly nice. She was telling my wife that this was the best place in Las Vegas to live. She said that the towers were close to the strip and she would love it here. She said all the people living at the towers were very nice. She ended by saying that my wife should not decide on a place until she had a look at the towers.

I thought about having my wife rent the place then we both could move in. I knew that would be a bad idea because they would make my life a living hell until I moved out. Far too many people believe racism is just in the head of the accusers and don’t believe it is still around. I even thought about getting an attorney and suing them for discrimination but that is just not me. I believe GOD will take care of them for me.

Chapter 2

The second true story is when I was in Sacramento California. There was a Shell gas station not far from where we used to live. There were signs on the pumps saying “pay before you pump”. Once I forgot and tried to pump first and the attendant turned on the speaker and reminded me to pay first. I went inside and paid then pumped the gas and left without thinking anything of it. I had been going to this station for several months when one day my wife was with me. I got out and was going in to pay and she asked me why I didn’t pump the gas first. I pointed to the sign and said that I have to pay first. She said she had never paid first; she always got her gas and then paid. I went back to the pump and like before the attendant came over the speaker and said that I had to pay first. I did like I was told and went and paid before I pumped.

While pumping my gas I started to pay attention. White people were people were pumping their gas then going in to pay but I was the only black person there and none showed up before I left. I never went back there again. There is no doubt in my mind that this was because of the color of my skin and nothing else.

The last true story I will tell you about was when I first arrived in Las Vegas. Some will say this had nothing to do with race but I believe it did. I was down on The Strip killing time going from casino to casino. I didn’t have much money and was only spending about ten dollars in each casino.

I was going through The Monte Carlo casino and playing some machines. I would play a few dollars at one machine then move on to another. I had done this for a few minutes when I realized I needed to go to the restroom. As I was leaving the restroom I noticed a security guard. The only reason I noticed him was because he was very much over weight. The fact that he was a security guard made him stick out in my mind. I remember thinking that if someone had done something wrong and was running, there was no way he would be able to catch anyone. Why would they hire that guy? Those thoughts passed through my mind and I thought nothing else about him. I went back to playing slots as I moved through the casino.

If you are familiar with slot machines in Vegas then you know they have lots of chrome on them. You can see reflections very good on most machines. I was standing playing a machine when I noticed that obese security guy standing behind me. He was not close to me but standing several feet away from me. He seemed to be just watching me but I wasn’t sure so I decided to find out. I started walking slowly around the casino. I went from one side to another and all over the place. As I walked I would stop and play a machine from time to time. The security guard stayed right with me. Believe me once I was sure he was following me I was calling him everything except security guard in my mind.

I walked up front by registration and turned the corner then waited for him to catch up. When he turned the corner we were standing face to face and that caught him off guard. I calmly asked him why he was following me. His response was “sir, I’m not following you”. I asked him again why he was following me. He again repeated the lie that he was not following me. That pissed me off. Not only was he lying and felt that black men needed to be followed because we were up to no good but we were stupid too. Like I said we were up by registration and I got loud enough to let people know what was going on. I called him a liar along with a few other words that you would not hear in a Disney movie. Like I said he pissed me off and thought I was stupid. I will keep this clean and not repeat all the four letter words that I used that day. I said something to the effect that the color of by skin doesn’t fit the décor this casino is trying to achieve. Then I pulled out my military I.D. card and said this is how they treat us here. At this point a guy in a suit walked up and asked what was going on. I’m not going to repeat the language but it amounted to me saying that the fat guy is following me and refuses to tell me why.

The suit turned to the fat guy and asked him if he was following me and he lied and said he was not. That set me off again. The suit kept telling me to calm down and that I was mistaken because the guard was not following me. I asked the suit if I needed to get a lawyer and get copies of the tapes from cameras overhead. Maybe we could show them to the local news or national news too. Then it changed to if the fat guy was following me it had nothing to do with race because it was against hotel policy. He offered me a free room and other free stuff. I asked why would he offer me free things if the fat guy did nothing wrong. He said that it was all just a misunderstanding and I was clearly upset.

Since I am in the military and he appreciates military service he would try to make it right and make everyone happy. I told him there was no way I would spend a night here because the next day they would swear that I stole something. I walked out and have never set foot in The Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino again.

A few years later my wife was a dealer at a smaller hotel and casino off the strip. Most people start out at smaller casinos and as they learn games and get better they move up to the larger casinos. She had been at this smaller casino for about six months one of the other dealers asked her “why don’t you go try out The Monte Carlo”. He then took his finger and stroked the back of his hand and continued “they like us over there”. Just to let you know the answer is she did not go try out.

Chapter 3

I have more true stories but I think three is enough. I put them in here because I know there are people out there who will say racism doesn’t exist anymore or it is not that bad. I am but one man and I told you three things that happened to me and I have several more. Think about how many stories you would have if every black person you know told you their stories. If you don’t know any black people then think about every black person you see. I chose to tell you those three stories because I had my wife to verify it for me. Without her I would have no proof only what I believed.

As I sit here and stare at this paper I ask myself if I should even try to write on this subject. Black people that read this will totally understand what I am talking about and will feel what I feel. To be fair there will be some white people who get it. As much as I want it, I don’t think most white people will understand what I feel. My wife and I sometimes will have conversations on this type of thing and I don’t think she truly understands. There is no doubt in my mind that my wife loves me more than she loves herself. I believe with all my heart that she would give her life to save mine without a second thought. I would do the same for her. She is an extremely intelligent woman but this she doesn’t get. It may be like a woman trying to explain the pain of child birth or menstrual cramps to a man. That is something we don’t understand and never will because we can not relate to either. Men have nothing to compare it to and therefore there is no way for us to really understand what it is like.

Rush Limbaugh likes to talk about how smart he is. I can’t say that I agree with him but that is what he says. In early 2008 I heard him say one of the dumbest things ever. Maybe he is just ignorant but either way I thought it was dumb. A black guy called the show and was complaining about racist treatment he felt he was getting at work from co-workers. I don’t remember exactly what the details were but I remember thinking that based on what he said that it may or may not be racist. Sometimes people are just assholes and it has nothing to do with the color of your skin. Rush on the other hand said something that made me say “what the bleep are you talking about”. He said “there are plenty of people out there that don’t like me and you don’t see me crying about it. You need to get over it and move on. If they don’t like you they just don’t like you. It doesn’t matter what the reason is the result is still the same”. That told me that Limbaugh didn’t have a clue as to what the guy was talking about. People don’t like Rush because of the things he says on the radio. They don’t like Rush because of the things he has done in his life that has been made public. They don’t like Rush because of his far right political stance on almost every issue and his condescending attitude. They are legitimate reasons that they can point to as to why they dislike Rush Limbaugh and more likely than not they have multiple reasons. Most of the people who dislike him would love him if he changed his views and supported the Democrats or the far left.

On the other hand the people that dislike the caller did so because of the way he was born. They know nothing about him only that he is a black man. There is nothing he can do about it and make them like him. They think of him as less of a human being than they are. It doesn’t matter what he thinks on any political issue. The fact that he is alive is reason enough for them to dislike him. Rush says there is no difference between the two. To me that is just insane. I don’t understand how any sane person can see those totally different positions as the same. Maybe I’m the crazy person but I don’t think so. Maybe because I’m not white I can’t understand the other side but I do try. The best way I can think to explain part of the feeling would be for you to close your eyes. Imagine walking down an alley at about dusk dark without any streetlights. You don’t know the area very well so it may or may not be a safe place. There are plenty of people around, some notice you and others seem not to notice. You have heard of people that look like you have been attacked in the past but it is not talked about anymore. You have no choice but to walk through this alley. This is the way I feel every time I leave my home. This is the world I live in. I am almost always on guard.

Chapter 4

I do believe the world is getting better. I should say I know the country is better than it was. My parents and grandparents have told me things that happened to them before I was born. My grandfather used to tell about how he used to have to look at the ground when a white woman walked past him. Even though I was not alive when it happened it still hurt my heart to hear him tell the story. I know that my own mother had to ride at the back of the bus because the government didn’t feel she was good enough to ride up front. Just to write this brings tears to my eyes. I know things are better now but the pain is still there. It’s always funny to me when I hear people say that we shouldn’t talk about it. As if not talking about it will make what was done go away. As long as we don’t talk about it things will be just fine. It reminds me of some film footage I saw of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a few months ago. The reporter asked a white woman what she thought of Dr. King coming to town. The woman said “he is making trouble. We treat our Negros real good round here. They keep to themselves and we keep to ourselves. We don’t have no trouble out of them”. In her way of thinking, if Dr. King would just stay away things could stay the way they are and they would not have to deal with them. If he would just stay away we would not have to talk about any of the things that have been going on any everything would be alright. That is the position you take when you have the upper hand. That is the position you take when you don’t want to face your demons. I know this is a difficult subject to talk about but the thing is waiting until tomorrow is not going to make it any easier. I guess some people want to avoid it as long as possible and maybe their children will be able to deal with it for them. Some people choose to stick their head in the sand and hope their troubles will pass them by. I refuse to stick my head in the sand. When you do that you leave a part of your body exposed. I don’t like being stuck like that when I know the government is always out here waiting. I really should not say the government when it really is the political leaders who are the problem. The Constitution is a great document but it is the politics that seek to destroy it.

I was born in 1962. I was not old enough to experience any of the government sponsored discrimination: a government that pointed its finger at other countries and complained about how they were treating their people all the while treating some of its own citizens less than human. This United States government wanted to stop Hitler because he was killing Jews in Europe. This same United States government turned a blind eye when The Ku Klux Klan was killing its black citizens during the same time period. This same United States government passed laws restricting the sale and use of alcohol to uncivilized races. They thought that if black men used drugs or alcohol they would go out and rape white women. All the while white men were openly raping black women on a regular basis. Maybe they were afraid black men would digress to the same level as the white man.

I could go on and on about the stupid laws that were passed in an attempt to dehumanize the black race. Laws like separate bibles for blacks to put there hands on in court; a law where black people could not look out the same window as white people. These were laws passed by white people that were considered to be intelligent at that time. With people that stupid running the country I am truly amazed that this country is still standing. I have to wonder how much more advanced the United States would be if there was not so much racism and hatred around. It is not as bad as it once was but the Klan mentality is alive and going quite well. There are some laws on the side of black people and we can now fight back. Because we can now fight back, racism can not be as out in the open as it once was. It’s not just black people but there are white people who would not be tolerant and watch it go on. Never the less, just because you don’t see it in the middle of the street doesn’t mean it is gone. It has just moved to the sidewalks or in some places it is in the alley. No matter how you look at it, it is not gone just a little more hidden.

Chapter 5

I have heard people speak about reparations to black people. I am on the fence about that one. When I look at what was done to the black race in the United States and done with the blessing of the government. Then I look at the length of time the government allowed this treatment to take place. They didn’t just turn their heads but they wrote it into law. When I look at all the things the government allowed then I feel it should have to pay. The problem is there isn’t enough money out there to make right what was done. The other problem I have is that I don’t feel the government owes me any money personally. I do feel that the government has profited off my ancestors without fair pay for their efforts. The government has profited from my ancestors without offering them any protection from those seeking to do them harm. This government was profiting from them while doing nothing for them. It was taxing them without offering them the same representation it offered its white citizens.

This is a complex problem and I can not pretend to know the answer. How do you measure the profit from hundreds of years of non payment? How you put a price tag on hundreds of years of inhuman treatment that was sanctioned by the government? To say that the treatment was inhuman does not do it justice if anything can. The government sanctioned its black citizens being whipped until the skin was ripped from their backs. If they fought back they were to be hung by their neck until they were dead. The government sanctioned them being sold like animals. Families were broken up where fathers, mothers, as well as children could be sold separately and never to see each other again. Even when slavery ended things were not much better. A black citizen could be dragged from their home, beaten and hung because a white person said they did something to offend them. The really sad part is the accuser did not need any proof, their word was good enough. That means that if you were a black citizen living in The United States of America there was no place in this entire country where you were truly safe, not even your own home. In general your home is the one place people feel safe. Home is a place where as an American citizen you are allowed to defend yourself and its occupants against intruders. That has always been the case unless you were black.

Imagine being in your home one night and a group of men came knocking on your door asking for your child. Saying your child was looking at a white person and needed to be taught a lesson. I know for me there have been times where a person will say hello to me because they think I am looking at them. What I was really doing was noticing that they had missed a button, not ironed their shirt or missing a tooth. What I am saying is that just because I am looking at someone does not mean I am attracted to them. Sometimes I was even looking at something or someone behind the person that said hello. There have even been times when I was daydreaming and staring out in space and someone thought I was looking at them. Now imagine that being the case with your child and someone wants to beat them because of what they thought. No proof, just what they have in their mind. These were the civilized Americans.
This is how black people were treated for over four hundred years and affirmative action has been going on since about 1961 and many will say it should be done away with.

President Johnson said a long time ago. "Nothing is more freighted with meaning for our own destiny than the revolution of the Negro American...In far too many ways American Negroes have been another nation: deprived of freedom, crippled by hatred, the doors of opportunity closed to hope...But freedom is not enough. You do not wipe away the scars of centuries by saying: Now you are free to go where you want, and do as you desire, and choose the leaders you please. You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, 'you are free to compete with all the others,' and still justly believe that you have been completely fair...This is the next and the more profound stage of the battle for civil rights. We seek not just freedom but opportunity. We seek not just legal equity but human ability, not just equality as a right and a theory but equality as a fact and equality as a result...To this end equal opportunity is essential, but not enough, not enough." Some people say that racism is almost non existent. To those people I have to ask how they would know. Racism is not something that you can openly brag about anymore. It must be kept under cover and used alone or with like minded people. When it is let out in the open it can only be shown to its intended victim. When it is only shown to its intended victim and you are not that person then you would never know.

I say affirmative action should last two years for every year the government condoned the unjust treatment of its black citizens. I’m sure there are many who will say eight hundred years is too long for affirmative action to last. To those people I would say that the black people who were forced to suffer the slavery, discrimination and racism would say that one day of that treatment was too long. If it was your family that was treated that way what would you want? When you are not the target of racism it is easy to pretend it is not there. When you are on the receiving end it is hard to ignore. Most people choose to just mind their own business and not get involved. They will not say anything until it is going to cost them something. To be fair I will say when you are on the receiving end of racism it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between a racist and someone just being an asshole. Once you experience racism you become more sensitive towards it. It can also be family or friends that experience racism and it will make you watch your back.

Chapter 6

I debated in my mind as to whether or not to explain what it feel like when you are faced with racism. It may be different for each person so I can only speak for myself. Growing up I was taught to treat other people the way I would want to be treated. I was taught to respect other people and to treat their property better than I would treat my own. I was taught that every person that I see and hear throughout my entire life have people that love and care deeply for them just as I have people who love and care about me. I was taught to be happy for people when they do well in life, to do more than what was expected of me, to set the example for other to follow, and never to wrong someone just because they wronged me. I’m not going to lie and say that I have always stayed true to these things my parents taught me but I will say that they have never left me and I have almost always tried. I have heard and read the stereotypes out there for black people. I’m sure everyone has heard them. They say black people are lazy, not dependable, nasty, steal, like to fight, will end up in prison, rapist, not good friends, liars, their word doesn’t mean anything (that could also be a politician), can’t be trusted, and the list goes on and on but you get my point. I have tried to make it a point in my life never to validate any of those negative stereotypes. I’m not going to pretend that I am a perfect person. I’ve done some things that were not right. If I continue to live I’m sure I will make more mistakes. What I can say is that in general I have always tried to do right by others. I could never understand how someone could prejudge me when they knew nothing about me. I could be wearing a suit and a tie stepping into an elevator with a woman and she would hold her purse closer to her body even when there are other men already in there with her. To have someone look at you and know in their mind that you wish to do them harm is painful when nothing could be further from the truth. In past interracial relationships that I have been in and had the chance to meet some of the family members, there were some that didn’t approve of me at first sight and that was painful. There was one person that really surprised me by not only accepting me but welcoming me into the family with open arms and that person is my wife’s grandmother. She has always treated me as if I was born into the family. I love this little lady like I love all of my family because she treats me like I am human and didn’t prejudge me. I could go on and on about grandma because I love and respect her so very much but that would take me off subject. I had to put her in here because if she ever gets the chance to read this I want her to know that she is a very special person in my life and thank you.

It is painful to hear people say that racism is all but gone when I know for a fact that it is alive and well. To have a police officer tell you that you should leave a public place because the people don’t like black people and he can’t ensure my safety is painful. To walk into a room full of white people and have them stare at you like you are some kind of circus animal is painful. To be driving and stop at a store to ask for directions then have the clerk point at the maps and say “that’s what we sell those for” is painful. When you have someone look at you and think that you are less of a human being because of the color of your skin is not a good feeling. That is what you have to deal with every day of your life if you are born black. I have to keep in mind that every bad thing that happens to me is not because of my skin color. At the same time I know some of it is due to my being black. It is a fine like that I have to walk. I don’t want to use my race as a crutch but I also don’t want to let someone use it against me.

People talk about heroes but when they do they never talk about black people as a race. I’m not talking about the black people of today but the black people of the years past. The things they had to live through all the while still remaining loyal and loving to this country. Black people fought and died in wars so that this country could be free while the very country they were fighting and dying for was denying them their own freedom. That is a true hero. To have someone go off to fight and die in a war to keep the country from being torn apart by southerners when the very country you are fighting to protect doesn’t think you are good enough to look a white person in the eyes, this is a hero. To have someone go off to fight and die in a war to protect their country and the very country they are protecting refuses to pay them the same as the are paying the white soldiers, if they paid them at all, and still they continued to fight, that is a real hero. To have someone sent to the front lines with the oldest weapons the military had so they could save the newer weapons for the white soldiers and get the job done, that is a hero.

When people talk about heroes they talk about people like John McCain who was not killed in a prison camp. Maybe it’s just me but when I think of a hero I think about someone who voluntarily displayed great courage. A fireman running into a burning building to save a life is a hero in my eyes. He is a hero because he made the choice to risk his like to save another. I’m not picking on John McCain. I don’t know all that happened to him in that prison camp. What I am saying is that just because his captors decided or chose not to kill him does not make him a hero, you need more than that. Some would say that because his captors offered to let him go before others who had been in prison longer and he said no to them makes him a hero. It does take courage to do the right thing sometimes but can you call someone a hero for doing the right thing. On that point I will concede that he can be called a hero for that deed. He was risking his life by staying and saving another by letting them go. I am very happy McCain survived the prison camp and sadden for those who didn’t.

Chapter 7

As a veteran I never want to see another service member lose their life. I’m just not going to elevate them to hero status because they lived. I think that diminishes the true heroes. Don’t get me wrong, I do understand how some people can call him a hero because he flew his airplane into the hot zone, risking his life and was shot down. My problem with his hero status is when I hear people speak of his ordeal they talk about him staying and surviving with his fellow soldiers. I’m sorry but I can’t call him a hero for that alone. In his defense like I said if someone wants to call him a hero because he could have left and chose to stay with the others then I understand. I too would call him a hero for that.

By the logic I used with John McCain staying in the prison camp, it further proves my point with the black people of the past. They chose to stay in this country and endure harsh, inhuman treatment. Some of the received treatment equal to if not worse than what I believe McCain received at the hands of is captors. To be treated the way they were treated and still choose to fight for this country makes them heroes.

I am always amazed by the people who think they know me because they see of can hear in my voice that I am black. I feel sorry for them. They don’t realize that they are hurting themselves just as much as they are hurting me. We are all in this life together. We could get through it much easier if we would only work together. Some people prefer to work against others, making it harder for everyone. You see it in everything, race, economics, religion, politics, we are a divided country and world. Most of it comes from low self esteem. Some people can only feel good about themselves when they are putting others down. That reminds me of a cartoon I saw many years ago. I don’t remember what magazine I saw it in. There where two white guys in old torn clothes eating out of garbage cans in an alley. They saw a nicely dressed black man walking down the street and they looked at each other and laughed, saying “at least we ain’t black”. That is the mindset of racist people. It makes them feel better about themselves to think that the color of their skin make them better than someone else. I will not lie and say that I never have racist thoughts. What I can say is that I have never in my life allowed a racist thought to effect my actions.

I wish I had a solution to end racism in this country and around the world. As far as I can see there is no solution. Laws can be written and enforced but that will only change how we act in public. If there was a way to educate everyone and teach them that people are people. There is not much difference once you get past the skin. We are all kind of like cars. There are different makes, models and colors but when you get down to it they are just automobiles. Some may have more gadgets and cost more money but it is still an automobile. I drive a 2002 Nissan Maxima. Would it make any sense to think that my car was better than a black 2002 Nissan Maxima? If I was to say yes to that question most people would think I was crazy. They would say it is still a car. It is just something to get you from point A to point B. That is the way I see racist people. The human body is a means of transportation for the soul. When you look at it that way, racism is a really ignorant way to think. You are treating someone different because their Maxima is not the same color as yours. Racist people can not or refuse to see it that way because it feels better for them to see themselves as superior. That makes them superior through no action they have taken. God decides what body your soul goes in; you have no choice in the matter.

I think of my time spent here on earth as a test for my soul given by God. It is our choice as to how we answer each question set before us. When you see a homeless person, do you help them or do you look the other way? If that is the question God asks you, what will your answer be? If you choose only to help the black ones or only the white ones, does it count? I’m not going to pretend to know the answer but if I had to guess I would say it does not. I would say that giving must be done openly and from the heart without preconditions. If all that you do is based on only helping white people or black people, then you haven’t done anything. If you don’t believe in God then this doesn’t mean anything. If you do believe in God then it is something to think about. If you believe in God then you would know that God can take any form he chooses. My question is what he came back as a black man or a woman? How would you treat him? If you were God and wanted to test your people, what form would you choose? I would say black or Mexican. No matter what the race I would bet he would be poor. How do you think a poor black or Mexican is going to be treated in this country? An even better question is how are you going to treat him? When others are treating him poorly what do you do? Do you join in the crowd and treat him the same or do you intervene on his behalf? The choice is yours to make. There are many who will not pass this test. Many of those who fail call themselves Christians and are in church every Sunday. Some of those people would spit in my face if they were given the right opportunity. Many people in church like to call themselves Christians but don’t live their life that way.

Chapter 8

Dr. King once said that Sunday morning at 11AM is the most segregated time in the country. If a person of another race entered your church, how do you think they would be treated? Would they be welcomed with open arms? Would people stare at them throughout the service? If we are truly Christians and believe in the teaching of Jesus Christ, we would welcome all who want to worship with us. We would love one and all. There are many interracial churches in America and those are not the ones I am talking about. There are more segregated churches. We can’t force people or other races to worship with us but we can make them feel welcomed if they were to come through the doors. I believe that is what Jesus would do. If we would ask ourselves as Christians more often, what would Jesus do? If we would ask that question daily, would our life still be the same? Would we still do the same things? I’m going out on a limb here and say the answer is no. We should live our life as if Jesus was standing right next to us every day.

We as black people can not blame all of our ills on white people. We have no unity in our race. We need to work together. I don’t mean work together to the exclusion of white people. I mean we should include all races in our struggle. We have too many black people who choose to work against the greater good for their own personal gain. Like during the slavery times they had what they called the house nigger. The house nigger worked in the big house with the master and his family. He ate a little better and had a little better clothing. That little bit extra made him feel like he was better than the other slaves. He kept an eye on his fellow slaves and if he heard of a revolt or an escape attempt he would tell the master. Being the masters watch dog got him a pat on the head and made him look good to the master. He could rationalize his actions by thinking he kept the slaves from getting killed or a beating if they were caught. What he didn’t realize is that he was part of the problem. Instead of working with the other slaves to become free he was working with the master to ensure that both he and the others would always remain slaves. I see this in all walks of life but none more than politics. I see black politicians working to line their pockets on the backs of other black people. Saying their actions will help black people when they know in their heart that is a lie.

It never ceases to amaze me. When someone wants to move an issue that they know is not going over well, past a group of people. They will find a few people from the target group. Give them some money and pat them on the head. Make them feel like they are part of the elite group. The sad thing is that it works. Just because the pitch man is black does not make the issue correct for black people. We should not trust someone because of the color of their skin. Like I said before the person who would more often than not tell on the slaves plans was the house nigger. The plantations may be gone but the house nigger mentality is still here and always watching. Waiting and looking for the opportunity to trade in the progress of the group for personal success.

We like to say we are the greatest nation on earth. In many ways I would say that is true but we could be so much better. Until we eliminate racism we will never be the nation we could be. We should set the example for the rest of the world. We can’t expect others to listen to us when we are not doing the right thing. It is like telling someone to clean their house when our house is dirty. Why would they listen to us? We must do better. The fate of this nation if not the world depends on it.

Immigration

Chapter 1

This is a subject that is hard to talk about because some people want to make it about race. For me it has nothing to do with race but everything to do with what is right and what is wrong. This country was built on immigration. People came here from all over the world to make a better life for themselves and their families. That was good for them and good for the country. They wanted to be Americans. They didn’t want to be Germans or Japanese or French living in The United States. They wanted to be Americans. That is the way it has to be if immigration is going to work. That is the way this country was started. Now that this country is up and running and I must say, very successful, many people still want to come here and make a better life. Once upon a time all you had to do was get here and start your new life. That’s not the case anymore. Now there are rules of law for immigration into this country.

Some people who want to come here will follow the law and wait to come here legally. Others will and have come here illegally because they want a better life. I understand them wanting a better life. I believe most people want a better life. I just believe it must be done the legal way. The other option is to allow anyone and everyone to come here to become citizens whenever they want. I don’t think anyone would think that is a good idea. We can’t just let everyone in. That would be a recipe for disaster, given the current terrorist climate that exists today. Unfortunately while many seek to destroy this country and all that it stands for. Many others only want to make a better life and call it home. If there was a way to differentiate between the two, open boarders would be great. The problem is that it can’t be done. Another problem is - there are people who follow the law and do all that is asked of them to become citizens. It would be very unfair to them if we allow some to become citizen when they entered illegally along with millions of others. If we grant amnesty to the illegals that are here now, what incentive would others have to follow the law?

I was watching the news and they were interviewing a man who said he been in this country, illegally, from Mexico for more than 40 years. He was married and had children but still illegal. The part that upset me the most was that he needed a translator. How can anyone live, work and raise a family in this country for more than 40 years, not be able to speak English. The answer is because we make it very easy for them, almost everything is bilingual. If an immigrant truly wants to be one of us then they must be like us. That means they must learn to speak the language. If we provide all or most information in multiple languages, there is less incentive to learn English. Language is the one thing that binds or unifies a society. This is also a safety concern for me. This is a true story that happened while I was in the military and it relates. I was working in the emergency room at an air force base one weekend. The rest of the hospital for the most part was closed. An Asian woman in her late 50s or early 60s came in clutching her chest. She didn’t speak English so we had to assume she was having chest pain. We ran an EKG, drew blood and took her vitals. We were guessing at the language she spoke and making calls to find a translator. It took some time but a translator was found and came from home into the E.R. to bridge the language gap. When all was said and done, the lady had indigestion. The point is this could have been a life threatening situation. If we put more pressure on people living here to learn the language it could save their life and we all could be better off.

Chapter 2

It is hard to have a rational conversation with some people on this subject because passions run very high. People that believe in amnesty for those that are here illegally like to call those who oppose them, racist. Being called a racist in America is a very bad thing. The problem is when you are called a racist it is hard to prove that you are not. Most people will back down to avoid the racist label. Since it is just me putting my thoughts down on paper and I know in my heart I’m not a racist, I will not worry about it. If this gets published then that will be a horse of a different color.

In general there are two groups of people that support illegal immigration and amnesty for them. People of Latin decent and those who wish to exploit them. I’m sure there are people outside those groups who are in favor of amnesty but I am speaking in general. I have asked people who favor amnesty if they think we should have immigration laws and they always say yes. I ask if they think people should be able to go back and forth across the boarders as they wish without boarder security and most will say no. When you break it down and ask the questions one at a time most people will not favor illegal immigration. They want to help poor people coming here to support their families. I understand that and I too would like to assist them. I also understand that we can’t help everyone. If we as a nation are not secure we will not be able to help anyone and that includes ourselves.

Most of the attention is focused on the Mexican people. Some would say all of the attention is focused on the Mexican people. I’m sure others are here illegally. I think we should target all people. Maybe Mexican people are the majority of people coming across the southern boarder but they are not the only ones here illegally. There are people who fly into this country legally and never leave. There are people who drive across the boarder legally and decide to stay. No matter how they get here, if someone is here illegally and we allow them to stay, it is wrong. If we target one group of people while leaving others alone when both are breaking the law, them we are wrong. If we are truly a nation of laws then those laws must apply to all people equally. If the legal system allows people from Europe to stay here while targeting Mexican people, then the system is wrong. If people from Asia are allowed to stay and the people from Mexico are not, then the system is broken. If people from Africa are allowed to illegally migrate to the United States and justice turns a blind eye then that is injustice to us all. A great man once said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.

I wish I could say that I had all the answers to all the problems that face this great nation, but I don’t. This country has some very complicated issues it must deal with. As far as I can see there are no simple answers. Immigration has to be near or at the top. It is not as complex in general as it is made out to be. It only gets that way when it is broken down to individual families. I will attempt to break it down and explain it the way I see it.

People come here because the feel the can earn more money here than they can in their home land. They need it to provide for their families. I have nothing but love for people who want to provide and make a better life for their family. The problem is it must be done the right way. When it is done the wrong way people can and will use that against them. They will be paid less than what is legally allowed for the labor they are providing. They can be forced to work in unsafe environments. They may be forced to work longer hours then what is legally allowed. They can’t complain because they themselves are breaking the law may be forced to return to their homeland. Even though they are not being treated fairly it is better than what they have back home so they will stay quiet. The people who employ them know this and are making more money by pay illegal wages. This is where it gets complicated. The families and people enter this country illegally. They settle down, give birth and raise a family. The child or children by birth are American citizens and the parents are not. The question then is should the child or children be deported with the parents. Some would say this is a difficult case and I don’t think it is at all. The child or children should go with the parents unless they have someone here to care for them. Some would say it is unfair because the child is a citizen. I say when the child is old enough to care for themselves they can return. Parents are separated from their children everyday because the parent broke the law. For some reason there are people who think this is different. The child may be 9 or 10 years of age and have been here all their life. They have a home, in school, and have friends here. I agree with that argument because it does seem like it is unfair. The thing about it is that life itself at times seems unfair. When you have laws and rules that apply to everyone and some choose to break them due to their perceived necessity. The person or people being caught may feel the system is unfair. My example for this is rather simple. Let’s say I have three children. I have been in my home for fifteen years and never been late on any of my bills. My wife and I along with my fictional children all love our home. Now let’s say my wife and I both lost our jobs. Without having the money to pay our bills we would have to leave our home that we all love dearly. We would have to leave because there are rules to living in a home and raising a family. There are rules we must follow in life itself. In this case, we must pay the mortgage or rent each month to stay in the home. Even though we want to continue to live there, without the money we would be forced to leave. If we all only follow the rules and laws that are convenient to us this country would look a lot different. We can not allow people to break the law because we feel sorry for the law breakers. Everyone feels sorry for someone. People who are in favor of illegal immigration like to point at the children because they know that is a soft spot for most Americans. When you make decisions based solely on emotion I believe you will make the wrong choice.

Chapter 3

It is funny to me when I hear people describe illegal immigrants as hard working, law abiding people. They may be hard working but I find it difficult to call them law abiding. They broke the law when they entered the country. They break the law every day that they stay in this country. They break the law every time they work without permission from the federal government. Those are just the laws that I know about, there may be others. I without a doubt agree that most are hard working. Here in Las Vegas I see Mexican people doing manual labor and that is not easy work. I just refuse to ever say that the ones that are here illegally are law abiding when they are breaking laws every single day. I will say that if you ignore the laws that the illegal immigrants have broken, then they are law abiding people. When you think about it the same can be said about everyone, including the people in prison. When you ignore the laws they have broken then they become obeyers of the law. If you agree with that then the next question I would ask is. What makes this group of people so special that they should be given amnesty? After you answer that question, I have another. Should all people in the United States illegally be given amnesty or only the Mexican people? Still more questions. Do they have to be from what is considered a poor country? Is Mexico really a poor country or poorly governed? What should the parameters be that allow a person or group of people to willingly break the law? Keep in mind this is federal law. Last question is do laws even matter?

Some would say that illegals don’t take work away from Americans. I disagree with that and I will tell you a true story to show that is not the case. I know someone who needed to have their front and back yard landscaped. They told me they called a few companies and got estimates. The cheapest one said $1000 for the front yard and $4000 for the back yard. The estimates came from licensed contractors. Before they decided on a contractor to do the work a friend told them about a group of illegals that would do the work really cheap. After looking at some work the men had done and liked what they saw they decided to use them. They contacted the workers and agreed on a price of $2,500 including tip. They used these men, saved quite a bit of money and were happy with the work they did. If these men were not around a legal company would have made around $5000. Because of this story I know for a fact that illegal immigrants do cause Americans work. It is my understanding that this group of men did several jobs in that neighborhood so it caused Americans more money than I previously stated. Therefore when people say illegals do the work Americans will not do. That statement is not complete. What they should say is Illegals do the work that Americans will not do for the same price.

When you look at the way the economy is you can’t fault people for trying to save money. Still that doesn’t make it right but I understand. If the economy continues to get worse people will more than likely hire illegals more frequently? People try to cut corners and save as much money as they can. Hiring these workers allows them that luxury. Even some of the people that are against illegal immigration will hire them if they are hurting for money and they need to get the work done. I include myself in that statement. I have never used them but if the conditions were bad enough I would think about using them and I am strongly against them being here. I don’t believe I am alone in the way I feel.

When I look at the people from Mexico I see people I see people who want a better life. Their government doesn’t provide much in terms of social services. There is not much work available to them at livable wages. Social services and wages is something they can get here in the United States without much effort. They can make more money here illegally than they can legally in Mexico. The Mexican government doesn’t force the employer to pay them a fair wage. The Mexican government doesn’t force the employer to provide a safe work place. I don’t claim to be an expert on Mexico. I have only been to Tijuana. When you cross the boarder headed to Tijuana you see lots of slum looking areas and I can understand people wanting to leave. I know people who vacation in Mexico and they talk about how nice it is in places like Cancun, Guadalajara and Acapulco. That makes me wonder why the illegals don’t migrate to the nicer places in their country. If it is their government they have a problem with then why don’t they have marches in Mexico like they do here in the United States. It is my understanding that Mexico is a democracy in theory. On paper Mexico is a federal republic with powers separated into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches similar to that of the United States. Senators are elected to six-year terms. The congress is composed of a senate and a chamber of deputies. Of the 128 senate seats, 96 are filled by direct election and 32 are chosen by proportional representation from party lists. The president is elected by popular vote for one six-year term and cannot be reelected. Consecutive reelection is also prohibited for all legislators. In the lower chamber, 300 deputies are directly elected to single-member districts and 200 are on basis of proportional party representation. Deputies serve three-year terms. It is an openly corrupt system where bribery is the way things get done. Much like that of the United States only they are more open about it. As bad as their system is one would think they would vote to change the way things are done there rather than come here to change the way things are done here. I even saw a man being interviewed as an illegal immigrant holding a Mexican flag. He was saying through a translator that he is a proud Mexican man and loves his country. All I could think while watching him was if you love your country so much and truly proud of it then why did you leave. If all that he was saying was true why didn’t he stay and try to fix the things he perceives to be wrong or broken in his beloved country. Like I said I am not an expert on Mexico or the laws of the country. It just seems that if the people from Mexico can come here and organize themselves and hold rallies and marches. They can organize peaceful protests for the rights they want in cities across the United States of America. If they can do all of this here do you not think they should have the same passion in their homeland of Mexico? In their defense maybe they have tried or they are trying and it has not made it to the news or things that I have read here in the states. If they are trying and the government is suppressing them then maybe our government should get involved. GOD knows our government gets involved in everything else. In general I am not in favor of interfering in other countries affairs but when their policies or injustices directly create problems for the United States them we must get involved. The best interest of this nation and its citizens should and must always be paramount. That is something I feel our political leaders have lost sight of. That short sightedness is mostly due to special interest groups and the people they represent. Their desire to profit off the backs and labor of the illegal immigrants is the only thing that matters to them. It is in their best interest for things in Mexico to stay the same if not to get worse.

Let’s face it, there are lots of us who would do the same thing if we were in the shoes of the Mexican people and I include myself. I’m not saying we all would do it but many of us would. If you are hungry enough and feel you have no other options. Many would steal rather than starve too death. When you add in seeing your family suffer, your choice becomes much easier. In most cases people will rationalize it in their minds that no one is being hurt. Even when they do realize that someone is or could be affected by their actions. They can still rationalize and say they are only one person breaking the law so the harm is not that bad. The problem is when you multiply that slight hurt by millions of people the hurt becomes great. Great harm is being done to this country by illegal immigration. It is difficult for me to understand that our political leaders don’t see this. Then again maybe I am not seeing the picture correctly. As I have said before I am a very liberal person and I feel sorry for the Mexican people but the way they have chosen to deal with their problems is wrong. The answer is not to illegally migrate to the United States. The Answer must be to stay home make the necessary changes in Mexico. My analogy for this is: my neighbor has lots of things wrong with their house. Broken windows, leaking roof, doors will not close and broken locks as well as many other things. They are behind on their mortgage and don’t have the money to catch up or make the much needed repairs to their home. One day when I get home from work I find that they have broken into my home and refuse to leave. I ignore them at first then they start to invite their family and friends to join them. Then they start to tell me how I need to add more rooms to my house and fix things that are going wrong with my house, like the windows, doors, locks and leaking roof. It is hard for me to believe that anyone would think that this would be okay. Anyone and everyone would be outraged if this was to happen to them. I find no difference between that example and illegal immigration.

These people are poor and they want to improve their way of life. They want to provide for their families. I see nothing wrong with that. The Mexicans are a proud people and they want to support their fellow countrymen. I totally understand and respect that. What I don’t understand are those people who support those who willingly break the law because the law stands between them and financial success. The law is there for a reason. If we are not going to enforce the law, then those laws should be removed from the books.

Chapter 4

Have you ever asked yourself why the law is not being enforced? All the other laws are being enforced, as far as I know. The only answer I can come up with is: someone is making lots of money by ignoring the problem. Think about it: if you owned a business and hired illegals, you could save lots of money. You could save on no health insurance, no taxes, and no worry about sick pay. They can pay below minimum wage. Also there is no paper trail with illegals. So as you can see there are advantages to using illegals. I don’t think the savings are going to be passed on to the consumer. The owner is going to sell their product for as much as possible. It is not illegal to get as much money as you can, but I think it is wrong. Just because it is legal doesn’t make it right. If people would do the right thing we would not need the laws. The thing is that laws are not always right, because people make them. Also, the lives of people are so complicated and that makes it difficult. The laws can’t be fair to everyone but should reflect the needs of the population as a whole. I am yet to hear any government official explain how not enforcing the existing laws is beneficial to the population. You don’t hear it done, because it is not fair and it is not right.

I’m not sure what the solution should be. I don’t think the local police should be out trying to round up all the illegals. I don’t think they should be checking the legal status of every person on routine traffic stops. If it is things like, DUI, car chase, Assault & Battery, Robbery or anytime an arrest has to be made; that is when I would want the legal status checked. I would also go as far as to say if someone applies for social services, the social security number should be checked. If the number and name does not match, then the federal government should be notified. It could be an immigration issue or identity theft.

If you are a business owner, you should always match the name and social security number. Again, when they do not match, the proper notification must be made and documented. When this is not done the business owners should be required to pay a heavy fine for each employee with a bad social security number that was not checked. If all of this is done, it will not get rid of all the illegals but most of them would return home. I would not want to spend taxpayer’s money to hunt illegals. It would be much cheaper and easier using existing laws to pressure them into returning to their home country. Even doing all of that I’m sure we will still have some here. I know it is not a perfect plan. I don’t and would not want to hunt them down like animals. Just to pressure them into returning home. It would also catch some of the people out there committing identity theft. I’m not saying that illegals are hard criminals, but they are breaking the law by being in this country.

What I don’t understand is the regular, everyday person like me. We don’t, as they say, have a dog in this fight. Why do people like me support illegal immigration. I know we are a very giving people in general. We like to help others. This is a good thing and would love for that to continue. We should always want to welcome all who want to come and assimilate. We should want to help those who are less fortunate than we are. We should not want to assist others to the detriment of ourselves. This is one of the times that I don’t think many people are looking at the big picture. We all need to look at the big picture. We would all agree that this issue is really hurting us. This is not about race. It is about what is right and what is wrong. We as citizens of this really great country must do the right thing. We can not look to the government or political leaders to do anything. Everyone should know by now that big business owns the government and the people elected to run it. That includes both parties, Democratic and Republican. The parties are not going to help us. We must do this for ourselves. We must come together as one. We must think for ourselves. We must not go along just because someone associated with our political party said so. We must pay attention to those who support this issue and vote against them. If there is a business that supports illegal immigration then we must not do business with that company. The only thing that companies care about is making money. They don’t care about people. The only way they will respond is if they start to lose money. When they find out that they are losing money, they will make changes. If enough people care about this country and make it known, companies will respond. I know I can not change anything by myself, but I am doing what I can.

When Exxon spilled oil and didn’t clean it up, I stopped buying gas from them. To this day I still don’t buy gas from any station that has an Exxon sign on it. If more people felt the same way I do and did the same thing I am doing: what do you think Exxon would do? If I have a big problem with what a company is doing or something it has done, I don’t do business with them.
I don’t think I would ever hire an illegal to do work for me; even as bad as times are, and it would save me money. I would not hire them because I feel it would be wrong. It would be wrong because of what I believe in. More important, in my eyes, it would be wrong for the country.

Chapter 5

We as Americans in the past had pride in our love of our country. Now I’m not so sure anymore. Now it seems like we have more pride in our political parities, than we have in our country. I for one am proud to say that I am an American first and above all else. The only things that exceed my love of country are my love of God, my wife and family. I don’t call myself “African-American”. I call myself an American. I have only one citizenship. I define my race as black, but I am one hundred percent and nothing but American. Even though I love this country very much, I can still see that there are many things wrong with it. I love it enough to want to see it doing better. I think it says a lot for us when people from other countries think enough of this country to want to move here. They are saying our country is better than theirs. It is so much better; they are giving up their homeland to become one of us. That should be a compliment. The thing is; it is only a compliment when it is done the right way. I put lots of emphasis on the “right way” part. If someone looks at my house and yard and likes it and wants to see inside, that is a compliment. If someone breaks in just to look around, even if they don’t steal anything, this is an insult to me. Some might say the illegals broke into the country, not my home. I feel that this country is my home. If you really respect this country, you also respect its laws. Our laws are what make this country special.

For many people this has become a touchy subject. As I have said before, when some people talk about this, it gets turned around on them and it becomes a race issue. If you really listen to people talk about it, you will find that it only becomes a race issue when the defenders have lost the discussion. People can’t have a discussion and exchange ideas anymore. Now when they talk they are trying to show you where you are wrong and they are right. If they think they are wrong, it is a blow to their ego. It should not be about ego. It should be about exchanging ideas and understanding how other people think or feel about the subject at hand. I’m sure everyone knows someone who is not capable of having a discussion; with them it always turns into an argument.

It amazes me how American citizens will rally to stop people from speaking out against illegal immigration. They will get together to suppress a citizens’ first amendment right to speak freely. As I watch this being acted out on my television screen, what I am seeing is a group of American citizens, not illegal’s, trying to prevent another group of American citizen from speaking out against noncitizens breaking the law. Why would anyone want to stop me from saying that I don’t want people to be free to break the law without any repercussion? Most of the people who protest are in what I call sheep mode. They are just following the crowd. Most of them could not put together two sentences without repeating talking points. It’s not their fault. Most people are followers, not leaders. Most people will think for themselves to a point. Once they are within a group they stop thinking and start following. If we would all think for ourselves, using rational thought, void of emotion; most of our problems would go away. That still would not stop our political leaders from trying to bend us over.

Recently the Democrats tried to pass an amnesty bill for illegal immigrants by attaching it to a war funding bill. This bill would have allowed illegal farm workers to have a path to citizenship and stay in this country. If this is really important, why does it need to be attached to another bill? Why does it not stand alone? I don’t believe it takes a rocket scientist to figure out who is paying the politicians to push that bill. Farmers pay the illegals next to nothing while saving millions by not using American citizens. It is not hard to understand why the farmers want to keep illegal’s in this country. If the illegal’s leave they will have to pay citizens a fair wage. They don’t want to do that and they don’t have to. As long as Democrats and Republican leaders are for sale, business will continue to buy.

The Mexican illegal’s are in a unique position. The Republicans want to use them to make lots of money for them and will fight to keep them in the country as long as possible. The Democrats want to use them to get their votes and will fight to keep them in the country as long as possible. I don’t believe either party cares about them as a people when there are no cameras around.