To My Fellow Black Americans
I’m a white man. I admit I don’t know what it’s like to be an American of African descent today. From the history I know your forefathers were brought here in chains and sold on the slave markets some centuries ago; to work on plantations on this continent. The life of your ancestors was very hard, yet not always as horrible as they want us to believe these days. Slaves were expensive. Those who owned them had to take care of their ‘investment’. Still, it was a period full of suffering; of tragedies for these unfortunate people. No matter how we look at it, the slavery was and is indefensible, something that had to be cast away.
I don’t for a minute condone slavery. No man or a woman should be deprived of freedom and a choice of their own destiny. But you can’t undo history. It was what it was. I’m glad the people eventually recognized that slavery was an inhumane, unbecoming element of life in the country marching forward and legally abolished it.
The former slaves’ trip that followed was anything but simple. Black folks had to overcome a lot of racial stereotypes, ingrained attitudes, and resistance to be acknowledged by the white people of this country; to finally become free and accepted as equals in this nation. It took over a century. The struggle for true freedom is never quick or simple one. They were not the first, nor would they be last.
I don’t have to go over historical events that shaped our society in detail; others have spoken and written about them extensively. But I need them as a bridge to the modern times and events that engulf us today.
Freedom from bondage is never the end of the story. It’s a beginning of a long walk on your own. One learns to build his own world where before someone else was providing for you. It goes without saying that black Americans have walked this long and difficult path and are now in charge of their own lives. People living today have not experienced oppression, slavery or governmental racism. But racism still exists in America, in a form of prejudice held by some individuals towards the people whose skin color differs from their own. As I see it, it was very slowly fading away. The way we live, white-on-black racism is not tolerated. But everyone has a story to tell. You may disagree with this narrative. Mutual prejudice is hard to eradicate when different groups of people live together. It’s not an American phenomenon alone, but is found in many places on our planet.
Yet we have made great progress to rid ourselves of racism. It occurred through the actions of our government; also on a human, personal level. I speak for myself. It makes no difference whatsoever what shade the person’s skin color is, especially in the city like New York. We live side by side. Gratitude is the only feeling one may profess when they bring your UPS box, receive your packages at the post office; answer your call at the Social Security office, issue you a new driver’s license at the DMV; fix your car or assist you on the road in official capacity. This is life and we learn to live and respect one another. This is America.
Comes year 2020 and much of it changes. A black criminal dies while detained by the police. He was instantly made a martyr, a saintly symbol and got a royal funeral in a golden coffin. The country was genuinely aggrieved. The courts have yet to determine how he died and whose fault it was.
The issue of race relations once again came to the forefront. And then, suddenly, this theme was hijacked by the ‘Black Lives Matter’ (BLM) movement. These people, who have been around for some time, are ‘trained’ Marxists of Maoist persuasion. They want to tear the fabric of American life. Their trademark is terror. They want money, power and influence. Their elements want their own state within a state. They spread vile racism, this time black-on-white racism. They demand not rights but privileges. They inflame racial passions. They support riots, looting and assaults on law enforcement personnel. They attract many young people to their cause. BLM vies to be the sole voice of the black community.
There are about 340 million people living in the United States; 15% of them are black Americans. That’s approximately 50 million people. I don’t for a second believe that BLM speaks for all of them. And I have serious doubts that most black citizens of this country subscribe to their ideology. The count of BLM supporters can’t be large. But they are on TV and in the news. Their voices are heard on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. They are well funded and organized politically. They have white liberal support.
BLM has little to offer to the people of color, besides the poisonous communist ideas they spread around. Predatory ‘take away and divide’ thinking pretty much sums it up. These characters want ‘reparations’ paid by the people who were never slave owners to the people who were never slaves. Looking to uproot our peaceful lives; by turning our country into a racial battleground.
What we don’t hear are the voices of our fellow citizens of color. Only few courageous conservative black individuals speak up on the subject and condemn the BLM. What about you?
Do you support the BLM? Do you think they are to bring about the liberation from racism, provide prosperity and give more freedom than you currently enjoy? Do you applaud the ‘reparations’ demands? What about taking over some land and carving out a separatist ‘black state’? Do you think that the white people’s attitudes of this country are infinitely racist towards the black population? What about the fashionable trend to seek and find deeply hidden racism – in everyone and everything? Do you accept as a fact that whites are totally hostile towards blacks all the time? Are you looking forward to a bloody civil war and wounds that would never heal?
Or do you find BLM & Co. claims a complete hogwash?
What does the black community think of the current events and the future of our country? Is there common thinking thread among the people who live outside of the ‘blacks only’ ghetto neighborhoods of America’s largest cities? Is there recognition that BLM brings terror and destruction and no one benefits? Are the people afraid to speak openly, in fear for their lives or being branded as traitors of the black causes, modern ‘uncle Toms’? Do they even care?
These are tough questions. Most decent people of this country want to know the answers. In the meantime, both whites and blacks buy guns and ammo.
I invite you to speak up. I want to hear the voices of black Americans who don’t march the streets with BLM and Antifa. The folks who work, raise families, plan for the future. The men and women, who love this country, not hate it. Those who may be critical of the state of affairs, yet looking to resolve our differences through dialog alone. Who don’t want to be used for dirty politics.
Please speak up now. Your words would not be censored. Your privacy will be respected.
Thank you.