"RACISM...THIS SUCKS!"

“America SUCKS,”  “White people SUCK!”,  “YOU suck!”, “I’m gonna make you my White Slave!”   I was greeted by these shouts directed at me while sitting in a parking lot across from a school where I was waiting for my wife to get off work. 

The insults became much more colorful in their language and more directed at me.  My first emotion was anger but then I looked up and noticed they were five KIDS, two were about the age of middle school and three were elementary school age.  My anger turned to dumbfounded, and then to sympathy.  As I stared at them insulting me, their insults increased in intensity.  I got out of my car and the two older kids lunged at me (they were pretty small in stature, so I was in no danger).  I tried to ask them why they felt this way.  I asked them if something happened to them to cause their anger.  They just insulted me more and then ran off.

First of all, I am white and my family and I live in a medium sized city in the middle of Iowa where things are pretty conservative and I can safely say I have never experienced anything like this.  I cannot pretend to know what it is like to be black in America.  As a white person, I have never to my knowledge felt diminished in any way because of my race.  Being married to a Hispanic lady, I believe I have seen racism in the most innocent way.  While shopping, I noticed the white store clerks would not take their eyes off of my wife while she browsed through the racks of clothes and it made my wife VERY uncomfortable.  It made her mad and after seeing it myself, made ME mad.  I believe I  experienced in a small dose the humiliation of racism.  When an experience such as this is done over and over again, I understand a little more clearly the anger minorities experience in “white” America.  Unless you experience it, you have no idea it exists.

I have often wondered how black American’s feel when the National Anthem is played or when patriotism is brought up.  The history of America is very much white.  The guys on Mount Rushmore exemplify that.  Family’s came over mostly from white Europe in a desire to better themselves and a want for a better life.  They looked at America as a chance for freedom and opportunity.  They were happy to call America home.  I understand the immense pride they have in this country and could proudly proclaim it to their ancestry in other countries.  Black Americans came over mostly against their will and it must have been hard to stake a claim in the American dream.  Many do not know their ancestry other than being pulled out of their home country.  Have they ever felt that America was truly home?  Can they get excited and feel patriotic about our countries founders when they do not look as they do?  It seems to me it would be hard to fully embrace America with the same historical passion as whites.

Years have passed and now we have had a two term black president, we have more black CEO’s in business and superstar black athletes.  We also have many interracial marriages and we are becoming a blended society.  I have heard the argument that blacks should be happy in this country.  What is it that would cause the anger to still be there?

The black football player who is sitting down during the national anthem is causing quite a debate about being black in America, entitlement, police brutality, oppression and the like.  I don’t know the answer to that.  I get the people who are saying he is disrespecting the county as well as the freedom he has to voice his opinion.  If you had the chance to be either black or white in America, which would you choose? 

How should I react or feel for these youngsters who are obviously frustrated.  Should I show anger, resentment, or compassion?  Should I feel bad about how they feel or should I just say “live with it”?  My guess is we need more education and understanding with a good dose of prayer.  All I know is going through all of this really SUCKS!

"SOCIALISM...I AIN'T BUYING IT"

I remember as a youth jamming to the Steve Miller Band song “Jet Airliner”.  On my album, there was a line, “I don’t want to get caught up in any of that, funky (kicks) going down in the city.”  I remember hearing my friends version of that song where they used the word “sh—“ instead of “kicks”…it seemed to my young mind a little scandalous!  I remember wondering how my friend was able to get this “scandalous” version …I felt a little slighted!   I remember first hearing Nazareth’s “Hair of the Dog” tune ... my friends and I (perhaps feeling rebellious) at times emphasized the last couple words of the line, “Now you’re messin’ with a ……..”.  A forbidden word we with youthful exuberance shouted because it shocked the status quo.  I didn’t see too many older folks singing that line at the time.  Today it seems a song isn’t a hit unless it has one of the once “forbidden” colorful words(even sung by older folks)…..a saddening turn of events. 

I think “Socialism” is a lot like one of those old forbidden terms.  I remember learning in American history class of our liberty and independence and what pride we had as Americans.  America was proud of its “capitalism” as the best form of government enabling us to become the wealthiest nation in the world.   If anyone claimed to be a “Socialist” we wondered what was wrong with them.  It was one of those terms we were rather shocked to hear much as those old songs that first began the now en-vogue swearing lyrics.  Today many seem to be clamoring to socialism…perhaps to shock the status quo.

Today with social media and with the elections here…we hear “socialism” shouted with youthful exuberance….and why not?  Sounds great…free healthcare, education, $15 minimum wage.  It’s like going to a restaurant with a group where everything is put into one check.  Everybody pitches in and it sounds like a good idea.  But inevitably, someone ends up eating like a king for what they put in and someone else ends up paying way too much for just having a soda.  No one can figure out the right math and how it went wrong so they just pitch in. 

I have heard so many definitions and arguments for how “socialism” is now good for us.   I believe I know what all the socialist governing philosophies are and I still think it is not the best way to govern a country as large and diverse as ours.  We have hundreds of millions of people in the US, with 50 states and 50 different governing bodies and you cannot, in my opinion govern the large US like you can a smaller Sweden or Denmark.  It is like comparing a car with a train.  There are many things a small car can do that a big train cannot do.  Conversely, there is protection in having many cars and you have abilities to do things when you have the protection of the large train.

The US needs to be the large economic power in order for all the smaller socialist nations to survive and thrive.  These socialist countries need a capitalistic machine somewhere churning out innovation, food, trade, wealth and military might.  Every country must account for the US before tackling any fiscal equations. 

Size does matter.  What works in New Hampshire may not work in Arizona.  If Vermont wants single payer medicine…they can pass it…good for them.  If you don’t like it…you don’t have to live there.  But if we nationalize Vermont’s healthcare in Texas or Hawaii…it’s a different matter.  This is why we have the 10^th Amendment.  Once something is centrally planned there is no opting out.  This is how a Democratic Socialism slowly becomes the dreaded Communism (last I looked I believe that is still one of the forbidden words).  You are given one option.  For socialism to work, mandates must be placed on the population and you are given NO choice.  At least for now, nobody wants Communism in the US

I realize as we continue to give people fish instead of teaching them how to fish, those people will be more and more convincing to accept socialism and we will get more candidates like Bernie Sanders getting popular.  Capitalism built the US into the super power that it is.  We are the greatest nation on the earth.  As the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher pointed out (to paraphrase), “the trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples money.” 

Socialism is an enticing debate but, “I don’t want to get caught up in any of that, funky sh—going down in the city”.  Thank you for your sales pitch but, to use a Capitalistic term….I ain’t buying it.