Call it what it is.
The past few years there's been the slogan... "black lives matter". On the surface, taking that slogan literally at face value... black lives matter... Don't other lives matter too? The reason for this message was to convey the situation between police and the black community, and police brutality towards blacks. Well, if you didn't know the whole story behind the slogan, taking it at face value, you'd never get the underlying message to draw attention to police and blacks. I won't go into the whole inner city issues of police verses blacks, or any perceived conclusions based on what the media presents on either side of the issue. Y'all draw your own conclusions as to the issues, its causes, and how valid the allocations are. Is there a widespread problem, isolated cases, or justified responses to aggression. In any event, if there's gonna be a movement to convey a message, why not make the message completely clear... talk about the conflict... not say black lives matter... and leave people to figure out the basis of your message.
The past few years there's been the slogan... "black lives matter". On the surface, taking that slogan literally at face value... black lives matter... Don't other lives matter too? The reason for this message was to convey the situation between police and the black community, and police brutality towards blacks. Well, if you didn't know the whole story behind the slogan, taking it at face value, you'd never get the underlying message to draw attention to police and blacks. I won't go into the whole inner city issues of police verses blacks, or any perceived conclusions based on what the media presents on either side of the issue. Y'all draw your own conclusions as to the issues, its causes, and how valid the allocations are. Is there a widespread problem, isolated cases, or justified responses to aggression. In any event, if there's gonna be a movement to convey a message, why not make the message completely clear... talk about the conflict... not say black lives matter... and leave people to figure out the basis of your message.
There's always gonna be situations where there's a conflict... and god knows there's always gonna be a group that is offended by something. It would be nice if the cause of the problem and the actions of those offended are logically connected. We are living in a society where the younger generations, 30 something's, and even more so the 20 something's and younger are consumed by being offended by just about everything, everything is unfair, and anything not in accordance to their beliefs or feelings is rude. Either no one is there to simply tell them to grow up and get on with their life, or its evident that they are not listening. Plus they're encouraged by the media and politicians to feel justified being offended and that society should bow to their immaturity to deal with issues.
So where is this going? The past few years there been a movement to have just about anything referencing the confederacy and its related slavery issues, banned and removed because it offends a group of people. Monuments, statues, names of streets, towns, and counties that reference confederate war figures are all being held as being offensive.. and thus should be removed or changed. Even names of buildings and schools are being pressured to change their names if they represent any one connected to the confederate south.
So... the logical mind wants to know, how you want to remove history from 160 plus years ago, because it offends you, and how your life will be better once its done. Is your emotional well being truly being affected by events of 160 years ago? Or is there another underlying issue? Not one about the history of slavery, but one about discrimination?
Discrimination... now that's an issue that is not only relevant in today's society, and by nature is offensive. Now that's something to be offended by. Discrimination is indeed something that affects people's lives today... not any thing that happened 160 to 250 plus years ago. But since the entire discrimination issue is not being resolved, the confederate slavery issue is the latest issue to be offended by. Some groups have even indicated that they are offended by slavery from the founding fathers of the country, and want references to them removed because this too offends them. Monuments should be renamed, currency with their likeness should be changed, and their important part in history should be played down. Washington, Jefferson, and others were all slave owners... and people today are offended by that, just as they are offended by anything reference to the confederacy.
Perhaps it's time to get real... Check in with reality... get a life and get on with life. If the historic issue of slavery offends you and it affects your well being today... 160 years later... You have issues to work on beyond long ago history. If you are not happy with your life, you can not blame history... the fault lies somewhere else.
If its about discrimination then work to heal the problem. Teach your children to hate discrimination for what it is... not the be part if the problem encouraging even more discrimination perpetuating the problem.
If its about discrimination then work to heal the problem. Teach your children to hate discrimination for what it is... not the be part if the problem encouraging even more discrimination perpetuating the problem.
Such a society we live in today. There is always going to be things that offend you. How you deal with them... how you let it affect your life... how you let them control your life... That's a personal issue that's in your control. Stop blaming history for your inability to control your own life.
Of course this is simply my perspective. Believe what you will. Feel what you will. I'm not trying to force anyone to accept anything. Unlike those that are offended and seek to force their resolutions upon everyone else. Your life is not going to get any better by testing down monuments and changing names on streets, building, and the like. This is simply something to think about, perhaps from a different perspective. Take from it what you will.
If the issue is about prejudice, work on fixing that issue... not blaming history. Work together for a better tomorrow.
