I wrote yesterdays post in response to revisionist history. That sure seems to be a popular thing these days. The objective in that revisionist history appears to be entitlement. If we can change history to portray ourselves as somehow cheated, somehow shortchanged , that will entitles us to benefit today! That's the thinking, no matter if the injustice took place as long as 400 years ago. No, I should be compensated for that past, all I need do is connect myself to that past. I can do that any number of ways, The easiest, by far, is to be black in America. Well because if you are black in America you are surely descended from slaves! That's the history that is being taught. It's certainly not the truth, it's not accurate at all. The New York Times would have us believe that every black person in America is descended from one of twenty slaves brought to these shores in 1619.
Well setting all that aside I received favorable comments overall. I did have one person ask, what's your point? I responded with, no point, just facts for your consideration. That is the truth of it. I wasn't trying to make any particular point, just present the actual facts of history. Now this person didn't respond further so I can only assume that satisfied her question. I hope so. I don't expect everyone to agree with whatever writing and ramblings I present. We are all entitled to our opinion. What we are not entitled to is our own facts. If there was a point to yesterdays exercise that would have to be it. I was just presenting fact. Fact is, it was the United States of America, a nation formed by white Europeans for the most part, that abolished the practice of slavery just 82 years after it became a nation. A fact I feel doesn't receive nearly the recognition that it deserves. Especially so when taken in context. 167 countries still practice slavery today! Yet, the revisionists would have you believe that America began in 1619 with the importation of twenty slaves.
So I posted the facts and let the chips fall where they may. I believe it is important to know the facts, the truth of the matter. Yes it is true that following the abolishment of slavery the blacks weren't treated as equals. It is true there was much injustice and much prejudice. Laws were passed, laws were repealed. There were protests, justifiably so, that caused change. Programs have been instituted to provide opportunity. In some ways it could be argued entitlements were granted based on race, standards were modified to " level the field " as was so often explained. Were those necessary? Yes, I'd say they were and they were deserved. Have we progressed past that time? I believe we have. I believe you can not march for equality, all the while demanding entitlement! The only way that works is by revising history! There comes a point when you do have to accept responsibility for your own choices, your own actions.
And in that I see the same people attempting to revise history to suit their agenda, attempting to convince us all we are not responsible. That's why you see the proliferation of such notions as, abortion as an acceptable form of birth control. We are not responsible for the life of anyone until they are born! For that reason we can terminate that life. We bear no responsibility. We can list any number of reason why it isn't our fault. Hey, we wanted to have sex, we can't help that or control that! We can't afford a baby. It's not a good time. And the list goes on. If you are black in America you have little chance of succeeding! It's not your fault, you are black in America!
What's worse, what is far more insidious, is teaching the children that if you are black and successful you are successful in spite of. That is the message I hear anyway. There are many great black Americans. There has always been great black Americans. Their names live down throughout history for their accomplishments. It has been an underlining current however that they accomplished whatever it was despite the fact they were black. It is insinuated that those accomplishments are somehow better, somehow more difficult to achieve because they were black. Is there truth in that? Yes unfortunately there is some truth , some validity to that statement. It can't be denied that opportunity wasn't always equal. But what is missed there is it was the lack of opportunity that held some back, not the color of their skin. Yes the color of their skin limited their opportunity, but it didn't limit their abilities! Ability creates opportunity! That is what needs to be taught. The evidence is right before us. Just look at history. Consider this. Why was Jackie Robinson signed to a major league baseball contract? It was because of his ability of the field. His talent outweighed the color of his skin. It was a economic decision on the part of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. The belief being he would help win games! And make no mistake about it, professional baseball, any professional sport, exists to make money for the owners! Yes, it is for profit. Oh you could say he was hired in spite of being black but the truth is he was hired because of his talent. They could have hired any black person if that was the goal, to have a black player. But no, the goal was to hire the best player(s).
I know it is a fundamental change in attitude that I am talking about. I know it isn't an easy topic at all. I'm not black in America and therefore have no reference point. I accept that. I am a person though, a person born with white skin. I'm a white guy in America. I'm not rich, famous, or hold any special position in society. Some would say I'm poor, some would say I'm middle class and some would say I'm well to do. It all depends upon the perspective of the person making that judgement. Did my whiteness entitle me to anything? No it didn't but it surely prevented some things. I didn't have to face prejudice because of my skin color. Of course I grew up in the north where I never witnessed segregation. I only saw that in pictures and heard stories of that. I didn't understand any of that because I didn't see any of that. Later on I did see the civil rights movement gain traction. It was a difficult time in America. It's my belief all was done that could be done. No law can change the way people think. You can't make a law banning prejudice and then expect prejudice to just disappear. That is not going to happen. Remember when the Constitution was being written there were those that wanted slavery abolished right then and there, there was opposition to that. It took 82 years for that goal to be law! And remember that is a piece of legislation, not a persons heart!
Let us not revise history to serve a cause. Let history speak for itself. Yes history is written by the victor there is no denying that. The history of Blacks in America began when America began. The history of Blacks under the British is another story altogether. Do not confuse the two. The United States of America abolished the importation of slaves in 1808. Great Britain abolished slavery 21 years later in 1833, well with some exceptions. Do not forget that just eleven years ago a Black man was elected as President of the United States. Was that in spite of , or because of? Think about that.
Well setting all that aside I received favorable comments overall. I did have one person ask, what's your point? I responded with, no point, just facts for your consideration. That is the truth of it. I wasn't trying to make any particular point, just present the actual facts of history. Now this person didn't respond further so I can only assume that satisfied her question. I hope so. I don't expect everyone to agree with whatever writing and ramblings I present. We are all entitled to our opinion. What we are not entitled to is our own facts. If there was a point to yesterdays exercise that would have to be it. I was just presenting fact. Fact is, it was the United States of America, a nation formed by white Europeans for the most part, that abolished the practice of slavery just 82 years after it became a nation. A fact I feel doesn't receive nearly the recognition that it deserves. Especially so when taken in context. 167 countries still practice slavery today! Yet, the revisionists would have you believe that America began in 1619 with the importation of twenty slaves.
So I posted the facts and let the chips fall where they may. I believe it is important to know the facts, the truth of the matter. Yes it is true that following the abolishment of slavery the blacks weren't treated as equals. It is true there was much injustice and much prejudice. Laws were passed, laws were repealed. There were protests, justifiably so, that caused change. Programs have been instituted to provide opportunity. In some ways it could be argued entitlements were granted based on race, standards were modified to " level the field " as was so often explained. Were those necessary? Yes, I'd say they were and they were deserved. Have we progressed past that time? I believe we have. I believe you can not march for equality, all the while demanding entitlement! The only way that works is by revising history! There comes a point when you do have to accept responsibility for your own choices, your own actions.
And in that I see the same people attempting to revise history to suit their agenda, attempting to convince us all we are not responsible. That's why you see the proliferation of such notions as, abortion as an acceptable form of birth control. We are not responsible for the life of anyone until they are born! For that reason we can terminate that life. We bear no responsibility. We can list any number of reason why it isn't our fault. Hey, we wanted to have sex, we can't help that or control that! We can't afford a baby. It's not a good time. And the list goes on. If you are black in America you have little chance of succeeding! It's not your fault, you are black in America!
What's worse, what is far more insidious, is teaching the children that if you are black and successful you are successful in spite of. That is the message I hear anyway. There are many great black Americans. There has always been great black Americans. Their names live down throughout history for their accomplishments. It has been an underlining current however that they accomplished whatever it was despite the fact they were black. It is insinuated that those accomplishments are somehow better, somehow more difficult to achieve because they were black. Is there truth in that? Yes unfortunately there is some truth , some validity to that statement. It can't be denied that opportunity wasn't always equal. But what is missed there is it was the lack of opportunity that held some back, not the color of their skin. Yes the color of their skin limited their opportunity, but it didn't limit their abilities! Ability creates opportunity! That is what needs to be taught. The evidence is right before us. Just look at history. Consider this. Why was Jackie Robinson signed to a major league baseball contract? It was because of his ability of the field. His talent outweighed the color of his skin. It was a economic decision on the part of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. The belief being he would help win games! And make no mistake about it, professional baseball, any professional sport, exists to make money for the owners! Yes, it is for profit. Oh you could say he was hired in spite of being black but the truth is he was hired because of his talent. They could have hired any black person if that was the goal, to have a black player. But no, the goal was to hire the best player(s).
I know it is a fundamental change in attitude that I am talking about. I know it isn't an easy topic at all. I'm not black in America and therefore have no reference point. I accept that. I am a person though, a person born with white skin. I'm a white guy in America. I'm not rich, famous, or hold any special position in society. Some would say I'm poor, some would say I'm middle class and some would say I'm well to do. It all depends upon the perspective of the person making that judgement. Did my whiteness entitle me to anything? No it didn't but it surely prevented some things. I didn't have to face prejudice because of my skin color. Of course I grew up in the north where I never witnessed segregation. I only saw that in pictures and heard stories of that. I didn't understand any of that because I didn't see any of that. Later on I did see the civil rights movement gain traction. It was a difficult time in America. It's my belief all was done that could be done. No law can change the way people think. You can't make a law banning prejudice and then expect prejudice to just disappear. That is not going to happen. Remember when the Constitution was being written there were those that wanted slavery abolished right then and there, there was opposition to that. It took 82 years for that goal to be law! And remember that is a piece of legislation, not a persons heart!
Let us not revise history to serve a cause. Let history speak for itself. Yes history is written by the victor there is no denying that. The history of Blacks in America began when America began. The history of Blacks under the British is another story altogether. Do not confuse the two. The United States of America abolished the importation of slaves in 1808. Great Britain abolished slavery 21 years later in 1833, well with some exceptions. Do not forget that just eleven years ago a Black man was elected as President of the United States. Was that in spite of , or because of? Think about that.
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