that doesn't sound right

 As I'm listening to some commentary on television about race relations and racial inequity, I couldn't help but ask a question. Why are all poor black people poor because they are black, but poor white people aren't poor because they are white? That's what I was hearing being said. That was the reasoning behind the need for reparations. Well because if slavery hadn't happened, you know if all the black people taken captive and sold into slavery and then transported to America, they wouldn't be in the situation they find themselves today. No, they would just have stayed on the African continent and lived happily ever after. No poverty, no problems. And if they did come to America, not as slaves, they would have all been successful businesspeople, artists, musicians, tradesman and politicians. But as it turned out, they were black. 

 I just had to ask myself that question. I guess the thinking is being black is a disadvantage, I mean there are certainly plenty of white people that are disadvantaged but you seldom here about that. Take those folks living in Appalachia. They are just poor white folks for the most part. You don't hear anything about them celebrating their culture or demanding others change their culture to suit them. They aren't complaining about being white in America. Are they enjoying white privileges? Guess so. And what about the white folks that get into trouble with the law or involved in drugs, what's their excuse? They all come from two parent homes with a three bedroom house in the suburbs but make bad choices. It isn't because they are white, it's because they screwed up! It's their fault not great, great, great grandfathers misfortune. 

 All I keep hearing is equality. And the method to achieve that equality? Separate but equal! Thing is that was settled with Brown v the board of education. 67 years ago. And here we are right back to that. When one group receives special consideration, for good or ill, over another that is discrimination. When one group is granted exceptions to the rule, that is discrimination. Is having the Black Entertainment Awards, Black Miss America, the Black National Anthem all touted as equal but separate? That's what was being decided in Brown V the board of education. What was the answer? Separate but equal isn't a thing! 

 The thing is this, Brown V Board of Education was really the decision to remove the trump card from the deck. In that case it went in favor of blacks. It was decided that even when all else is equal separate facilities is discriminatory. It's true lots of white people weren't happy about that, not wanting to surrender their trump card, those laws we called Jim Crowe. But that works both ways. Today many black people don't want to surrender their trump card, being black. Now when things don't go their way, when things are difficult, when they are not successful, they can blame it on being black in America. We will ignore the myriad of programs available to those people altogether. Programs only available to people of color, white people aren't allowed to apply being discriminated against because of the color of their skin, but that is equality right? 

 Look I'm not complaining about whatever programs are available to whoever. I'm not saying there aren't challenges to be overcome. I'm not saying there aren't different levels of social strata. Blacks currently make up about 14% of the total population. White people make up about 56% of the population. The remaining 30% are everyone else. Wonder why more white people are successful? It's probably because there are more white people, duh. Why are there more tall athletes in the NBA than short ones? But if you are black the only reason you are successful, indeed the reason you are not, is because you are black, period, end of discussion. That's the trump card. If you're white, well that's on you! You have no excuse. Segregated discrimination ensuring equality? That don't sound right to me.