Keep Your Eyes On The Prize

There was a documentary on the PBS network in 1987 titled "Eyes On the Prize". It was about the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.  The content of the documentary is still applicable to events occurring today.  It's still available and those of you 35 years and younger should definitely watch it.

Recently politicians, owners of professional football teams, and others have attempted to change the issue of black people being killed by police into an issue over protests during the national anthem.  It is a well crafted attempt to deflect attention from the real issue of black men being murdered by police, just because the police allegedly "feared for their lives".  This fear was even being justified by the police when the person they "feared" was unarmed.  That is the reason for the protests.  It's not about the flag it's about having discussions and then efforts to stop the "MBP" Murder By Police.  Videos have been shown in the past years documenting the murder of numerous black men by police officers.  No mass nationwide call for re training of police has occurred.  The city of Indianapolis has talked about starting Implicit Bias Training of policeman.  Otherwise apparently it's business as usual for the majority of police departments in the United States.

It is very cunning to attempt to cover up the real issues under the umbrella of "patriotism", respect for the military, and "respect those who have lost lives in Wars".  No one is attempting to disrespect veterans, so stop the lie that the protestors are purposefully disrespecting those who have lost their lives in past wars.  The attempts to cover up the issues with patriotism and the symbolic playing of the national anthem shows that those who condemn the protest really could care less about the lives of black people impacted by MBP.  Thank you for your honesty regarding your feelings towards black people.  I would rather you go further and just come out and say "you could care less about a policeman killing a black person" rather than hiding behind a flag and a national anthem as you are doing now.

You are artfully attempting to get our eyes off the prize.  You want to have the real issue ignored.  Just know that we will not let the real issue be ignored.  We will continue to protest, march, speak out and take action regarding the real issue.  We will put a stop to the practice of police killing us because they can hide behind the "fear" card. 

It is amazing to see how the patriots and anthem lovers never acknowledge that enslavement of black people, lynching of black people, racism against black people, MBP and other atrocities against black people really occurred in this country.  Playing a national anthem before sporting events and having people stand for a symbolic flag does not wipe out the past or change the present. Fix the issue that is causing the protests.

A Tee Shirt worn by a true "American"

My wife and I were at a restaurant buffet last week when I caught a glimpse of an older European American male wearing a T shirt with the caption "If this flag offends you I'll help you pack".  His shirt of course was his response to Colin Kaepernick's recent actions to protest the abuses suffered by black males at the hands of policemen.

I took the shirt for what it was.  It was the view of a European American who chose not to acknowledge or even give any thought to the underlying reasons for Kaepernick's statements.  It was the view of a European American who only wanted to believe that European American culture is based on correctness and doing what European Americans were designed to do.

In his world, Native Americans were caretakers of a land intended to be taken over by European Americans.  In his world Black Africans were designed to be slaves to help build early America and relieve European Americans of the arduous tasks that needed to be performed.  In his world the police can do no wrong.

This is the America I find my self living in.  I'm sure I have neighbors who think the same way as this tee shirt wearing "patriot",  This is the America where 40% and more of those polled say they would vote for the Republican Presidential candidate who is a throwback to George Wallace the former racist governor of Alabama.  I am glad European Americans are being honest about who they plan to vote for.  Well, maybe not 100% honest.  I'm sure there are some European Americans who will not tell you they plan to vote for the Republican candidate because they cannot reveal their true feelings for business reasons.  Making money over truth any day.

I understand the true American I saw would rather have a country where only people like him exist.  It would make his world so much simpler and pure.  But, that's not going to happen.  This is a multi cultural world.  People like this gentlemen need to understand that the pains of the past do not just go away and disappear.  The Unites States of American has not gone all in to correct the mistakes of the past.  Until that happens we will see more protests and statements about conditions that have not been corrected.  So that gentlemen I encountered needs to keep his tee shirt vendor on speed dial.  He will need many tee shirts as more dialogue about issues occurs.