Racism

No pictures for this...just a thought dump.  If you want pics and babes and such...click the MBPL banner and surf from there.

Racism seems to be the subject of the last couple years, and I feel I need to get some thoughts off and out.

My Background to start...I grew up in Tampa, FL in the 70's and 80's.  My high school was somewhere around 65/20/15 W/B/Hispanic/other.  The neighborhood I grew up in was mostly white suburbanites with about 4 black families in that specific area. The next area West of us by 2 miles was Hispanic and 4 miles West mixed all races. Tampa has it's own fair version of the ghetto/projects, whatever you wish to call it. The worst of those areas were about 30 mins from where I grew up.

My best friend from 3rd grade on, is a black man born in Nigeria and moved to the US right after. He is one of the most brilliant people I know to this day. He grew up in white suburbia with me. The reason I feel I was not as sheltered as people might think, was from many visits to very low income areas selling cars with my father (his second job).  He sold inexpensive used cars and tended towards lower income areas because they were easier to sell $1200 cars to.

From 18-24 I lived a block from the projects/ghetto, it was all I could afford working as a Pizza driver. I heard the occasional gunshot a few blocks over.

Since then I have not had to live near that drama.

In short I am comfortable with myself and my thoughts, I have never considered myself racist at all. Not because of my friend or sheltered childhood, but because it never has been about race with me. It is ALL about stupidity and idiots.

Up until today these are my beliefs.

I work with a man who I will call 63 because he is 6'3" as am I. We are both large guys, I am a little over a decade older than him. He is American and black, if you have to choose a political correct term I will use. Since he is born in America and black that makes him American.  My friend from Africa and one or two other co-workers, are the only true African-Americans I have met.  I don't call my wife an English-American, or myself Irish-American, so why are they African-American...to say that term is implying black. - Different discussion involving "if we want equal rights then why do we have to label on everything"

Anyway... 63 and I have had at least 4-5 good discussions on race and what we believe is the truth about racism. I enjoy talking to him openly and neither of us has raised a voice or lost a temper. Amazing how easy it is to have adult conversations when everyone has an open mind. We have quite a few different opinions, and hear each other out. The one opinion 63 spoke today that finally hit home (while discussing the SC killing) was about "fear" and being afraid of police. He has mentioned that a few times during our talks and I never paid it much heed. Until today. I spewed some crap I read on the internet a month ago..."the police have killed more white people than black"
After further research I found this to be technically true, but not when you weigh in population percentages, which makes it wrong.

The scary fact I found, was a 2002 study from the American Journal of Public Health from 1988 - 1997 the death rate due to legal intervention was more than 3 times higher for blacks than for whites.

I immediately sent an email stating I was wrong.  That and seeing the graphs of violence recorded just from the 50's on, made me think even farther. No wonder there is fear, fathers and grandfathers, and even great grandfathers lived during these times, that you would be truly terrified to have anyone let alone law, have a gun and authority.

Before the 60's how hard was it to get away with murder? Even easier in the South (I believe Django touched on this fact). By today's day and age in 2015, murderers are being caught, information passed across the country at light speed. In 1948 they would be hard pressed to know who did it, and tell other towns let alone a nation. My father was born in 1945, if he was black and grew up somewhere near Boondocks, TN or BFE, GA then I would have some internal deep fears as well, even if he didn't teach that. You pick up traits from your parents and grandparents, that they may not realize.

Trying to imagine how it would be to live in the South, from 1600 until the 80's and 90's, as a black man, it had to be terrifying. It will take generations and lots of time to remove that fear. I believe I have a much better understanding now. Since I have lived in TN for 20 years, I still have fears of certain areas and towns as a 6'3" white boy. Thank you 63 for opening my mind a little more.

I only dump my thoughts like this for two reasons...a tribute to 63 for being an open minded friend, and hopefully other people may start to view things a little differently and see things from both sides.

For all of the people of all races who act stupid or with violence, whether it is against race or just because you are mean...think twice before you act! Otherwise you hurt everyone.

I believe "racism" is a product of fear to begin with. Fear of the unknown back in the day. That fear festers over years and years and the results are the violence we see in videos now.
All people in the past are guilty of unknown fears, but this is the time where information is fully available to us, there are far less unknowns now. Let us use the information age in a non-violent way to eradicate the fears and "racism" to focus on what is entirely most important...

Ridding the world of stupidity!

Bring back common sense!
Bring back common sense!
Bring back common sense!
Bring back common sense!
Bring back common sense!

Starting my 2015 chant

Rant over