Thursday, July 18, 2013

HOW I SEE IT PART 2


                                                


Is George Zimmerman a racist?

Was Trayvon Martin up to no good?

Was the jury's decision based on racism?

Answers to these questions are what is driving America crazy. People are accusing, assuming and being downright ugly. Many plead for a gentler society yet act out in less than gentle ways. No one is happy - even those who agree with the verdict or at least understand why the jury came to its disturbing conclusion. We are all so conflicted.

Why?

Lets face it, this case has pushed every button on the dashboard. No one is exempt and I believe every one cares. Now, that is where I see great hope for us all. A national dialogue is happening. Although some of it is nasty - as seen even on this blog - it is still a very good sign that we as a people are moving forward - attempting to figure it all out. Unfortunately, a young life was sacrificed for this privilege.

The raised voices seem to be insisting that America is a racist nation. Well, America has that history. But I believe we must stop referring to ourselves this way. You are what you believe you are and, thus, hang on to that identity to some degree. I, for one, would rather believe America used to be a nation of racist but now is a nation struggling very willingly to change. Rather, America is a diverse nation of many stripes. Racists still are out there - absolutely. But then there are a hell of a lot of people like you and me. I believe this wholeheartedly. And you know what else - there are loads of people who are racist and don't even know it. They are so sure how they think - how they act is correct. They even use the Bible to back them up. These are the folks we should be concerned about.

A diverse nation also means levels of intelligence, sanity and ignorance. This will always be. The human animal will never evolve away from this.

So, we do the best we can. We MUST make sure we do the best we can. We allow ourselves to recognize our own racism - work on deleting it - and, above all, do not act on it. Keep it your dirty little secret and fix it. A prevailing sense of bigotry can no longer be tolerated. Fix it.

FIX IT!

                                       

14 comments:

  1. Poignant, bittersweet, beautiful... You are awesome!

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    1. Thanks Amber. I'm still trying to figure out how I put you on my blog page as a permanent link.

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  2. Ditto. Unfortunately, it is difficult not to be perceived as a racist nation when your nation was founded on slavery. I am reading "Soul On Ice," by Eldridge Cleaver, published in 1968. It has still many pertinent things to say about race relations in 2013. We have come a long way from the 60s, but we still have a long way to go. And we don't seem to have any politicians on the right or left side of the aisle who pragmatically and morally are able to reasonably and rightfully fill the void.

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    1. True - and sometimes it just seems we are on rewind with race, wars and such BUT we've just got to keep trying which is human nature at its best.

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    2. BTW, I am reading several books on race relations, including "Soul on Ice" to help inspire me to make some changes in a play I am trying to write about a black lawyer assigned to represent a white supremacist charged with killing a black community leader. It's called, "Hate Crime." Not an easy play to write.

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    3. The play sounds fascinating - great idea

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    4. Yes, but only if I had talent enough to write it. LOL. I can't seem to catch exactly what I am trying to say. There is a mystery involved - did the white supremacist really do it? But I am trying to make it about race relations. Ugh! I decided to put it aside for awhile and work on other things, like a new crime novel based upon my attorney disciplinary experiences.

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    5. Gotta run but just think about this - why don't you leave it a mystery - write it so the audience can decide based on their own subjectivity - we (Roundabout ) once did a play a few years back starring Anthony Mackie that left it up to the audience to decide his guilt. It was thrilling. I forget he name of the play. I'll look it up. Maybe you can read it to get a handle on how you might want to accomplish this if, of course, this sort of dramatic device interests you.

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    6. Thanks for the great advice. Yes, I think I may be wanting to infuse it with too much message instead of just letting it entertain. BTW, I am trying to organize a new play developmental workshop down here similar to the Road Less Traveled Theatre's New Play Workshop in which I was a participant with my play, "Practical Time Travel." (That was an adaptation of a short story as you may recall). I am meeting Monday evening in that regard with the head of Polk State College's drama department. Let you know!

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    7. Good luck or break a leg on the workshop. Here is a link to the play I mentioned. I remember liking it very much and asking Anthony Mackie about his motivations and choices. His responses surprised me. http://broadwayworld.com/article/Roundabouts-world-premiere-of-Belbers-McReele-to-star-Anthony-Mackie-20041207

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    8. Thanks, much.

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