All Lives Can’t Matter Until #BlackLivesMatter
So much division and violence in the world today. I guess that has always been the case throughout history. The difference is we are more knowledgeable than our ancestors. We know despite the differences in the color of our skins, we all belong to the human race.
Race is a social construct created by behavioral scientists to study different groups. Such knowledge may shock you, but race is not genetic. In other words, there is no Black or African gene, no Asian gene, no Native American gene, no Anglo-Saxon white gene or Latino gene. Civilization began in Africa, the racial differences we see among each other are due to geographic differences and are not genetic.
Many do not believe or even know of this. I recall an anecdotal study where a racially diverse class had DNA samples of their students analyzed. The findings were astonishing to the students. One would think black people are more closely related to each other than to other racial groups and the same for Asians and whites. But that was not the finding. It turned out you could not predict based on phenotype. A black female student was just as likely to find her genes more closely related to that of a white male than her black classmates. Race did not predict the relationship between genotypes.
Unfortunately, US history is tainted, and myths have become facts in the minds of the ignorant. We have kids, mostly white males who believe the white race is under attack and at risk of genocide. They blame people of color for their problems and believe violence is the only solution to save the white race from extinction. So they go out and randomly murder innocent people and children in public places to induce fear and become infamous. Later, they may even get a book deal or a movie.
According to reports, there were 18 high school shootings so far this year, about one mass shooting a week, most committed by men, white men spewing racist jargon they picked up on Fox News and the over 900 protected terrorist white supremacist groups in the US.
Ironically, many of these groups are pro-life and vehemently declare “All Lives Matter.” But all lives cannot matter until Black Lives Matter. These terrorist white supremacist groups don’t see or care to understand. These groups, as well as many whites, take offense at the thought that Black Lives Matter. Think about that for a moment.
Why do white men get away with murder? At least that is the opinion of many people of color. Seems every other ethnic group or organization is heavily surveilled by the US government and labeled a threat except white terrorist groups euphemistically called hate groups. Our society downplays their terrorism, calling it hate or mental illness. While gun control is important, objectivity, consistency in enforcement and interpretation of the law and justice are more important. At the moment, white men are rewarded for murder.
Lord, help us to appreciate our differences as well as our shared values and ancient ancestry. Let us look to nature as a model of diversity. And marvel at how seamlessly and beautifully nature accommodates. It’s time we move beyond race and ascend to a higher level of thought that brings us together as one human race. A race that values the lives of our children, our loved ones and each other.
Below are two videos. The first video is short and touches on the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida where 17 people were murdered. The last video is a classic– Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Experiment by Jane Elliott
Jane Elliott once said: “People who are racist aren’t stupid, they’re ignorant. And the answer to ignorance is education.” I partly agree. Racism based on cultural transfer can possibly be erased by appropriate education. But racism based on ego-weakness, where an individual simply needs a scapegoat to project its own feeling of inferiority upon, is a totally different story. Reason why many individuals who were subjected to her way of fighting racism experienced no long term effect.
So, if you want to get rid of racism, you have to start with the parents. Problem is: What if those parents are racists? And what if the parents are punishing the kid for doing (in their eyes) something wrong, calling it stupid, etc? In short, just copy/paste what they picked up from their culture, society, community, and……um…….their own parents? Then the new generation with grow up like the previous one(s), consisting of “cultural transfer racists” and “ego-weakness racists”.
Oh, and about that education thingy again: Where can one find enough anti-racist educators to re-educate a whole racist population?
Btw, remember the Milgram and Zimbardo experiments? It’s not easy (for me) to see humans as potentially good, sugah. Making ignorance the main factor, is the easy way out. Maybe humans NOT being racist, NOT being violent, NOT being hateful, and NOT needing the “us-against-them” gospel, are an exemption, are mutants.
MBA, I think you asked a key question: “Where can one find enough anti-racist educators to re-educate a whole racist population?” That question is complicated by the fact many educators don’t realize they have racial biases, partly, because it’s normalized and baked into the system. Further, there is implicit bias that appears during stress when one has less control of impulses.
Jane Elliot’s experiment was time-limited and look at the effect in that short period. Racial discrimination is chronic and a lifetime, the emotional, mental and physical impact profound and pervasive. Discrimination crushes your self-confidence, self-worth, and self-love; in addition to making one submissive and docile or rebellious. Zimbardo experiment partly demonstrated that when the subjects lasted less than a week.
I don’t put much faith in man but I have faith in the universe.
I fancy the idea that one day humanity as it is now will, one way or another, cease to exist, and will be replaced by trans-humans. Maybe they’ll a better job.
In, for instance, Kardachev’s type IV civilization, war, racism, and other shit, won’t be even remembered.
Thank you! You raised some great points. That video where the Parkland massacre being discussed was also spot on. I want to be seen as a human being like everyone else, but it’s so tough.