About Me

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Birmingham, Alabama, United States
43 Years old Born in Wilson, North Carolina. Work in Law Enforcement / Patrol, married I am a Political Conservative without a party to represent my vote. I dislike liars, especially the type who are politicians and preachers. I oppose abortion of any type at any stage. The baby is innocent and deserves life regardless of the mothers circumstances. I also dislike racists. Especially the kind that always scream racism at others when life doesn't go there way! Get a life, it's only skin color and God made idiots in all colors. I also dislike Democrats, they wouldn't know the truth if it bit them on the ass. I dislike Republicans, they are truly the most spineless creatures on God's green earth. I dislike arrogant environmentalist who think we can destroy what God created. If your homosexual, I don't dislike you, but please keep it in your own bedroom behind closed doors for the sake of the untwisted.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

A Learned Behavior That Divides


I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. I doubt there is another region in the United States of America that has been more cursed by racial hatred and violence than right here in my hometown. Ironically, Birmingham, Alabama can also be described as the most religious of all cities in the United States. Almost every street corner has a place of worship from smaller homes remodeled into a church building to the most splendid cathedrals and temples, most of those ironically are Southern Baptist in denomination in the black and the white communities as well as the rich and the poor. How incredible that people living in the same city in neighborhoods so closely situated together and the same God worshiped along the same lines of belief and yet only the color of their skin so deeply divided them. How incredibly ignorant this is yet it fueled the flames of hatred until its boiling point erupted into violence of historic proportions. Prejudices deeply rooted in both white and black cultures passed down from generation to generation touching each in its own way. Some more prejudice than others depending on the learned behavior from each home or church family channeled the poisonous hatred into each new generation. I remember the prejudice behavior that I learned at home mostly through slurs that were used more often than any true discussion about race or differing cultures. I learned even more prejudice behavior from peers in grade school. Believe it or not I heard slurs from the pulpit of church. A much more mild form, but slurs nevertheless. Now that I am older I understand that most prejudices are learned behaviors of ignorance in each culture and that this ignorance left little room for interest in seeking understanding of the others hardships or pain of injustice let alone seeking resolution and unity. As I grew up I struggled as I’m sure many who can relate did with the conflict of Christianity and a prejudice upbringing. Although my learned prejudice behavior was very mild it was still in conflict with the Christian belief and indoctrination of my same upbringing. These two obviously opposed each other and do not belong together but as I mentioned before each culture was very similar in the belief of Christianity. I remember also the jokes and falsehoods I heard at school from other peers in school about Martin Luther King Jr. I also remember the history lessons taught in school that honored him although I had very little interest at the time. It was not until my late teens that my love for reading introduced me to some of King’s speeches. At first skeptical and on guard for my own race being criticized I found his speeches to be non offensive and even inclusive. Later in life from letters I have read and speeches from old television news reels I discovered that Martin Luther King gave instruction to both the white and black races to live in harmony, peace and friendship. I opened my eyes to what this man had dared to do in order for his own dream and vision to be realized. I admired the tremendous amount of courage this man possessed to face white America and hold them accountable to their very own historical documents of equality while being grossly outnumbered by angry throngs of people still blinded with the learned behavior of prejudice in their culture. Dr. King was relentless in his mission to see black America become equal to white America in Citizenship as the founding fathers wrote in the constitution but failed to produce in reality. Not unlike David and Goliath, Dr. King stood his ground at risk of the great peril he would eventually receive and achieved one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of mankind, and achieved his goal of America legislating their equal Citizenship. But he did this at the cost of his life. What a man to be honored. Tonight I reread Dr. King’s speech; “I Have a Dream” and I wonder if the message of the man was remembered by both White and Black America as we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Is the learned behavior of ignorance of both races still stronger than the desire to follow King’s instructions to truly realize his dream of both races living in peace and harmony? What learned behaviors will each of us pass down to our children? We are all guilty at times of allowing that learned behavior to pop its ugly head out. But can we plant good seeds that can eventually smother out the weeds that grow between us?

2 comments:

  1. your best post by far, I feel the love!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8:34 PM

    I agree with your brother:)Great Job!

    ReplyDelete