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?

Another Police Officer Killed by Selfish Cowardly Monster

Here we are again less than one week since the Lakewood police massacre in the state of Washington we have yet another police officer murdered in a cowardly way simply for doing his job. This time apparently the coward was a pharmacist who simply murdered a police officer in Pelham, Alabama three miles from my own home because perhaps he was angry about receiving a citation for speeding.


The investigation is still in progress I’m sure and all the facts have yet to be released but by all known indications the cowardly monster, Bart Johnson was traveling on I-65 when his vehicle was pulled over by Pelham Police Department Officer Phillip Davis for the violation of speeding. After the initial approach of the violating driver, Officer Davis returned to the suspect’s vehicle with a citation in hand. During discussion of the citation the suspect shot Officer Davis in the face in an unexpected sucker-punch fashion and sped off into the night leaving the officer lying on the side of the interstate severely wounded. A passerby saw the injured patrolman and phoned police for help for the wounded lawman who was transported by ambulance to the University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital where he later died of his fatal wounds.


The suspect continued on his escape from the law by driving to the east end of Birmingham to dump his vehicle in the Birmingham neighborhood of Inglenook, then incredibly, the coward fugitive sought safety by going to his brothers home in Trussville, Alabama where his brother works as a police officer. Imagine the nerve, the gall to seek out a police officer after cowardly slaying a police officer a short time before merely because he was being cited for speeding. The suspect Bart Johnson and his police officer brother were later arrested by Hoover Police (Neighboring agency Near Pelham) as the duo was reportedly heading back to Pelham, Al. to turn in his brother for the slaying of a brother officer.


Bart Johnson was placed under No bond status after his arrest and the fate of his brother’s charges have yet to be determined if any charges are applied at all.


It boggles my mind that any member of the human race would willingly shoot a police officer in the face over self righteous anger of being ticketed for speeding. It has been determined that Bart Johnson had several prior traffic violations in the past. Did this despicable life form feel he was being unjustly picked on by law enforcement because of many prior tickets he has received in the past? Did this coward feel that he was above the law to the point that he himself thought in his mind that he was judge, jury and executioner of this police officer and sentenced him to death on the roadside rather than to pay for a ticket? It is obvious that Bart Johnson cast asside the fact that 39,800 people lost their lives on the nations highway in the year 2008 and that Officer Phillip Davis was only doing his job to ensure the safety of motorists on his freeway. Apparently Bart Johnson felt like he did not deserve a ticket despite the fact that 30% of all traffic fatalities are attributed to speeding motorist. No, of course not, Bart Johnson the merciless coward was too busy secretly pulling a handgun to shoot Officer Davis in the face to be thinking sensibly about his own personal responsibilities. Now he will forever belong to the group of cowards that killed a police officer for trying to keep the streets and interstate safe for Bart and all others who travel the roads during the Christmas season.


I hope this gutless coward is sentenced to death after a fair trial and his endless appeals are over and I further hope something goes wrong with his execution and it is prolonged and very painful before death.


May the flames of hell rise to greet Bart Johnson as his soul falls into Hell for eternity!

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