An editorial entitled “Always Flunking Race 101” was written some years ago by black columnist, William Raspberry, of the Washington Post Writer’s Group.  As a teenager growing up in the 1980s, I thought Raspberry’s columns were interesting and on the cutting edge for the times.

As I matured and lost myself within college life, I lost touch with Raspberry’s writings.   As a grown man in this new millennium, I came upon Raspberry’s column and decided to read it. The title was an attention grabber, but I was truly taken aback when I read the first two paragraphs, the first which said:

“Kermit the frog used to remind us: It’s not easy being green. Is that ‘Sesame Street’ Muppet still around? If so, he might want to have a go at a new lyric: It’s not easy being white. I don’t speak from experience, of course. I’m just trying to guess how it must feel to be eternally blamed for anything that goes wrong, particularly on the racial front, and to get credit for nothing that goes well.”

Raspberry then makes reference to a news report that the New Black Panther Party is likening Bill Clinton’s moving into Harlem as the beginning of a “white takeover of black Harlem.” Rightly, or wrongly, the New Black Panther Party sees Clinton’s moving into Harlem as a red flag for re-gentrification.   Raspberry then says, “See what I mean?   If whites abandon our neighborhoods, we say they are segregationists who want us confined to the ghetto.   If they move in, we say they’re taking over.  What’s a poor white guy to do?”

Now, years later, I am still trying to figure out the motive for Raspberry’s editorial.  What was he trying to achieve?  If he were trying to personify the term, “Uncle Tom,” I would say that he is headed in the right direction.   To say that it isn’t easy being white is somewhat ludicrous to me.   I mean, is it really hard to be successful in America as a white person, when white people hold the vast majority of positions of influence in business, government, and the judiciary? Research the racial makeup of Congress, the upper management of the Fortune 100, and federal judges.  Then, just for fun, look up the racial makeup of the prison population. Study the demographics of not only the urban ghetto, but also the poor rural areas of America.

In my opinion, many white people could ultimately care less if a black person criticizes them for being segregationist.   They discount the fact that many blacks blame them for not truly addressing the many injustices and inequities that exist within the black community.  If whites were really listening, then there would not be such a big (and still growing) racial divide within America today—not only socially, but economically as well.   Who cares if another black “radical” accuses whites of using Machiavellian tactics to oppress blacks?

This leads me to my second point, which is how Raspberry can take an opinion from the New Black Panther Party and insinuate that it is the opinion of the black mainstream.  Now that whites have read his editorial, I am sure that they will believe that most blacks feel that there is a white conspiracy to take over Harlem.   The truth is that there are areas, including Harlem, that whites are beginning to take back.   For example, in my North Carolina hometown, Raleigh, many whites are migrating to an historic black area called Oberlin.   Oberlin, which was predominately black, and was made “historic” by the white establishment is within a walk of downtown.   Basically the same exact thing has happened in my wife’s childhood neighborhood in Asheville.  Is this a coincidence, or is it re-gentrification? Now, I wouldn’t necessarily say that there is a white conspiracy to move blacks out of these neighborhoods, but there is definitely a pattern forming.  Moreover, many whites have realized that the same areas that they corralled blacks into during the last century are actually prime real estate.   So, like many beneficial things in life, whites will find a way to exploit the situation by using their economic and political influence to uproot the disadvantaged (whether these people are black, Hispanic, or white).   So, unlike the New Black Panther Party which arguably only sees things in black and white,  I believe that this re-gentrification is as much about the rich exploiting the poor.   Not to say that the New Black Panthers are totally off base with their assertions, but if Raspberry wants to manipulate a quote as the majority opinion of black people, then he needs to use an organization that is not so unpalatable to the American mainstream.

Basically, I am just trying to understand Raspberry’s reasons and rationale for writing the editorial.  It is ludicrous to think that a black man in America feels the need to illicit sympathy for white people, when many whites could care less about what other ethnic groups think about them anyway.   All they know is that they are the ones in power, and they are going to pass the laws that keep them in power—if not get them more power.   I am sure that many whites got a good chuckle—tongue in cheek—and a few “amens” while reading Raspberry’s editorial during their breakfast of tea and crumpets.   Perhaps a few blacks choked on their brains and eggs before asking incredulously, “Can you believe this guy?”  In my opinion, the number of whites that are “always flunking Race 101,” do so because they repeatedly fail to realize the first human, moral and spiritual truth:  All men are created equal.  If Raspberry feels the need to write on racial matters, it seems to me that he could think of something a little more “real” to push upon the American psyche.

I registered as a Democrat because it was the thing to do.   Most of my family members were (and are) Democrats, and I heard that Democrats were the “party for black people.” Moreover, nearly all the persons that I know of that support the Confederate flag are proud Republicans.  And since registering as a Democrat (basically, by default) before the 1988 presidential election, I now know that I was right not to become a Republican.  As a black man, how can I trust the Republican party?

I can honestly say that I am not an advocate of only a two-party political system.   I often think about changing to an Independent or other nominal party.   But, if I ever had the slightest notion to affiliate myself with the Republican Party, the 2004 presidential election may have irrevocably destroyed any thought of my switching my allegiance to the GOP.

Reports of what I deem to be a not-so-well-hidden Republican conspiracy to suppress the black vote during that election were rampant.  Florida governor, Jeb Bush, used his old tricks of making lists of potential felons.  This was his modus operandi to disenfranchise thousands of blacks in the 2000 election.  Out of the 90,000 people on that list, reportedly 80 percent were deemed not to be felons.  In 2004, outrage in the black community resulted in Bush publicly rescinding the list, but the list was still available to his staff.   Moreover, in Florida and other states there were reports of: police blockades of major roads in black communities that made it difficult for people to get to the polls; threats to be jailed for outstanding parking tickets, utility bills and/or rent; people impersonating plainclothes police officers outside of polls asking for identification; and, real election officials unlawfully asking for additional identification.  As an American, these actions are truly disgusting and reprehensible to me.

And then, there are the more blatant examples of a right-wing Republican conspiracy to disenfranchise voters in the 2004 election.  The Secretary of State of Ohio during 2004, Kenneth Blackwell, advised boards of elections to reject any new registration application that was not on 80-pound card stock.   No matter that the Cleveland newspaper, The Plain Dealer, engaged in public service by having voter registration forms printed in their newspaper.   State officials knew that a substantial percentage of the newly registered voters were black.  Moreover, in Nevada, a private firm, Voter Outreach of America, was hired by the Republican National Committee to register new voters.   Reportedly, supervisors ripped up and discarded registration forms of those registering as Democrats.  And, again, many of the unsuspecting victims of the fraud were black. National Republican sentiment can probably be best exemplified by John Papageorge, a Michigan State Representative at that time, when speaking about Detroit which is more than 75 percent black said, “If we do not suppress the Detroit vote, we’re going to have a tough time in this election.”

Now how can any Republican expect to get the support of a substantial number of black Americans when they resort to such chicanery and anti-American values?  How can Republicans really expect most blacks to trust the G.O.P.?  How do they expect black Americans, or any American for that matter, to have faith in government when they have shown that they will attempt to usurp the will of the people by bending, if not outright breaking the law and spirit of the law?  And regarding felons, why is it that they don’t have the right to vote, especially after they have served their time?  The law to prevent felons from voting has its origins during the post-Civil War era with all of its racist undertones.  These despicable attempts to suppress votes and undermine our system of democracy go hand in hand with Republican ideologies. These ideologies flirt with oligarchic, plutocratic, fascist and other governmental systems that survive by using manipulation and exploitation. To consistently vote for the “haves” and vote against the “have-nots” is immoral.   That’s why I, like many black Americans, do not put much faith or credence in groups like the Christian Coalition that align themselves with the GOP.   If Republicans can legislate laws that enable them to horde all the money and resources, or send them overseas to protect their interests, while millions of Americans are in need, then the Christian Coalition—which consists of thousands of Republicans—should stop using the Lord’s name in vain.

Lastly, there are the underreported instances in which persons wearing John Kerry paraphernalia were thrown out of campaign rallies for the 2004 Republican presidential ticket. Three teachers were threatened with arrest for wearing T-shirts that said, “Protect our civil liberties.”   Moreover, there were two persons arrested at the West Virginia State Capitol during a rally because they were wearing T-shirts that said “Love America, Hate Bush.” These accounts of trying to silence American citizens’ rights to free speech is, well, incredulous.

The whole way of Republican thinking is perverse and hypocritical.  Though I realize that there are many problems within the Democratic Party, including some of the same perverse issues that pervade the GOP, I almost feel like it’s mandatory to vote for a straight Democratic Party ticket in every election.  After looking at history (where, in my estimation, Republicans seem to vote vociferously against measures that will help blacks nearly 100 percent of the time), Republicans seem to have  done everything in their power to make sure that mass blacks will never trust the Republican party.  After being one of the millions of victims in a hijacked presidential election in 2000, then hearing numerous reports of Republican attempts to disenfranchise voters—of whom a disproportionate number were black—in the 2004 election, how can any black American affiliate himself or herself with the Republican Party in good conscience?   After seeing Republicans blatantly attempt to quell free speech, how can anyone align him or herself with the GOP?   For a party that espouses to stand atop the pedestal of moral values (if not Christian values), the Repub-lican Party and its supporters lose their footing and fall into the mud of selfishness, deception, and sometimes downright racism, when they fail to sincerely atone for the sins of their heritage.  Forthrightly addressing social and economic problems that not only exist in many black neighborhoods, but other poor communities as well, will be the only solution for baptizing this nation of its sins.  This is the only way to build the great legacy of true freedom, opportunity, equality and justice for all, upon which America stands.

My heart goes out to everyone who has suffered injuries and/or lost friends and family during the tragedies of September 11, 2001.  It is pretty much impossible for me to even begin to imagine the type of pain, grief and despair that persons who were directly affected by the heinous acts still suffer to this day.   I do feel the greater sense of insecurity and latent fear that has taken every American hostage as a result of the evil deeds.   After days of reflecting on the events—trying to understand why men would wreak such havoc upon other people—I have come face to face with true irony.

Following the unprecedented massacre on September 11, of thousands of innocent victims, many white Americans see the importance of uniting against a common enemy in this time of crisis.  I have seen many on television espousing their love for their nation.   I have heard some people ask, “Why do they hate us so much?” The “funny” thing is that though these citizens may sincerely believe their notions of an American utopia where everyone is quick to proclaim their democratic ideals, they may not meaningfully and actively express the values that are embodied in our constitution and the spirit upon which our laws are based.  To me, these people have placed on stage—for the entire world to see—the very facade that has existed for decades within America.   It is true that we are a great nation of people that are united in outrage and resolve against those who would do us harm, but all is not well within these united states.  We are not truly united.   Why espouse seemingly unfettered patriotism in our time of crisis when you don’t even give your own compatriots their proper respect in times of peace?   I realize that perhaps I am being cynical, but to see whites declaring their love for America during these “dark days” borders on profound hypocrisy.   Moreover, it has given irony a new meaning and life of its own.

Not only are the patriotic cries ironic, but I feel that it is also ironic that many members of our federal government who control and/or make policy towards foreign governments and political organizations fail to realize that their actions (or inaction, as it were) play an indirect role in the birth and nourishment of “terrorist activity.”

Perhaps our government should learn to listen not only to the concerns of so called extremists, but to those whose warnings are usually scoffed at and ignored by Washington.   After hours of intense reflection, I have decided that many terrorist organizations use deadly strikes upon their perceived enemies because they feel disenfranchised. The powerful, especially many within the United States, will not sincerely entertain the concerns of these people.  In much the same way, America has disenfranchised large segments of its black citizens along with other non-whites.   Though blacks and other ethnic minorities (e.g. native Americans) have cried out for socioeconomic equality for decades, many politicians and their constituents continue to neglect and/or reject the heartfelt appeals of their compatriots.  Fortunately for all of us, most Americans have chosen to use peaceful and civil methods to bring about change, notwithstanding that it may take centuries to get America where it needs to be.  But the time may come when patience and understanding is gradually overcome by violence. The desire for justice, as well as social and economic equality is compelling enough to quickly transform sanity into insanity.   Even misguided Americans who do not believe that the U.S. is a melting pot of ethnic cultures, religions and ideologies have carried out and/or made veiled threats against our way of life.  Timothy McVeigh’s bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, exemplifies one of America’s own biting her in the hand. Ironically, I feel that our government’s unwillingness to truly lead the way when it comes to fostering socioeconomic freedom is that which breeds hate, resentment, and a lack of tolerance for other people. Our society’s backlash against altruism, spirituality and basic equality nurtures the atmosphere of misunderstanding, jealousy, hate and spite that drives the diabolical intentions of the Timothy McVeighs and Osama Bin Ladens of the world.   Moreover, America’s unwillingness to confront these real social problems have led these misguided persons to applaud each others’ bad behavior, as evidenced by some of the comments on white supremacist web sites following the attacks on September 11.

Until our leaders decide to sincerely lay the foundations to provide equal opportunities for all people regardless of eth-nicity, religion, culture, finances, etc., there will always be an underlying mistrust, resentment and ignorance within our society.   In other words, if our top officials would make it their personal mission to become role models in the fight to rid our country of racism and discrimination—and all the evils that result from different forms of prejudice—this would become a practical mandate for all Americans to rid their lives of these ills.  If this were to happen, partisanship, divisiveness, deceit, distrust, ignorance and hate would be minimized to a point where true love, caring and concern for our fellow human beings would gradually take their place.

The lives of those lost in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in a field in Pennsylvania on September 11, should not be used as a backdrop for a facade of patriotism.   Let their deaths be a reminder that regardless of our ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, etc., we are all people who want the opportunity to live productive lives and fulfill our dreams. Let all of us—particularly those in positions of power and influence who sing patriotic songs in front of the cameras and quote our constitution—live by the spirit and ideals upon which America was founded.   When America-the-reality learns to embrace America-the-ideal, then our nation will truly be a country that is held in high regard by the less powerful nations and people of the world.