History, Cronyism, Nepotism, and Affirmative Action
In the movie A Few Good Men, Jack Nicholson’s character says to Tom Cruise’s character, “You can’t handle the truth.” That is how I feel about most people inAmerica today. They are incapable of handling the truth, so they avoid subjects that will make them feel uncomfortable or issues that show their idols in a bad light.
Every person past the age of six knows the difference between right and wrong. A forty-year-old is going to have a better grasp on the subject but even your kids know when they are committing an infraction against your rules. Most Americans, Jews especially, will never speak about Hitler in a positive way unless they are just reprobate liberals. This is based on the Holocaust, which is quite understandable given what Hitler did to the Jews and many other people. Yet I don’t hear anyone telling the Jewish people to get over the Holocaust. At least no sane person is making this request.
When Americans, especially “patriots” speak about how their forefathers fled religious persecution, they only remember how great, brilliant, and courageous the forefathers were.
We remember at Thanksgiving how the pilgrims came over and gave thanks for their religious freedom. However, blacks were not allowed these same religious freedoms. We see the founding fathers greatness by looking at their writings and the Constitution itself, but please don’t ignore all their flaws and evildoings. Why is it so offensive to speak about this part of history? Get over yourself. We can’t just ignore history because it makes us feel uncomfortable. Slavery is a part of American history, just as is the greatness of the founding fathers.
Most whites do not know much about American black history. The black part of American History should be taught in our schools also, and not only celebrated in February. Black history is thought of as different from American history, which it is not.
Most Latinos, whites, and Asians have not read about what George Washington Carver did with the peanut. Carver was perhaps the greatest agriculture farmer who ever lived. He created over three hundred uses for the peanut and is credited with discovering crop rotation methods. One year, you might plant peanuts and the next year you might plant cotton. This help preserve the soil.
According to the Great Idea Finder, ([i]) Carver was born in 1864 and “looked at ways of utilizing the sweet potato and was able to develop more than 115 products from it including flour, starch, and synthetic rubber (the United States Army utilized many of his products during World War I).” Think about what he was able to accomplish in spite of great opposition. Why are his accomplishments not taught in schools outside the month of February? If this man were white, white America would know more about him.
Every group of people, and just about every person, has a sacred cow, so to speak. What I mean is that every group or race has something that they consider off the table for debate, even if every stone has not been overturned and examined closely in order to sift for the unadulterated truth.
Black and Hispanic people get very bent out of shape if a black or Latino is offended or violated by a white. Many blacks and Latinos see racism whenever a white does something against them. Don’t waste your time telling them that this offender has offended whites in the same way. It could be that the person who committed the offense is just a bully and a butt hole, or it could be that this individual would commit this transgression to any person, no matter what their race is. Not every instance of a white perpetrating an offence against a nonwhite is racist.
Is a man or women’s life less valuable if they are killed or violated by their own race? Far too often, blacks and Latinos manufacture racism even when their claims are preposterous. Michael Jackson came out with Reverend Al Sharpton and declared that the reason that the prosecutor was targeting him was because he was black.
No, Michael, the reason you were targeted is because you were inviting children over for sleepovers. Even ifJacksondid not molest any children, there is something wrong with a grown man inviting children to sleep over. How would you feel if a man knocked on your door and invited your children for a sleepover?
If this happened to me, after someone pulled me off the sick individual, I believe he would come to see the light of his twisted ways. People and especially Blacks worshippedJacksonlike a king despite his defiant action. I don't care if you were deprived of your childhood. Get over it, get a girlfriend, and invite her over for milk and cookies. I do believe that the parents of the children, who were allowed their children to sleep over, should be prosecuted also.
There are whites who will say that talking about the transgressions of the forefathers is something blacks need to get over. They love to remember the great things about American history, but the owning of slaves by the founding fathers is unnecessary information. “We need to move on and stop talking about this part of history,” they say. The thing that blows my mind about racist whites is, why in the hell are they so upset. They and their ancestors were the ones enslaving and lynching blacks.
How wouldAmericafeel if the hijackers of 9/11 wanted to start lynching Americans because they didn’t want to be bombed? How would Americans feel if the Japanese were upset because we were angry about being attacked atPearl Harbor? For the life of me, I can’t see why whites were so upset that blacks wanted to be free.
I also find it quite ridiculous how carefree they are about the subject. It’s human nature to want to be free. What ifBritainhad enslaved whites, refused to let them read, and broke up their families? Would they be outraged at the British government’s eagerness to keep them oppressed? This is the patriot’s sacred cow: “I dare you make any true claims about the history of our founders.”
Americans celebrate their freedom on the Fourth of July. What if blacks wanted to celebrate their freedom on January first every year? Instead of celebrating the New Year, we should celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation. Since Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, it would be quite fitting. I want you to notice that I said he issued the document, because the slaves still were not truly free.
I know some conservatives wonder why we need to use the term black history. Well, we need a way to distinguish what we are talking about. Most Americans do not talk about black history unless they are referring to the civil rights movement. You rarely hear about Dr. Charles Richard Drew, Fredrick Douglas, Sarah S. Goode, Matthew S. Henson, or Elijah McCoy. I might start a dual celebration that recognizes New Year’s Day and Emancipation Proclamation Day. How do you think that would fare with the American people?
The Latino community has a great heritage with great family structure. However, some Latinos want us to ignore how much money illegal aliens are costing this country. They seem to think that if someone loves their family and if they are a hard worker, we should pretend that they have not broken the law. Not all Latino’s think this way because many are against the illegal immigration invasion to. It is not racism if someone doesn’t want to pay for your kid’s education and health care. If I went toMexicoor any other country where a different language is spoken, I would expect to learn it.
I would not take to the streets to protest because I want all the rights of American-born citizens. This is so outrageous that it is shocking to me that anyone would try to defend illegal aliens’ rights. You broke the law. The citizens do not have a problem because you are brown; they have a problem because you broke the law and refuse to conform and adapt to our language and customs.
On the other hand, the liberal whites side with blacks on most cases that are not a clear case of racism. For instance, when Rush Limbaugh made the statement that ([ii]) "I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media had been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team. Most blacks and liberal whites thought he was being racist.
Rush Limbaugh failed to say anything about other conservatives and the liberal media that want white quarterbacks to succeed. Donovan McNabb’s numbers are a lot better than those of Doug Flutie, Vinny Testaverde, David Carr, or Drew Bledsoe. I believe McNabb has a better winning percentage than a lot of white quarterbacks that the media coddles. If someone brings Vinny Testaverde out of retirement one more time, I may try out for that team myself. I will be waiting on Rush Limbaugh’s response to the recycling of white quarterbacks.
Even in cases where there is clear racism by a police officer, white liberals and white conservatives don’t appear to be that upset. Consider the case of Byron Gillum, who was shot six times. According to a report from the Houston Press, Officer Tschirhart sent a message asking the dispatcher to find a reason for the officer to arrest Gillum "because he has an attitude." The dispatcher found nothing, so I guess Tschirhart decided to execute Gillum because he didn’t find the evidence he was looking for.
Ida Delaney was shot by a drunk, off-duty officer named Alex Gonzales. Pedro Oregon was shot twelve times, nine times in the back. The officers took the word of a high crack addict who gave them information to bust into the residence of Mr.Oregon.
To me, these are clear cases where the officers appear to have had a problem with minorities and used excessive force. In some cases, were the race card is played and eventually shown to be a trump card. In other cases it is a counterfeit spade.
One incident that sticks out is the case of Tawana Brawley. Reverend Al Sharpton has yet to admit that Mrs. Brawley was lying about being raped. To my knowledge, Mr. Sharpton or Jesse Jackson was not involved in the three real racism cases. Rush Limbaugh always quotes the Tawana Brawley case because it was a fraud, but he never mentions real racism.
Most liberal whites see blacks as inferior. In my opinion, this is why they try to give blacks handouts instead of opportunities. Instead of giving someone free healthcare and welfare, why not teach them a skill that will enable that person to be independent? “Massa” wants the slave to stay on the plantation.
So-called conservatives are always talking about how wrong affirmative action is and how it is unfair for a group of people to receive preferential treatment based on skin color. I’m not for affirmative action at all, but I am also against cronyism and nepotism.
Anyone who believes that all whites landed their current jobs based solely on their résumés is fooling him- or herself. I personally know of many cases where someone was hired because their daddy owned the damm company or because their daddy knew someone who owned a company. Sometimes qualified blacks and Latinos do not even get a chance at certain jobs. Whites often get jobs because of who they know. Does any idiot feel that this is an even playing field, when you have inside connection?
Many people have received contracts based on friendship, which is essentially the same as affirmative action or cronyism. I find it comical how indigent that so-called conservatives get about this subject. I don’t know if all politicians do what Tom Delay did by allegedly funneling money into Texas. However, he was convicted of money laundering. This is another way that conservatives use affirmative action to help their buddies.
Jerry Eversole, the Harris County, Texas, commissioner, was indicted for taking bribes from a developer named Michael Surface. ABC’s undercover investigation team did a brilliant job covering this case, along with many others. Surface partnered with a company called Keystone, from which two officials were charged with bribery. Mr. Eversole’s son shared an office space with Keystone and they expect us to believe there was no cronyism involved. Please don’t insult my intelligence.
Reporting on an undercover investigation, Wayne Dolcefino wrote,
([iii]) Last fall we detailed Commissioner Eversole's questionable work habits and raised questions whether he improperly used campaign funds for personal benefit. While examining his work calendars, we found evidence of his favorite golf foursome. One of the players was Michael Surface, another was Leroy Hermes who was one of the architects of Reliant Stadium. Hermes got contracts at Reliant while Surface was sports corporation chairman. We also know Hermes did engineering work on the Commissioner Eversole's house. So far Eversole has refused to say how much, if anything he paid for it.
I want the so-called conservatives who know without a shadow of a doubt that their representatives have engaged in nepotism and cronyism to call it like it is. Affirmative action, which is awarding a contract or position based solely on race, gender, or anything other than skills, is absolutely wrong in my book. Two wrongs don’t make a right. If you give jobs out based solely on a person’s race, how can you be sure that the most qualified person is hired?
What is bound to happen is that a lot of unqualified people will be awarded jobs or contracts. Just because a person is brown, black, or female is not enough to qualify them for a job. Proponents of affirmative action say these people would never otherwise be given the job.
How did people like Robert L. Johnson or Colin Powell make it without affirmative action? If you are given a job based on race, even if you succeed, you will be accused of succeeding only because you received a handout. Affirmative action earned Barack Obama the presidency and he is failing miserably.
Blacks voted for him because he is black. White media did not tell the truth because he is black and they did not want to come off as racist. What did Mr. Obama do before he was elected that would encourage a sane person to vote for him? He was a “community organizer” who had never had a real job or run a business. I don’t know why anyone is shocked that he is doing such a poor job.
Personally, I would rather struggle without a handout so that when I make it, I can say that I earned it on my own merit, not because of my race. I could then stand boldly and declare that by God’s grace, I made it.
Does anybody think that after the end of civil rights movement, all of the whites who hated blacks died? Are you teaching your kids to hate someone based on race? Just because a law was passed that says blacks can ride at the front of the bus doesn’t mean racism has been eliminated. All racists did not simply say, “Well, that’s it, blacks are just as good as whites.” That is not how the human heart works. The heart is dirty and filthy and it must be taught to love rather than hate.
A man often forgets to guard is heart. Hate and bias creep in when a man isn’t guarded against them. Racism is often passed down from generation to generation. Kids are not born racist in their hearts. Hatred and a superior attitude toward others is taught or caught.
If you’re black and your kids hear you refer to whites as “crackers,” they too will refer to whites in a derogatory manner. If you always say whites are racist and that you can’t trust white people, your children will believe that whites are the devils.
If you are Latino and you refer to whites as dumb gringos and blacks as niggers, your kids will follow your stupidity. The Latino community often gets a free pass and they can be the most clannish race of all. I was in Luby’s Cafeteria one day in the takeout line. A Latino lady was wrapping the silverware into napkins. When I walked in, she said the lady who could help me would be right back. I waited about three minutes before the lady came and took my order. I took my seat and waited and about a minute later, Latino lady came in to place her order.
The lady was barely through the door before the women who had not offered to help me jumped into action. With a big smile on her face, she began speaking Spanish to assist the customer. I thought I was a customer too, but I received neither a smile or help from this woman. I thought we were inAmerica, dammit, so these women should have been speaking English anyway. Also why was I being discriminated against because I did not speak Spanish? I believe that this type of clannish behavior is taught in the Latino community. They teach that “you should make sure to help your own.” This is nothing more than a form of racism.
If a white had done this to a Latino, the Latino would have been outraged, but since a Latino did it, there is no way this could be racist. This is what gets me about Latinos and blacks. They really believe they can’t be racist because they are a minority or because they believe they lack power. That is just about one of the most ignorant things you can say. If you are Latino or black and you hate someone based solely on their race, then you, my friend, are a racist and I don’t give a damm who says different.
If you were white inAmericain the 1960s and 1970s, some parents taught their kids from a young age that blacks are niggers, coons, porch monkeys, or spooks. Do you really believe that they will respect blacks? I was speaking with a white lady about racism and why it is so bad. I asked her if any of her relatives referred to blacks as niggers. She said she had relatives who referred to blacks in these terms, but they meant no harm. What? “Why, they even have black friends,” she said. If it’s okay to refer to blacks in this way, I told her, why not tell her white relatives to say to their black friends the next time they saw them, “How’s it going, coon?” or “What’s up, nigger?”
Whites, who say there is no racism in America, are simply putting their heads in the sand. I guess they believe all the racists died after the civil rights movement. Some say that Blacks should be happy that Obama became president because it proves that they have overcome. Speaking to a caller about race, Dr. Laura Schlessinger said, ([iv]) “I really thought that once we had a black president, the attempt to demonize whites hating blacks would stop, but it seems to have grown, and I don’t get it.” She was speaking with a black caller who was married to a white man. What makes Dr. Laura’s commits ridiculous is that the caller said that some of her husband’s friends were using the N-word or, more simply put, were saying “nigger.” I have already discussed the difference between whites and blacks using the word nigger and nigga.
I don’t care if whites get this or not. There are some things that whites can say to one another that blacks and Latinos can’t. Just as there are things that Latinos and blacks can say to one another that whites can’t. A black person can say certain things I would find offensive coming from the mouth of a white person, but I don’t find it offensive from a black. If I know you are calling me a nigger and not nigga, it is coming from a racist’s point of view. I’m sorry, but the history of what the racists whites did is going to be in my head. Stop with the nonsense that it is the same if Black’s say it. Nigger is the swastika symbol for blacks so if you can not understand that, I don’t know what the hell to tell you.
Dr. Laura also said, ([v]) “If you are that hypersensitive about color and don’t have a sense of humor, don’t marry out of your race.” Just because some blacks say “nigga” not “nigger” on HBO, I don’t want a white referring to me as a “nigger”, and that does not make me hypersensitive.
Dr. Laura did what a lot of liberals would do. She talked about why the woman’s husband’s friends used the word nigger around her. Ms. Schlessinger then said that the only reason blacks voted for Barack Obama is because he was black. She got completely off the subject and accused the caller of being hypersensitive.
This is the problem with a lot of so-called conservatives. No matter what you say about racism, they want you to believe you are too sensitive. It is obvious that the woman wasn’t overly sensitive about her race. I don’t believe she disliked whites. For God’s sake, she was married to a white man (who happened to be a coward, in my book). If I had friends who came around and made my wife feel uncomfortable, we would not be friends for much longer. What kind of man allows his wife to be insulted?
What I find funny about Dr. Laura’s comments is that she was implying that since we have a black president, racism no longer exists. In my humble opinion, she was saying, “Here is your forty acres and the mule” in Barack Obama. I would like to tell white people who think Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and the NAACP represent all blacks. You are out of your minds. These clowns do not represent me, nor do they represent all blacks.
Some white people act as if all other kinds of sin exist inAmerica, such as rape, theft, child molestation, and prostitution, but not racism. How the hell you can think the human heart is capable of all these other evils but is guarded against racism? If there was racism in theUnited Statesfrom slavery unto the 1980s, what would make anyone believe it has all of a sudden disappeared? I don’t believe it is as rampant as it was in the seventies and eighties, but it is still here.
My white conservative friends never really talk about stories like Dr. Laura’s, and I can tell you why: either they agree with her or it makes them uncomfortable to discuss it. However, they want to talk about Barack Obama and other liberal topics in the media. I don’t mind talking about any subject because I’m a grown-up and if my daddy was being racist, I would call him on it.
Some blacks and Latinos would have you believe racism in theUnited Statesis just as bad as it was during the civil rights movement. Only a fool would believe that. Whatever race is in charge will be more favorable to their own race. If Latinos were the majority, most of the big contracts and lobbyist money would go toward Latino businesses. Affirmative action has always existed inAmericaand will continue to be around as long as sinful men are in charge.
You can bury your head in the sand and refuse to call a spade a spade, but it doesn’t change the fact that some whites do in fact earn their money or position honestly. Nonetheless, there are hundreds of thousands of white men and women who have benefited from their skin color. Get your head out of your butt, Mr. Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps.
You are probably a hard worker and you might even be brilliant, but without opportunity, you wouldn’t have succeeded. Some blacks and Latinos do not have jobs because they have not applied themselves. Some white people may be more qualified, more hardworking, and applied themselves harder than members of the minority communities, in some incidents.
Reparation for blacks is something most Americans seem to think is a bad idea. Native Americans were given land and money for the ills that were inflicted on them. When Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which put Americans of Japanese descent into “relocation centers,” the Japanese were given close to $20,000 a piece in reparations.
According to the Institute for Historical Review, ([vi])Germany paid nearly $61.8 billion to survivors of the Holocaust. In the Bible, when Pharaoh let the children ofIsrael go, they left with gold, silver, and other gifts. I know Reparations will not solve race issues in theUnited States. Patriots and liberals can act has if reparations have never been paid before, but the facts don’t agree with their assessment.
Reparation was given to Native Americans because their land was taken away. Reparation was given to the Japanese because they were rounded up and put in camps. Who do you think was mistreated more: slaves, Native Americans, or the Japanese? This is just a little something to think about.
Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence between June 11 and June 28, 1776. It is one of the most cherished documents in the country. It was drafted when there were only thirteen states in this great country of ours. Thomas Jefferson did a masterful job outlining the grievances of the thirteen colonies against the British.
We celebrate our independence every year on the Fourth of July. Why would we celebrate unless we intend to forever remember what happened in the past? Why does white American want to remember the great history of its forefathers but expect blacks to forget the history of great black forefathers?
Forget the damm forty acres and a mule and reparations, which do nothing to solve the race issue. They simply make Cadillac dealers, gold shops, and clothing designers wealthier. If we really want to ease some of the racial problems in America, we must discuss real history. The history of all Americans must be taught in high schools and given at least some discussion.
From The Book "Whatever Happen To Common Sense"
By: Elmer Williams
