Best & Worst of Both Worlds

It is a blessing being me. I get to see things in such a different light and God has really been good to me, beyond my best prayers. I have the fortunate opportunity of viewing the world from 2 sides and seeing the options and opportunities for both. One thing I have always tried to do as a writer and poet, and just as a person, is walk and talk with honesty and integrity. In doing so, as blessed as I am to be me and see the benefits of "both worlds" I have the unfortunate truth of facing the worst of them as well.

Just recently I read an article on CNN.com from an accomplished journalist who wrote an article about "Is America Ready?" speaking on the topic of if America is ready for a African American as President of the United States of America. She went through a series of thoughts she had on the topic and believed, as I do, that America is ready. In reading the article, there was a piece in it that spoke to the fact that racism still exsist, and it does. She wrote about the fact it becomes obvious when you see citizens at a rally for McCain and Palin shouting "Kill him" and "terrorist" in reference to Barack Obama. Now this is a reality, it did happen at a few rallies and it is truly sad that it has happened. In this reference, the journalist identifies this as the obvious signs that racism does exsist and it is a one sided reference. Racism does exsist, but it is not just because whites (who were the shouters at this rally and the subject of her reference) are speaking out and showing that they are still racist, or harbor some racist feelings towards blacks. It is not just whites who hate others for the color of their skin or the many other characteristics that make up a person. We have pointed the finger at whites on so many occasions as the driver of continued racism in our country when it is simply just not the case. (all the time) We protested and wanted the radio d.j., Imus, fired for making remarks towards the Rutgers Womens basketball team as "nappy headed hoes". We could not believe he could say this, and he had to be tried, judge, and sentenced based on our feelings. When he came back to radio, he made a reference to a black football player who was accused of a crime as being a victim of "racial profiling" and we didn't hear that...we heard. "he was black?...well there you go". We hear the white comedian from the Jerry Seinfeld show, make a reference to blacks as "niggers" in a stand up he performed at a club and there we were, trying him, judging him and provided his sentence to life out of the business. These two situations are just a few references of many, many more of how it is obvious that racism still exsist and it is not just whites who speak out about it. See, I don't believe that the D.J. meant anything racial towards those young ladies at all in his reference. I believe he was merely repeating what he has heard on the radio and T.V. . I also don't believe that the guy from Seinfeld meant anything hateful by his reference, again, just repeating what he heard. Now I do believe that these references may not have been the best for either one of them, but repeating what they here, assuming it was ok, and in fun may not be their fault.

I am a huge fan of comedy. Absolutely love it and on a good day, am a fairly comedic individual myself. I love to laugh and believe that laughing is a cure to many of life's challenges. I have watched so much comedy over the years on so many different shows and have laughed at most of them. (some just ain't funny) I have watched BET's comic view, HBO's Def Comedy Jam, stand ups, sitcoms, been to many comedy shows and just hung out with some funny people in life. In this, I have heard a wide range of comedy from being beat down for asking for some candy at the store to flying house shoes from the mama that doesn't miss. In some of the skits, many topics are discussed to include race and racial differences. In the performances, black comedians imitate white people in such a way that shows them to be upity, stuck up, scared of blacks and danger, white people. The voice is changed, the walk is changed and the attitude is changed. Whites are referred to as "honkeys" "crackers" "whitey" and several other names less "politically correct". They are talked about, put down and challenged to say the infamous "N" word.

On radio, t.v., movies, and magazines, blacks refer to eachother as every thing else but some thing that uplifts. In so called "black movies", whites are portrayed as inferior and submissive. Scared and disrespected. When a black is portrayed that way in a movie it is called "slave day" like or racist. Why is this the case? Why is it that on "black" programs, negative references and comments are welcomed and ok, even though it creates separation among people and how others are viewed, but on "white" programs it is cause to fire and dismiss? This is racism at its strongest.

The reality is this....there is racism in our country and some whites are a part/cause to that, however blacks contribute to it as well and are more open about it. How you ask? Take a look at some of the following:

A black republican is considered a sell out, a upper class black is considered upitty or an uncle tom. A poor black is considered ghetto, and a angry black is considered a thug. These are not stereotypes created by whites either. These are the labels that we gave to ourselves. The bible says clearly..."love your neighbor AS your self." It makes this reference in Leviticus, Matthew, Mark, and Romans. God instructs us to love yourself first, then and only then can you truly love your neighbors. How can we continue to speak to ourselves in such a negative way and then towards others and think that we are excluded from the hate that still exsist? The fact is racism has grown and comes in a different form now as oppose to before. Before, you would see it, hear it, feel it, every day in the streets and the way people spoke and the segregation that existed. Now, it has morphed in to the fabric of peoples lives. In others words, they don't feel that they are racist, yet they live and conduct themselves in a segregated fashion. The comments made, hint at racist tones, the actions speak to racist feelings, so much that it is not obvious to that person any more, it is just the way they are and how they were raised. That is why they feel they are not racist, they really don't know. For example, and this is not a plug for Obama, (this time) but in the second debate, McCain referred to Obama as "that one". Now, did he mean it in an outright, racist manner, I don't believe so, but it was disrespectful and hinted at racist undertones. Another example is when McCain was speaking to a member of the audience there who happen to be black and said to him, "I am sure before this economic crisis, you probably have never heard of Fannie Mae or Freddie (Mac)" No deliberate intention, but just the way he is by nature. This is the state of our Country now. We don't believe we are, yet are feelings speak differently. How do we change this? How do we come from a place that has been born in the very essence of who we are? We face the truth. Why do we feel the way we do? Why do we treat others the way we do, good or bad? Anger is the root cause of it all. Blacks angry for slavery, and have carried that for all these years and feelings have been passed down, thoughts, ideas, and hate. No one in this generation has ever been a slave or owned a slave, yet we treat eachother as if they have. These feelings have come out in various acts of good and unfortunately some bad. Those bad actions have caused whites to become angry do to the acts being towards them in most cases. Over the past 3 decades however, those acts have been aimed at eachother. Now we stand at the crossroads of truth. Some whites do harbor hate and racist feelings, and the fact is, so do blacks. In some cases, as shown in those comedy shows, music, t.v., and magazines, blacks can be more racist at times, especially towards whites. This is an issue we have to face and have to be honest about. Now, of course this is not a reference to all whites or all blacks, but I said in the beginning, I try to walk in honesty and I have to face the Best and Worse of Both Worlds. I believe that the answer is in the scripture in Romans 13:9 The commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet (have an evil desire), and any other commandment, are summed up in the single command, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. And... James 2:8 If indeed you [really] fulfill the royal Law in accordance with the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as [you love] yourself, you do well. We have to face the truth, learn from the mistakes and know that God has a better plan for us all. People are just different, they operate different, they think different, they look different, and approach things different. Does that mean one is better than the other? No, it means they are different. The thing that is the same? Love, we want to love and be loved. Success, we want to feel and be successful. Family, we want and need to be apart of family, something bigger than us. All of us are equipped to face this challenge it is time that we do. Why do we view people of other races the way we do? Is it what we heard on t.v.? Is it what other family members or friends have said that made up our mind? Is it what we don't know that causes us to fear and back away from wanting to know? One of these is the questions we all have to ask.

Why me? Who am I to talk about this issue? "he doesn't know" "He has a lot of nerve" "who does he think he is?" I have heard it all in the 33 blessed years I have lived. Who am I? A child of God who loves people with such passion that I have to talk about the truth. I have to get people to at least hear it to begin to try and face it. How do I understand? People look at me, in my face, at my skin and see what they want to see. They see what they have been trained to see over their life. They see what they think they have to see. However, what they do not see, and what many don't know is the history, the heritage, the fabric of who I am and what I am. What they don't see is regardless of the heritage, the life, the circumstances and event I have gone through and endured. The experiences that I have encoutered that has caused me great pain at times, and resulted in great joy with God's grace. The truth is the truth, I am who I am. People can see what they want, but if you are to caught up in who I am, then you miss out on who you can become. I told you, I have seen the Best and Worst of Both Worlds....only one way to do that, and the best that I have seen is an amazing and unbelievable thing we should all embrace. We will all be better for it. Racism is a terrible thing that has torn our country apart for far too long and hurt far too many people. Thousands have died to fight against it, to put an end to it. Has their efforts come to an end? Has the prayers gone up to be unanswered? I don't believe they have, I believe the time is now to start. How? By being different, being the example for others to follow, standing up for what is right, what God has asked of us. Loving despite the actions of others to allow God to work through you and in them. We start by looking in the mirror to change what we can change....first.