that fly the confederate flag or put it on their license plates. That would be a private effort, not a restriction imposed by the government. Why should companies indirectly support communities in which racial discrimination is common or in which clearly racist views dominate or in which the people of the community tolerate racial hatred. It's a shame to punish a whole community for what a few people say and do, but there has to be some sort of social and economic cost to allowing confederate flags to fly in a state on government property or to foster social traditions that lead to discrimination and racial hatred. I realize that this first idea is not well formulated, but in it there is a seed for some kind of effort. Perhaps companies that are located in areas in which there is racial discrimination should actively support, financially support, efforts to educate people against racial stereotyping and discrimination.
The most distressing thing to me about this act of terror is that the perpetrator felt so comfortable, so secure, entering a church carrying a gun, with the apparent intent to kill people. He believed, I assume, that in the wake of the Trayvon Martin trial and the killings of unarmed African-Americans by police across the nation, he would be excused and that secretly our society would support or condone or at least tolerate his killing. Juries across the country have sent a message that killing African-Americans is not really a crime. That is not the belief across the country, but the specific juries and prosecutors in these cases have, some of them, intentionally or inadvertently sent that message.
Another thing is that we really need to enforce discrimination laws in the workplace and other places across the country. We should impose much, much larger penalties for violations of discrimination laws. And we should make it easier for people to prove discrimination whether it is age, gender, race or other discrimination. Our laws on discrimination are not nearly punitive enough it appears.
Yet another thing we could do is to require in our school curriculum including in home schooling, private schooling and charter schooling specific lessons on race in the history of the US and on race relations. Every child should be taught that we are truly equal and have equal rights. Every child needs to understand that slavery is a despicable part of our history and that things like torture, killing, cheating, etc. will not be tolerated in our society. Clearly, we are not getting that across in our schools, our media and our socieyt.
Another thing we could do is to form inter-racial groups in our communities for the very specific purpose of overcoming the barriers that divide races. We could have social clubs that are dedicated to members of different races meeting and just having fun together but also working in the community, going to schools and talking about race, etc. We need to attack the underlying attitudes and segregation in our social and housing patterns that make it possible for African-Americans to suffer so much discrimination and hatred without white people who do not share the hatred even being aware that it exists.
The point is we need to realize that race relations are a serious problem in our communities.
My community has a problem with gangs. We have a lot of civic groups that try to work with young people and fight the gangs. We have a march for community peace each year. It takes leadership to organize positive efforts for racial harmony or for dealing with other social problems. At least some of the groups organizing community events should be composed of people of different races working together. This should already be the case, but we need more effort to make sure that all races feel included in community activities.
I think that when Bernie tells us he wants a political revolution, he is talking about the kinds of efforts I am discussing. Groups like the Kiwanis, the Red Cross, other NGOs do wonderful work. We need NGOs that are not just African-Americans trying to educate Americans about the problems of race, stereotypes, discrimination, etc. We need NGOs that include people of different races and that work together on those problems.
I think too often white people are not included in movements that deal with race issues. I feel on DU almost a hostility toward me as a white person when I try to express myself about racial issues. I am told that I can't possibly understand.
True, I can't possibly understand what it is to be African-American in America. But that is not what racism is about at its core. Racism is not about what it is like to be African-American. Racism is about what it is like to be white in America.
African-Americans I sometimes think seem to believe that racism is their problem. I disagree. Racism is a white problem. It is a problem in the white community.
Why do I say this? Because African-Americans don't do anything to cause racism. It's white people's acceptance of racism that is the problem. That is why it is so important for African-Americans to include and welcome white people, white perspectives in their discussions about race. I'm sure that what I say sometimes seems naive and even off the topic to African-Americans on DU. I'm sure that if I were African-American, I would feel very bitter about the lack of real progress with regard to racial discrimination after more than 200 years of our history as a nation and resent what would seem to me to be misinformed or stupid comments about racism by white people when nothing seems to change as a result of the comments.
But African-Americans cannot change racism in America without a lot of cooperation and input from white people.
If we who agree that we have a problem with racism can't even talk about race and listen to each other, then how in the world are we going to deal with extreme racists.
We white people need to say it loud and clear: Racism is a white problem. It is not a problem that African-Americans can resolve on their own by trying to somehow isolate themselves from white people. It is not something that African-Americans can deal with by alienating well meaning, however awkward, white people.
White people have to take the lead in dealing responsibly with the racism in our society.
And, also, while I am at it, we need to examine racism in our courts, yes. But we also need to examine racism in our jails and prisons. We should not allow people in prison to form groups and gangs based on race. I don't know how to deal with this. But this is a serious problem. Gang tattoos, race tattoos in prison should somehow be eradicated. I don't know how you would do that, but people in prison should not have the ability or right to cut their bodies and put on race or gang affiliation tattoos. And all prisons should be required to have groups on race discrimination in which people work through their feelings on this. I have no idea how to do that, but I do know that prisons and jails are places in which some of the White Supremacist propaganda is spread. Prisoners should not have the right to practice discrimination when imprisoned.
Also, California allows ex-felons who have served their time to vote. We need a federal law that requires states to allow ex-felons to vote once they have served their sentences or are otherwise no longer subject to probation or prison or jail time.
= new reply since forum marked as read
