Slavery

Slavery, a word most Americans avoid speaking, let alone discussing the topic at any great length. It’s a word that has pledged us since our conception. Lie and deny all we want that won’t fix it.

Clearly, we can’t change the past even if we wanted to, but we are able to impact our present , guarenting a better future. I know I’ve said it so many time before, but we cannot ignore or deny it. It will not go or fade away.

First, we all need to be on the same page. We have to ask ourselves what kind of America do we want. Let’s not be confused here, America as a noun I am not thinking, place or thing, but person. So, when I am saying America here I want us to see PEOPLE.

All of the people, not just white people, black people, red, yellow, or any other color of the rainbow we can find. All persons are created EQUAL.

Okay, these three words in my mind best describes who we are. AMERICA, PEOPLE, and EQUAL…

America came to be, is ,and will continue to be with people from all over the planet. We have migrated from every country, every nationality, color, walk of life, you name it we are the people. Why here you may ask? Many personal reasons with one major theme: FREEDOM. Freedom to be,opportunity to prosper, guarantee a degree of happiness, yes, that and much more.

What I want to address here is the story book version from the history book. Story books are always light and fluffy, candy coated and homogenized. Paint the picture of early settlers as heroes, upright, God fearing , and good people. Where that may be true of some, there are many that played the role of villian. Self seeking and greed motivated their actions as they moved forward to carve a place in the new world. They didn’t care about who was in their way. Pushing the locals off their land, moving them to reservations, or killing them, importing slaves to do the hard labor. Not exactly good reading in the history books.

The truth is the watered down version we read in school sold more copies. Those early settlers called the locals savages, but I ask you who were the savages. It was the early settlers who killed Indian men, women, and children, driving them from their home, and placing them on reservations, that being land that is desolate, barren, barely a scrub brush or cactus will grow there. Let us be clear it was a clear cut case of geniside. If that wasn’t enough there was the import of slaves brought over from Africa to bust their ass , doing the hard labor. That’s the reality of America’s humble beginnings. Not so humble, right!

I don’t want to leave us bearing the guilt of our founder’s actions, nor do I want to give anyone the impression of privilege or supremacy. That Is the root issue and divider of the American people. And if I might add, this problem isn’t isolated to the American people, but extends universally, a human issue. There isn’t a place on the planet that isn’t impacted.

Don’t give up hope… I know I’ve been branded an “idealist”, but although at times I tire under the weight of circumstances, in my heart of hearts I believe in humanity. We have the capacity to live with each other in peace. Color blind, equal, and respectful of each other. I ask you, are you up for the challenge?