I’m on vacation this week, so William Way Jr. is filling in for me with this offering!
Has Racism Replaced Civility
I was reading from the world’s most reliable and sublime new source today; Facebook. That of course was conclusively factual and so I had no need for further research.
What I read was a series of posts from my good friends on the right, and few comments from those on the left. Apparently a while back Michelle Obama played a political stunt by shopping at Target. Personally I avoid Target whenever possible, along with all the other “big box” stores. But that is a different story.
Reportedly, while Ms. Obama was shopping another customer asked her to assist her with getting some detergent off a high shelf. Had I been in Ms. Obama’s place I would have concluded, as did the supposed First Lady, that the woman’s conduct was quite unladylike.
How does one get the nerve to do such a thing? What would possess a person, other than racism, to act in such a callous and intrusive manner? Leave out the part that Michelle Obama is “First Lady.” To treat anyone in this manner is beyond the pale. Yes, ladies and gentlemen the incident is without question an example of the rampant racism in America.
We are a lost society!
The idea that one person can simply impose on others, especially if they are in a position of public trust and esteem is shocking. It is shockingly a reflection of the debasement of our culture. Colonialist from early American history would never have permitted such behavior. Shucks, that type of behavior wouldn’t have been tolerated just fifty years ago.
President Lyndon B. Johnson did us no favors with his “Great Society” legislation. If anything his vision has been tainted.
Let me share how a civilized nation would have acted. I will use my dad as an example.
While walking through Target, Walmart, Kmart, or in his day even Montgomery Wards he would have acted much differently.
Upon seeing a woman accost the “First Lady,” regardless of her color he would have rushed over and intervened. He would have approached them, with his six foot stature, and said “Excuse me ladies, let me reach that for you.”
There would not have been a need for either the lower class or the self-perceived upper crust to even make a request. Dad would have been a gentleman and stepped forward to assist. That is how civility works!
Racism works just the opposite. Racism, whether it is about skin color, gender, of height seeks to establish artificial barriers between people. Racism is partially about color, but not so much so. It is clearly about enmity. Racism builds false fronts out of facades.
In the example of Mrs. Obama being asked to reach-up what is disturbing is that she, internally at least, rejected the opportunity to reach-out. What is even more disturbing is that there were no “gentlemen” willing to step forward and make the situation easier for both ladies.
Modern enmity of racism has generated a society where men are afraid of being men. Men have been taught to cower at the idea of being gentlemen…because others may choose to be ungratefully self-dependent.
There is nothing inherently bad about being self-dependent. In fact it is honorable. However, like service to others is an honorable thing. Gratitude for the efforts of others is also a laudable exercise.
Mrs. Obama fails to recognize the virtue of gratitude and thusly see any request for actions outside of her personal agenda of victimhood as racism. That is unfortunate. She is positioned where she could set an example of graciousness. Yet, she chooses the baseness of acrimony.
That Is The Way I See IT.
