what have we learned?

After a week of storms — via both the atmosphere and articulation, what have we learned?

That racism unfortunately still exists…

That civil rights can still be an issue…

And that bigotry is not indigenous to any one ethnic group.

Friends, bigotry will only cease to exist when no one fights solely for a single group of people no matter the prudence of a particular situation.

Hence, I find it absolutely ironic that on May 15th, both LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling and Rev. Al Sharpton were set to be dually honored by the NAACP in Los Angeles.  Sterling was to receive their “Lifetime Achievement Award” and Sharpton an award for “Person of the Year.”

And yet it was Sterling, who spoke so offensively this week, privately asking his mistress not to bring black people to his games.

And it, too, was Sharpton, who for decades has refused to apologize for publicly, vociferously chastising multiple white men for the cover up of an assault on a black teen girl, that the teen admits making up.

Bigotry will only cease to exist when no one fights for only for one group, all the time, no matter the prudence of the particular situation.  Bigotry will only cease when…

… the guilt or innocence of an OJ Simpson is not presumed by the color of his skin…

… the effectiveness of a President Obama is not gauged by his ethnic heritage…

Bigotry will not cease to exist as long as white, black, Asian, Arab, Jewish, Christian, gay, straight, disabled, etc. … until none of it matters.

Unfortunately, as a society we still seem to hypocritically pick and choose which prejudice to pounce upon.  Someone like Sterling, who for over 30 years has displayed aspects of racially discriminatory behavior, has been banned for life and may actually be forced to sell his property.  Someone like Sharpton remains celebrated on a weekday, evening newscast, even though only 20 years ago, the Rev. Sharpton made this college address:

“White folks was in the caves while we [blacks] was building empires … We built pyramids before Donald Trump ever knew what architecture was … we taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before Socrates and them Greek homos ever got around to it.”

We must always remember the prudence of the particular situation.  We must not pick and choose the prejudice.

Hence, I again ask, what have we learned?

Respectfully…

AR