Guest post by Grammar Gramma
Recently, a woman who styled herself Terra Blanche left a comment on Bruce’s post entitled “The Curse of Cain: Why Blacks Have Dark Skin.” She stated:
And what if these so-called ‘racists’ had a point? You were right in objecting to their conditioned views but what if they were right about Negroes ‘not having souls’? Anyone can put on a do-gooder act.
Most crime in the US is within Colored communities. Are they the sons of Cain; cursed this way?
A long-time reader of Bruce’s blog posts, I was incensed by the implications of her comment, and thought I would write a reply.
Terra, let’s suppose just for a moment that you are right, that most crime in the U.S. is within black communities. I’m not granting that you are correct, but I’m supposing it for the purpose of this response.
Do you suppose it might be because of their childhood exposure to violence? That they saw their fathers hanged and their mothers raped? That they saw police violence used against their parents and brothers and sisters and thought there was no other way?
Do you suppose that it might be because they suffered (and continue to suffer) discrimination by law enforcement and the judicial system? You are naïve indeed if you believe that police haven’t targeted blacks for centuries for casual stop-and-frisk when they were doing nothing wrong, for the planting of drugs, guns and other “evidence” on blacks to cover up white crime, and for a plethora of other misdeeds against blacks. You are equally naïve if you believe that the killing of unarmed black men by police hasn’t taken place since forever. It is only now, when the citizenry has easy access to video cameras, that we are beginning to see this insidious, outright legalized murder of some of our citizenry. If you believe that discrimination in the judicial system is a thing of the past, then please consider the Supreme Court decision decided on June 21, 2019, that found that the prosecutor over the course of four trials used numerous dishonest methods to keep African-Americans off the jury at the trial of a black man. Flowers v. Mississippi, No. 17–9572.
Do you suppose that systematic discrimination in employment might be a factor in a higher crime rate among blacks? Do you suppose that government-sanctioned discrimination in housing and other economic deprivation might be a factor in a higher crime rate among blacks? Have you ever heard of redlining, whereby blacks were prevented from buying houses in certain neighborhoods? A great many U.S. citizens accumulate wealth in the form of real estate, making monthly mortgage payments that build up personal wealth. They then pass this wealth on to their children, making the lives of said children just a little bit easier. Redlining prevented blacks from buying real estate in wealthier communities, where the real estate values rose the quickest, thereby enriching the owners – but not black ones!
Do you suppose that family disorganization might be a factor in a higher crime rate among blacks? Perhaps black people are discriminated against in employment – not a far stretch of the imagination. Perhaps the scarcity of employed black men increases the prevalence of families headed by females in black communities, and this, in turn, results in family disruption that significantly increases black murder and robbery rates.
Do you suppose that the inability to post bail by many blacks might lead to a higher crime rate among blacks? When a black man is in jail, his family loses a source of income. Do you not suppose that the children of these black men might see crime as the only way to bring some source of income into the household?
You stated that Anyone can put on a do-gooder act, suggesting that Blacks might not have souls, but that they are acting as if they do. Tell me, Terra Blanche, how does one with no soul put on an act that might lead others to believe he has a soul? How do people with souls act? And how do people without souls act? And how do you tell the difference?
I am aghast that anyone today does not understand that, if any human has a “soul,” then all humans do, whether they are black or white or pink or purple or some other color. There is nothing inherent in one color of people which would grant them anything greater or lesser than any other color. To believe otherwise is truly racist. Let’s suppose for just a moment that you are right, and that blacks have no soul. Suppose an interracial couple gets married and produces children. Do these children have souls? Now suppose these children marry whites, and produce children of their own. Do these children have souls? Now, carry it on. When do these children attain souls? Or do they never? Do you subscribe to the “one drop of blood” theory? If so, SHAME ON YOU! There is no difference between black blood and white blood and any other type of blood. If you are injured and need a blood transfusion, would you demand that you only receive white blood? And if you receive black blood, are you tainted forever? Suppose for a moment that you have your DNA analyzed, and you learn that there is African-American blood in your genetic makeup. Does this mean you don’t have a soul, even though you thought you did? Terra, this line of thinking will destroy you! We are all the sons of Cain, or no one is. Bruce is right, you know. None of us has a soul. Whatever life force we have dies when we do, and we stop being. Our souls don’t go to heaven or hell. You have been lied to, Terra Blanche. There is no heaven or hell. There is only death at the end of life.
You seem to value white skin. I do hope you realize that the Jesus you worship and adore was not white-skinned. He was a brown-skinned Jew of Middle-Eastern descent. How do we know he was brown-skinned? Because all Middle-Eastern Jews were brown-skinned. I realize that this likely creates a cognitive disconnect, because you probably feel deep affection for Jesus but little empathy for a Middle Eastern person. But it is the truth.
Your vision of a white earth will never happen. Millennials are accepting of people of all colors, races and gender stripes, and find discrimination against their friends and neighbors on the basis of gender or race appalling. They will be the salvation of our nation, and of the world. One day we will live in a world where people are accepted for who they are, not the color of their skin. And you and your kind will be a few tiny voices, crying in the wilderness because you have been cast out for your racist views.
What an excellent post, Grammar Gramma, I couldn’t agree more.
Incidentally, with the handle ‘Terra Blanche’ one was not expecting anything very different!
Discrimination comes in all forms, size and shape.
I grew up in East Vancouver, BC, as a teenager from Taiwan, and where I attended school, a white Evangelical holy roller school, I experienced racism. It takes me years to be able to acknowledge this and come to terms with it. Yes, my ‘white Christian brothers and sisters’ in my Christian school discriminated against me because I was a fob, fresh off boat foreigner. I think Christianity as a white religion is still at her core, a white religion. When we were taught to preach the gospel and to evangelize, we are promoting this white ideal of a God who is quite stern, legal, but good. He likes to punish evil doers and communists, etc and God favors an economic system called capitalism, and as a white man, prefers patriarchy, in what we called ‘complementarianism.
Yes, I experienced all that, and adopted this religion so I might have a foot hold in this North America. But as I grow older, I begin to sense that faith is more than just white faith. Faith is something we all commonly share, such as this good earth, this beautiful sky and breathable air, and drinkable water. And when I die, I shall return to it and be no more. This is my faith. But that white Jesus and white patriarch in the sky, I have learnt to let them go. One god is harsh enough, let alone two gods.
Benjamin: I’m sorry for the discrimination you have suffered. I have a neighbor from Thailand. She has experienced racism too, and it was shocking to hear about.. I have recently acquainted myself in much greater depth about what white privilege really means. There’s always more to learn for those who choose to. I totally agree with your second paragraph.
I hear you,Mr. Chung. I’m mixed race, Russian and Mongolian on my father’s side,born in Cali. I encountered such behavior many times, it was worst up in Northern California,where you have the ” settler mentality.” It sounds like you ran into that up in Canada,which has a virulent racism towards First Nations citizens, that comes up a lot. I do believe,and will always feel that Europe has perverted the Gospels, weaponizing it, to control and oppress others. History bears this out. While still a believer, I’m really motivated not to be subjected to the abuses of type I’ve witnessed and seen others go through. I like the idea of God, and praying, etc. I always ask him why he allowed things to ever reach such levels of evil, and say to him, ” do better.”. I don’t mean this lightly, I’m serious. The ” tares” argument isn’t good enough. Those like whom one sees in the Black Collar series,they shouldn’t even exist. They’re beyond foul ! This Terra person sounds like a mental case. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn she’s from a small,Deep South town somewhere. They have the nuttiest ideas. I can’t blame you for feeling as you do. There’s so much wounding going on with these churches. I also want to say one more thing to Terra- child abuse is why Black people are so violent. They aren’t born that way, systematic abuse does this. There’s a movement to end this, finally. On You Tube,for example ” Beware of The Toxic, Narcissist Black Mother.”. That’s just one.
Racism is prevalent, and anyone who says it isn’t is a liar. My husband is a math teacher who has his own tutoring business. A client once commented that he must have a lot of Asian students because, “You know, Asians are good at math and want to be the best at it.” He let the client know that he taught honors math and low level math and had the same proportion of Asian students as represented the student population in both high and low levels.
I have African American friends, highly educated professionals, who have recounted being pulled over for being black in certain neighborhoods. One was roughed up by a police officer.
Unfortunately, racism is alive and thriving in the USA.
Greetings ObstacleChick, Regarding Asians and math, when I taught English in Asia it was clear that the prime directive in families was to work very hard at school and achieve high marks. It seemed the most important focus in many families and kids were expected to come home from school and be prepared to do more schoolwork/learning with a tutor. This was a common practice. My point is that Asians may well be better with maths because they work harder at it! We certainly use tutoring in the West but nowhere close to the amount it is used in Asia. And frankly, my experience in that environment made me start to encourage parents of the kids I tutored to back off a bit and not be so fundamentalist-like in their attitude to education/learning. I was rarely listened to but got very polite smiles instead.
I nearly threw up at Terra Blanche’s comment. Your response here is spot on. Well done.
Thanks for addressing so many absurd ideas. Pet peeve: Some people have no souls? Never did know how you could prove that the complainers, white evangelicals, have souls themselves. In some religion, each person has FIVE souls, and some souls stay around longer after death. No proof that that idea is wrong!
RE: The Mark of Cain. Whether it is correct that the Mark was his skin turning Black or not (there is nothing in the writing to indicate that this is so. It is read in by people based on their own pre-conceptions.), the point of the Mark is to PROTECT Cain. So, those biblical “literalists” who “believe God” grab one word (mark=Black Skin) and use it to justify discrimination and oppression and murder, the exact opposite of what the writing actually says it is for.
Sound reasoning and cogent right to the point where Terra has no soul. She may or may not. You and I may or may not but no one knows or can know. To claim so is arrogance worthy of a god.
I worry when folks start talking about others not having souls. Everyone should worry about that. it’s the first step on the road to genocide.
Either we ALL have souls every creature, on land and in the sea, or there is no such thing as a soul. take your pick.
When Facebook came out several years ago, I participated, as it was a cool way to connect with old friends, etc. I quickly found myself unfriending people because of their incredible racist views, until I just quit the whole social media scene.
I couldn’t believe the things that supposed “friends” were posting and liking!
I’m 68 yrs old…an old hippie! My friends and I believed in love and peace in the 60’s…now it seems they’ve turned into their parents, and are just as prejudiced as they were.
And boy, do they love them some Trump!
As they say, “not all trump supporters are racists, but all racists are trump supporters “ .
Racism is alive and well in East Texas!
Goyo, you are spot on in your assessment. I’ve drifted more to the center/left the last several years while people my age and older, many of whom were dopers and hippies have embraced Trump and racism.
Although I agree with the intent of this post, I had to chuckle at the notion that millenials would save the world. The most likely scenario is that they will follow the same basic nature that has been displayed throughout the past few million years of human evolution. Once they acquire position, property, and power, most will do whatever it takes to hold onto them.
Oh, how did I ever miss THIS post ??! Terra Blanche ( White Earth) you ARE aware that the only reason Black people are in America is because they WERE brought here against their will- kidnapped for financial gain,right ? Only love of money could have brought this on, be it the Spanish explorers or Puritans/ Pilgrims. Of course this evil act,in itself set the stage for Blacks to have lots of problems. Trauma IS generational. What do you expect ?? And customs from both the masters of slaves and Africa as well, shows up in family and crime issues ! And, let’s not forget how good paying jobs and manufacturing was sent overseas 40 years ago,at least- cheating millions out of the post- WW2 age of abundance,all the way to present day economic nightmares. Your smug,White Supremacists comment belies your ignorance and meanspirited way. You know very well that all humans have souls, and even these Southern aristocratic wannabes made sure their slaves were preached at, admonished to be ” good servants.”. Animals aren’t preached to,just people. America’s problems stem from being a stolen continent built with stolen labor. It’s a sad fact that won’t be ignored- repressed and censored, it’s still a fact ! And the Internet broke loose all these documents from those times,which prove this to be true. All considered, it’s a miracle anyone bothers to go near Jesus, especially in the States. More like in spite of you,Terra, rather than because of you. And dark skin is an adaptation to a strong sun,where Africa and the Middle East is. You do Jesus no favors here. By now, it’s well known that Europe hijacked Christianity, barring non- Whites from benefits of the Gospel on purpose. The Doctrine of Discovery is not a Christian doctrine, but a Catholic/ European one. That same Papal Bull brought Africans to this Hemisphere. I just can’t see a real Christian being okay with slavery,or genocide. Because it involves theft and murder,both of which are forbidden in the New Testament. Christians can’t do that stuff. Does this clear up your confusion any ?