Black is Beautiful Made Obsolete

I made a comment on a black atheist board which was responded to, with, my feeling, that members of the African American community want to hold on to black is beautiful and want respect.  It’s time for a paradigm change.  But first I have to say that the papal decision of 1452, Dum Diversas, was not a friendly bull.  It was atrocious; and it’s obviously one of the things that indirectly led to the creation of that board aside from the great pain endured by humanity. 

But immediately, from the board’s creed of promoting freethinking, it becomes a “filter bubble” and sets a tone of exclusivity; something that can be divisive; and one that inhibits speech for fear of insulting the members.  Freethinking cannot exist without unshackling the chains of religious dogma.  Freethinking is blind to skin color.  As long as the tone is civil, free thinking should be uninhibited.  

Atheists aren't the only ones trying to arrest the tide of crazies possessed by the dogma of an ancient sect of people that has only grown out of fear, threatened disenfranchisement and bodily harm. Don’t lose sight of that.  I understand that “black atheists” wishing to share their commonality becomes a voting bloc; but there are still many more, with this common bond, regardless of skin color, who feel the same repulsion that we should cower from sanity and let the inmates run the asylum. Change cannot be done from within the closet (unless you have a laptop?).  Join forces with all of the same beliefs without the filter; communicate with those with different beliefs. Take down the clubby barriers; because we are all of the same genetic composition. Black atheists are simply darker skinned humans not believing in all the gods and demons stuff and shouldn't believe they have to relegate themselves to a closet.

The concept that black is beautiful is old school. Black is only an appearance of a different skin shade brought on by environmental conditions and endogamy.  It has no bearing on race; because, as we all know (right?) there is no such thing as race. 

Based on the new scientific findings of The Human Genome Project indicating that there are greater genetic differences within ethnicities than across; and consequently, there are no subspecies of the human race, it’s new school to realize that nature has been blending alleles for the last 100,000 years since modern man emerged from Africa; and with man’s increased mobility, is now accelerating that blurring of the ethnic lines.  So there’s been no true white or black except for man’s relatively recent social constructs.  It’s not like the scientific findings were that there ARE differences.  On the contrary, we are all equal under the skin.  What’s on the surface is only a result of geography and culturally produced endogamy.  Black is beautiful just as yellow, red, white, or any color in between.  So crying that mantra is from the days of Stokely Carmichael when many were truly convinced of the inferior race agenda and blacks asserted their “identity”.  Science now gives all discriminated against people, the authority to say that we are all, truly, equal. 

It’s a courageous quantum leap of thought to realize that man created gods and demons, particularly when we swim against the tide.  But the same folks that created the current gods and demons also created the black box that “minorities” want to escape from because they really are just a part of the human race box.  Sorry, we all got the same gifts.  So there’s one more leap necessary to understand that all of our distinguishing features are only surface deep; and should, one day, not be thought of like differentiating people by their weight, height, skin shade, eye shape, number of functional limbs, poor, rich, believers or nonbelievers, etc.; which falls into the manmade trap of labeling, different boxes, and is divisive in its own right.  

If some want to erect a heritage museum to humanity’s accomplishments in spite of his Footprints of Hate, I’ll vote for that.  There’s a choice to be made. It’s a conundrum and it’s not just a black thing; because all of humanity has been and continues to be affected by discrimination. People of color discrimination has plenty of company with Jews, Irish Catholics, Chinese, Native American Indian, Latinos, Muslims; and all the other miscreants du jour according to the religiously based white supremacists.  And for the record, all whites are not supremacists; just the way Al Qaida doesn’t speak for Islam and Zionists don’t speak for Jews.

The problem is that in today’s world of easy telecommunications and mobility, everybody looking for their own place in the sun along with its divisive fear and hate is becoming a potential powder keg; when more understanding is needed as to who we really are, and tolerance as to who we’ve been molded into.  Either jeopardize or delay a goal of equality and respect by accentuating the divisive old school of black or race canard, or assimilate into the multicolored humanity that we are all a part of.  But to maintain an identity based on blurring ethnic lines will become history.  The loftier ideals of free expression of ideas and thoughts, unencumbered by ideology, dogma and baggage, should be the goal.  Respect comes from being a human being and the ideas that come forth; not because of skin color.  

With respect,

And after successfully digesting the above, then please answer the following:  How can a community continue to support the very vehicle (religion) that enabled the greatest human atrocities of oppression and apartheid against it?  I understand how it happened, conversion under threat of duress, and old habits (brainwashing) are hard to break; but there are religiously conservative organizations that count on the black community’s faithful voting bloc which actually aids and perpetuates the discrimination, and refrains from giving the recognition of equality that is necessary and demanded. The paradox or catch-22 lives on.  That’s the message I would also try to get out.  They can believe in all the Disney fantasy they want, but when one leaves the theme park, you can’t make goofy policy from it. 

No Flies !         

An Austere Thanksgiving!

Just what we need; a skinny turkey on an unnecessary diet.  Austerity doesn’t mean cutting jobs necessary for the operation of a thriving society.  Austerity means cutting wasteful, unnecessary spending---even if that includes the likes of cutting unnecessary military expenditures simply being maintained for fear of losing jobs.  Create other jobs, fix roads, and improve infrastructure, broadband, education and research. Figure ways to enhance people’s quality of life---not cut the meat off their bones. 

Educate society so they can care for themselves rather than being on a welfare system of entitlements and safety nets.  It’s a human right to have a job, to feed one’s family; not thru ideological posture squeeze every penny out of a society to benefit a few.  Capitalism might be the best concept for an economy; but unbridled, it’s not the panacea.  Everyone is not a capitalist; and if you’re not, you shouldn’t fear for your wellbeing because of the folly of those who play the game.

Austerity doesn’t mean dismantling Human rights, one of which is the right to collective bargaining; so the last penny can be squeezed from the coffers that need it most.  The worker bees don’t get to question the queen, but they expect to do their jobs for appropriate compensation.  Crony capitalism rewards only a few, with trickledown crumbs for the rest.

Austerity doesn’t mean cut back on essential services that provides safety nets for the less fortunate; particularly when the barrier is a few decimal points or zeroes to those who will never consume their acquisitions in their lifetimes, but those who live on the edge will perish in a moment.  Austerity doesn’t mean cut expenditures for restoration and modernization to infrastructure; the well-to-do use the same highways and bridges.  The deterioration is timeless. 

Keeping our society ignorant and in ill health doesn’t serve anybody any good in the long run.  You either end up with slaves, welfare rolls, or an indigent population. That’s the society we should be proud of?  Spending on useless military items only keeps the ones manufacturing them in business; making useless things that only, maybe, come in handy in a war.  How about making things that benefit society everyday; like energy conserving things to help stave off global warming; which is indiscriminate when it comes to income brackets.

Austerity has its place in economic computations.  But that doesn’t mean we stop spending on necessities. Sure circumstances change and actuarial tables need adjustment based on reality, but it doesn’t mean you gut a society for economic ideology; adjust with the times.  A sovereign government has the ability to exceed its budgets specifically in times like these to get the economy going and people back to work.  Increased employment will solve a lot of our economic problems. It shouldn’t mean we get used to 15%+ unemployment which leads to a disgruntled society waiting for the end so those more fortunate can gain more of the pie.  Everybody should have a piece of the pie; it’s those dreams that motivate.

This cry for austerity at the expense of the populous is crocodile tears. The well-to-do benefit by cutting social programs so they can pay less taxes; but at whose expense?  Voters have to decide what kind of country they want to live in.

Jobs mean prosperity for all.  An election that benefits the few fails all.  Yet it has been the goal of republicans interested in nothing more than to see that Obama is a onetime president.  Regardless of his accomplishments, the right will find any method they can to prevent the president from achieving what’s right for the country first.  They will stop at no tactic regardless of the pain it brings to the country to spin that he is the worst so they can hope the electorate will vote him out.  Rarely has the filibuster been threatened as how it has now become routine; an impossible task to overcome simply because of the diversity that this country enjoys.  Obstreperous politicians arbitrarily pledging to refrain from sound economic practice for the benefit of a few should be thrown out of office; plain and simple.  Otherwise, you’ve seen the last of the great American Empire; and the reason.

No Flies !         

Can we really blame them?

They didn’t do anything.  They were just following orders; just like all the other “soldiers.”

Sometimes they committed atrocious acts and executed people in the name of the cause; like the Nazis and the Crusades, other times they stayed silent when another of the clan committed a crime; like the clergy, the mob, and the Penn State Paternos.

Yet, why are we horrified when probably 85% of the population on the planet, who believe in some higher “authority”, or deity, have taken oaths to protect that family?  From Pastor Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life:

(pg--164) Refuse to listen to gossip.  Gossip is passing on information when you are neither part of the problem nor part of the solution.  You know spreading gossip is wrong, but you should not listen to it, either, if you want to protect your church.  Listening to gossip is like accepting stolen property, and it makes you just as guilty of the crime.

            When someone begins to gossip to you, have the courage to say, “Please stop.  I don’t need to know this.  Have you talked directly to that person?”  People who gossip to you will also gossip about you.  They cannot be trusted.  If you listen to gossip, God says you are a troublemaker.  “Troublemakers listen to troublemakers.”  “These are the ones who split churches, thinking only of themselves.”

            It is sad that in God’s flock, the greatest wounds usually come from other sheep, not wolves.  Paul warned about “cannibal Christians” who “devour one another” and destroy the fellowship.  The Bible says these kind [sic]of troublemakers should be avoided.    “A gossip reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a babbler.”  The fastest way to end a church or small group conflict is to lovingly confront those who are gossiping and insist they stop it. 

This was Paterno, and many more like him, wasn’t it?  He told someone to tell someone else about it and eventually it got handled “in-house”; when they went to Sandusky and took his keys away.  Just like another organization’s recently exposed problems; the Church’s pedophilia scandals.

Most probably don’t realize it but they are the enablers of this conduct when they continue to support these cults.  They may not overtly realize that they, too, pass down these codes of conduct when they indoctrinate their children under the guise that it was good enough for them, it’s good enough for their children.  Yet, without thinking of the ramifications, they subject their children to the same groupthink and risk of welfare.

It really becomes a form of brainwashing because these innocent, impressionable minds are sponges when around “authority” in their early years.  Consequently, they are really given little choice in the matter whether to follow this dogma or any other, for that matter, when they’ve been indoctrinated for the first 18 years, or so, of their lives.

Maybe there should be a law that for the first 18 years, just like they can’t vote, they can’t get exposed to this indoctrination.  Boy scouts, clubs, fraternities, religions; hands off, until these minds have matured.  Let them learn about the things we know in their early, formative years, and then let them “feel” what they feel when it comes to pseudoscience later on.  The claim that they feel a deity is the reason why they “believe” in a deity is rather specious when they’ve grown up around a culture that has been foisted on them.  If they truly believe, at 18 or when the time comes, then they can act on their own convictions; not someone else’s.

And why should we be shocked when we all feed at the same trough; every time we open up that “good book” of dogma and dictates?  If you don’t like the consequences of this enabling, do something; or do we rationalize that this is the price for these shams; a few innocent souls and whatever other collateral damage there is for the perpetuation of the cult or the organization?  Too bad the whole structure of society is based on these vestigial beliefs of deities and demons for the self serving interest of using fear for the organization’s survival.  We seem to have overlooked the price we pay for the glorification of our “teams”.

You can’t blame the Paternos of the world.  They and the rest of the fellowship followers were brainwashed to go into survival mode for the cult---Manchurian Candidates---simply soldiers following “orders” whether overt or subliminal. 

We have the Nuremberg Trials, the silence of the Paternos, and the clergy’s conduct, for some, being questioned. If you can blame them because humane, civil conduct conflicts with their contradictory actions, and civil humanitarianism transcends contrary religious, cultish, dictates; then where is the line drawn?  There’s some deep, soul searching to do. 

                        No Flies !         

We have a long way to go

It’s very easy and comforting to think that because we have laws of equality we, therefore, click our heels and the playing board is level.  Maybe today in a race; but what about all those who got ahead at the expense of the ones who had their legs tied together in the race years ago and still lag behind?  What about those that we consider icons and, therefore, never think they are little more than the likes of you or I; and worse yet, exploit the weak.  Do we have so little confidence in our own human abilities that we need gods?

We think because we have icons leading our way that they can be citizens above suspicion.  BTW, that was the title of a 1970 movie where a police captain was investigating a crime.  Little did the audience find out until the end that it was the captain who was the criminal!  What a surprise!

Such is the case with the likes of the Rick Paternos, and a gazillion other elected officials’ scandals that we are “shocked” that these crimes even exist today.  Yet, the internet is awash with porn.  So, if these are such shocking issues, how are the porn sites surviving, and proliferating?

Perhaps if we took the time to ask our own questions to understand what makes man click, rather than just following some deity given scripts we’ve been handed, we can get our arms around the problem.  It’s the understanding that, as humanity, we are all equal; no one superior to another regardless of appearance, religion or culture.  We all have the same genetic makeup and share the same human universals; not to mention practically the same blood line.  Yet, we’ve committed atrocities against one another based on the dogma and mesmerization of superiority.  Sandusky, Paterno, the Pope, you start your own list.

We all live with our comforting convictions of Frank Zappa’s “it can’t happen here.”  Yet, it does, and right under our noses.  What is it that enables these situations to occur undetected until it’s always past post time?  Maybe it’s the comfort that many seek from a code that, if you believe, it can’t happen here?

It’s that code that if you belong to some fellowship where there are dictates of conduct, one expects all believers to follow.  Yet, it’s those at the top, or those above suspicion that believe they have a license to, literally, creep beyond.

The damning thing is the silence.  An assistant coach witnessed a crime, but the gravity of the crime didn’t weigh as a murder where possibly an alarm would have been sounded louder and earlier.  Why is child molestation any less of a crime?  Was it shock and bewilderment on the part of the young assistant and he sought the wisdom of a Paterno’s counsel; only to be diverted to a higher authority---that never happened?  There’s little difference between this incidence and the pedophilia in the church.  A cover-up---we’ll handle it in-house; we can take care of our own.  Yet, to the parishioners, or fans, they expected more, without exceptions or conditions; and they abdicated their responsibility based on that unfounded trust.  You get what you enable.

Oddly enough, we can’t be surprised.  The conditions that enabled this conduct were established by the very structure of these institutions; whether it be the church, football, baseball or any other glorifying venue.  We place our clergy above suspicion along side of our sports icons as well as our politicians, our business gurus and others.  Where have we lost our way?  Instead of individual accomplishment and responsibility we deify our leaders because we fail to take responsibility for our own surveillance and actions. And further, we abdicate our responsibility when we deify our leaders and expect godly conduct---when they’re no more than mortals like us. 

What makes man click?  What has been man’s inhumanity to man?  Footprints of Hate tells all.

So with the human condition, the appeal of porn, and the reaches of humanity, one can’t feign we are shocked---lest we live in your own fantasyland; only that it happened where it did, and to the ones we placed above suspicion. Just keep our heads in the righteous sand; we have a long way to go---until the next event.

No Flies !