Perplexing Times

It is one of those weeks, when I drive through town, walk through airports, read my newspaper on airplanes, listen to news talk radio --- and remain in a chronic state of perplexion. What can I say? I am perplexed about what I see and hear.

Has the world gone crazy? Or is it just me - not getting it? The stories I see and the things I hear are troubling to say the least. I usually end up with questions that seem to have no answers. You see, there is much about today's world that I don't understand.

Yesterday, for example, I was reading about abortion. It's been a problem in America for many years now (since Roe vs. Wade made it legal). I know about the different views of the pro-life and pro-choice lobbyists, etc. What I did not know (until yesterday) is that nearly 50% of all African-American pregnancies in America are terminated through abortion! I did not know that African-American woman are five times as likely to abort their babies as white women. Talk about racial inequality! What's up with this statistic? Could someone in the black community, with its proud heritage, help me understand this?

Then there is the gay issue. I opened my newspaper last week (October 11th) and was greeted to a full color insert celebrating something called "National Coming Out Day." It's apparently a national holiday to recognize gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered individuals. What is it that we're supposed to recognize them for. As a born-again, Bible thumping Christian, I don't agree with them. I believe they are deceived and misguided. But I respect their right to be wrong. Hate crimes against them are surely wrong, and their civil rights should be the same as anyone else. But celebrate them? I don't get that? I was saddened to see Citibank had a full-page advertisement on the back of this insert too. Apparently they see themselves as a gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered employer. (I wonder if they ask about that on their employment applications!)

Later in the week, I was reading where the U.S. military branches are now spending about $360 million per year to replace about 12,000 men and women who violate their "don't ask, don't tell" policy and "come out." So let me grasp this. We're at war, two wars. I guess I hadn't thought much about it when it's been talked about in the past. A don't ask, don't tell policy seemed to hack off the GLBT crowd, but I assumed they were a minority and it was a mostly political issue. It turns out it's a financial issue. Fiscal impact is being felt by all Americans. It might even be a national security issue.

For some reason, our military believes that fighter pilots, doctors, soldiers, mechanics and other military jobs cannot be performed effectively by people who are not straight heterosexual. So they spend $360 million a year getting rid of them. (Of course, this says nothing of the money they spent to recruit and train them in the first place.) The real irony is that once thrown out of the military, these same individuals will practice their professions quite adequately. Go figure.

So my final perplexity this week (so far) is the presidential election. I listen to talk radio on the AM dial. One of the shows I was listening to today was taking calls from listeners. This guy named Preston calls in and starts to explain why Barack Obama needs to be our next president. In a nutshell, Preston thought it was only right, since we've had 43 white presidents. The talk show host ask him repeatedly what it is that he wants Barack Obama to accomplish as president. The only answer Preston ever offered was to just be president. Apparently, at least for some African-Americans, it does not matter how good or effective our next president is --- as long as he's black.

Preston went on to explain that any whites that don't vote for Obama are racist and just participate in the hundreds of years of oppression the blacks have suffered in America. I wanted to call in right then and ask him if he's ever been to Africa. He might get a better sense of what oppression looks like. I think I've blogged before about the blacks in America versus the blacks in Africa. Simply put, I know of know country where Africans are native where the standard of living or the freedoms come anywhere close to that enjoyed by most African-Americans in the U.S. (So enough of this black oppression crap!)

Like I said, it's been a perplexing week. And I haven't even talked about the nationalization of the western world's banking systems!

Black in America

Okay, I'm confused. I have to admit that there's something I seriously don't get. I've grown up with racism being an issue in my country. I simply don't understand why that is the case. More to the point, I cannot comprehend the perspective that others seem to have this subject in. To me it looks a lot different than I imagine it does for most.

I'm about to say some things that are going to sound offensive to some. You'll find no apology for what I'm about to say though. It's sincere and I believe the product of rational thinking --- and questioning. (I've always believed that questioning is a good thing.)

Let's start with the definition of black here in America. Presidential candidate Barack Obama, for example, is described as black. He had a white mother and a black father. How does that make him black? Isn't he as much white as he is black? Others play the same card. Halle Barry, for example. She's a beautiful celebrity, a model. Even white men fancy her. She calls herself black. We call her black. Born of a bi-racial couple, why isn't she called bi-racial?

It seems to me that in times past, when black wasn't such a good thing, people wanted to be white. But now that blacks have a great deal of equality, being black is in. So even the white people want to be black. I don't get that. And the cynical side of me supposes that they are only black when it's convenient. What about the poor people who truly are black and don't get to choose? Isn't that what's really unfair?

I'll be 50 years old this year. I've grown up listening to the rhetoric on racism, racial issues, equality for blacks, African-American issues, etc. I don't think anyone could be proud of how America treated its slaves. Then again, when I read my Bible, I'm not sure that slaves were treated any better in Biblical times. And to be clear, God's chosen people had slaves back then. What is the difference? Did the Israelites sue Egypt and demand an apology? When slaves were freed, did they go around demanding justice for what had happened to them?

The question I'm really trying to pose here is whether or not we really have the slavery and racism issue in America screwed on right. Or do we have it out of whack? Can human beings expected to make a social transition any faster than we have made it since the slaves were freed here? It's a reasonable question. Where else in history did a society free all of its slaves and treat them as equals? How long did it take to accomplish that. Might our expectations be just a bit unrealistic?

Finally, I've been to Africa. I've seen how the African people live. For the most part, it isn't good. It seems to me that if their ancestors had been enslaved in America, those people today would be living a lot better than they are. Does anyone ever stop to think of that? Isn't it possible that this horrible slavery and racism struggle ultimately put the black people in this country in a better place than they would have been otherwise? (The answer is yes, by the way.)

I don't consider myself racist. In fact, I have deep commitments to and relationships with people of color in this country and in Africa. But I have to say that I am sick of racism being the trump card for everything in America. The reality check is that sometimes imperfect humans can only shed their biases and re-train their thinking so fast.

Are the black radicals in America willing to give us grace for that?