Racism Lives

Dear guys,
We live in America, home of the brave and land of the free. The day before the anniversary of 9/11, I wondered just how many Americans respect the concept of freedom.

The Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans met for an opening game to the NFL season. It was thought of as a moment of hope during the pandemic, which has robbed us of some many activities we enjoyed as a nation.

The players and the league still believed that they needed to recognize the lack of equality in American. Rather than taking a knee, which many Americans--fueled by the blubbering of Donald Trump--disliked, the players of both teams stood in the middle of the field and linked arms. Some fans booed.

Are they opposed to freedom, to equality? If you asked, they would say no. Personally, I think they objected to a large group of powerful, physically and economically, Black men implying that there's something more to life than football. I believe that that group of Americans, probably White Americans, did not like Black men pointing out a failing in this country.

People of your hue have suffered from this indignity for centuries. It is as if these Americans are saying because of your African heritage, you do not have the same rights as European Americans. It's strange statement.I assume that many of the boo-people are also Trump supporters. (That's a presumption on my part, but a logical one.) Yet, the Donald has done nothing but criticize America, its foreign policy, and its leaders--political and military--for four years straight. He has complained about our environmental policies. He has criticized our courts by pardoning the convicted only because they have been loyal to him. Yet they do not boo him. What is the difference? The real hue of his skin.

Much has improved for African Americans in the past 70 years, but much, much more has not. We have made overt racism a crime, but we have done nothing to deal with the racism infecting too many Americans and the invisible racism of those who don't point it out.