(In response to ABORTION REDUCTION article by Jonathan Merritt in Relevant Magazine: http://relevantmag.com/magazine/current-issue)
---------------
It’s so hard to know exactly where to begin to flay the diatribe masquerading as a “new discussion”. Ironic that there is very little merit to Jonathan Merritt’s decidedly liberal (and grossly misinformed and misinforming) invective about abortion. Allow me to reveal my true colors up front, literally. I’m a biracial (black/white) thirtysomething who is a married father of three. I was adopted at 6 weeks of age and was born as a result of rape.
I’m thankful to our nation’s stalwarts in the fight against slavery. They didn’t give up because people claimed that abolition was a divisive argument. I’m grateful that singularly focused and passionate people sought not just to seek a better life for those enslaved, but to rid our society of the very law that failed to recognize their full humanity. We hardly consider that a myopic viewpoint or their actions polarizing.
Jonathan would’ve been more accurate to say that the tagline for the abortion debate should’ve been: Conning America since 1973. The Pro-Abortion industry has been intentionally propagandizing the American public for decades. Yet, somehow, efforts of those who believe the 1973 decision was an egregious assault on our true liberties, have managed to educate the public, increasingly swaying our society toward a more prolife viewpoint. Forty two percent versus fifty-one percent? A stalemate? I thought stalemates occur with something closer to a 50-50 split. Must be new math. A 51% to 42% result would ensure an unquestionable victory in any contest.
And this is just the beginning of Merritt’s seeming Pro-Obama advocacy piece.
Throughout the article, the only ones vilified are the ‘Christian-right’. There’s never a mention of those organizations, like Planned Parenthood (whom Obama supports whole-heartedly), who have poured hundreds of millions into campaigns of deceit and lobbying efforts to prevent any prolife legislation. Who in the world does Merritt think has brought ‘abortion reduction’ policies to the state level? Prochoicers? Commongrounders? It has been the effort of the very groups he spends so much time demonizing in this disingenuous piece that have worked on grass-roots levels to bring some sanity back to the ill-decided Roe v. Wade (and Doe v. Bolton) decisions.
Inextricably tied to ‘abortion reductionist agenda’ is this ‘Whole-Life’ mentality that somehow claims that caring for pregnant woman and encouraging adoption is part of some epiphany. This is nothing new. I can recall the many Pregnancy Resource Centers that I’ve worked with over the years, churches, and adoptive parents who’ve been doing this for decades. Just because an instrument of the media (albeit Christian progressive media) says it, doesn’t make it true.
There isn’t a shred of evidence that any legislation that Obama has supported has ever reduced abortion. Omitted from this article is Obama’s staunch advocacy for Planned Parenthood, federally funded abortions (as included in the HealthCare reform legislation), his opposition to protecting infants born alive due to botched abortions, and his support of the liberal SB 99 sex education bill (in Illinois). None of this shows someone who has even attempted to find common ground. SB 99, which Obama voted for, struck the language that described abstinence as the “only protection that is 100% effective against unwanted teenage pregnancy, STDs and AIDS”. It was changed to: “…abstinence is an effective method of preventing unintended pregnancy…” Thankfully, the bill never made it out of the Senate. Beyond the rhetoric is legislation with words that truly matter. How in the world do we approach an issue without being willing to acknowledge who is an ally and who is an antagonist? The point of this is, as President, his political advocacy is a continuation of what he has ardently supported during his adult public life.
I do agree with Merritt on one thing: actions speak louder. But whose actions reflect an intention to reduce abortions? Nancy Pelosi? Harry Reid? Barbara Boxer? Patrick Leahy? Barack Obama? Every single one of these pro-choice politicians adamantly supports the very organization (Planned Parenthood) that encourages promiscuity in the guise of sexual liberation and tolerance, that has legally fought against EVERY pro-life state policy from being enacted, and aggressively markets teens with factually misleading information about sexual behavior and abortion.
Who, on the left, does an ‘abortion reductionist’ partner with that has made great strides against Roe v. Wade? I would propose that the list would be extremely short. Could Merritt illuminate any recent abortion-restricting legislation that has been introduced or overwhelmingly supported by pro-choice politicians? Making adoption easier has been the goal of many conservatives—not something new that Obama is heralding. The suggestion, toward the end of the article, that prolifers need to do more than vote ignores the magnitude of effort that happens every day, in every state, to save and change lives.
My parents can claim the ‘abortion reductionist’ mantle. They can claim the “We’ve Translated Belief into Action” mantle. They adopted 10 children and fostered several others. They have supported orphans from around the world. They have financially supported prolife organizations that have sought to restrict abortions through the very policies that have helped reduce the overall national abortion rates. They’ve never demonized anyone on the left for their opposing ideology. They’re not considered progressives even though they’ve contributed to providing an environment where abortion isn’t the only option. They’re what the oft-quoted ‘abortion reductionists’ would call extreme right wing. Why? Because they believe ardently that abortion isn’t something to merely be reduced, but eliminated. Just as slavery was a human tragedy, the inherent nature of abortion is the same; otherwise, why in the world are we even trying to reduce it?
=======================
Ryan is an Emmy Award winning broadcast design and branding professional in Atlanta, GA.
For more information, visit: http://www.shouldhavebeenaborted.com
© 2009 Ryan Scott Bomberger
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
I Want My GroceryCare
It seems we have a government who increasingly, since the establishment of this great nation, feels that in order to ‘promote the general welfare’ thinks that it needs to generally promote welfare—for all.
Typically, when an American family comes across hard times, it makes the difficult choice of doing without. The normal response isn’t a shopping spree at the local mall. The painful truth is that there isn’t the money to cover the expenses, so the sacrificial act of getting by with less now is preferable to sacrificing a whole lot more down the road, when crushed under the weight of debt.
But apparently simple mathematics and economics escape our illustrious government representatives. And I’m the first to avoid blaming a particular party, because both the GOP and the Dems share the blame of shameless reckless spending and arrogant unwillingness to curb their over-spending addictions. It’s been over a half-century in the making, and it seems our disconnected leaders are suffering from a severe case of denial. Reality means nothing, so in this vein of fantasy I propose some ideas that our current administration should champion with expedience and zeal.
GroceryCare. Yup. How can we possibly talk about the right of millions to Healthcare if they’re not first fed? What kind of callous government can overlook the daily plight of every American? Before we can even speak of someone’s personal health, we must teach him or her to fish, or at least, give them some fish. Ok, a lot of fish, and plenty of hearty vegetables, and fruits, and fluids rich with anti-oxidants, and multi-grain bread to sop up the trans-fat free butter that must be on everyone’s grocery list.
Yes, we Americans have been fooled into thinking it all starts with Healthcare. We need to stand up and demand GroceryCare. It is the first step to a healthier citizen who can praise his or her government for realizing that no one should ever go hungry. And that way, we will never bite the hand that feeds us. Give and we shall receive, oh Government. Please, take away our cornucopia of grocery stores. We don’t need all of those choices. Feed us and our bellies will be full as well as our hearts—brimming over with gratitude.
And along these lines, I propose that in order to enable us to exercise our right of GroceryCare, it is glaringly obvious that we also need GasCare. How else can we get to that single source of government-issued sustenance without a means by which to get there? So, our very health is dependent upon the government’s gracious extension of another sacred right of ours—to have gas. Can you imagine what kind of health ramifications there would be if we couldn’t get our food? If we couldn’t get to our jobs? If we couldn’t travel like everyone else, freed from the constraints of costly (global-warming causing) fuel? The stress that we save our bodies, and thereby committing thoughtful preventative healthcare, is incalculable (kind of like the Stimulus Package’s effect on our economy).
But one cannot possibly broach the subject of Healthcare without the means by which so many of us make it by, every day—Credit. So, in light of the millions of Americans who are without good credit, or are seeking better credit options but are left without a way to have what others have due to the poor state of Credit, I propose PlastiCare. Yes, nearly every day, we Americans are defined by our ability to swipe that plastic. Think of all of the anxiety that can be eliminated if people know that the government is taking care of their plastic. Health experts would certainly see a sharp increase in individual and collective happiness as the barriers to materialism are leveled. The government’s been living off of credit for decades, seemingly without consequences, why shouldn’t the debt-strapped American public? Let’s subsidize it and ensure that PlastiCare gives hard-working citizens (oh, and the lazy ones too) a sense that there’s no limit to what can be achieved…I mean, acquired.
So, I beg my fellow Americans to think beyond just HealthCare. There’s a world of rights we haven’t claimed for our own. Let’s jump into that same river our elected leaders have thrust themselves into. The current is fast, furious and irresistible. Let it take us away. For we know we have a government who has already charted the course, has navigated its tumultuous turns, and will, in the end keep us all above water.
Then again, this was a literary exercise in fantasy.
=============================
Ryan is an Emmy Award winning broadcast design and branding professional in Atlanta, GA.
For more information, visit: http://www.shouldhavebeenaborted.com
© 2009 Ryan Scott Bomberger
Typically, when an American family comes across hard times, it makes the difficult choice of doing without. The normal response isn’t a shopping spree at the local mall. The painful truth is that there isn’t the money to cover the expenses, so the sacrificial act of getting by with less now is preferable to sacrificing a whole lot more down the road, when crushed under the weight of debt.
But apparently simple mathematics and economics escape our illustrious government representatives. And I’m the first to avoid blaming a particular party, because both the GOP and the Dems share the blame of shameless reckless spending and arrogant unwillingness to curb their over-spending addictions. It’s been over a half-century in the making, and it seems our disconnected leaders are suffering from a severe case of denial. Reality means nothing, so in this vein of fantasy I propose some ideas that our current administration should champion with expedience and zeal.
GroceryCare. Yup. How can we possibly talk about the right of millions to Healthcare if they’re not first fed? What kind of callous government can overlook the daily plight of every American? Before we can even speak of someone’s personal health, we must teach him or her to fish, or at least, give them some fish. Ok, a lot of fish, and plenty of hearty vegetables, and fruits, and fluids rich with anti-oxidants, and multi-grain bread to sop up the trans-fat free butter that must be on everyone’s grocery list.
Yes, we Americans have been fooled into thinking it all starts with Healthcare. We need to stand up and demand GroceryCare. It is the first step to a healthier citizen who can praise his or her government for realizing that no one should ever go hungry. And that way, we will never bite the hand that feeds us. Give and we shall receive, oh Government. Please, take away our cornucopia of grocery stores. We don’t need all of those choices. Feed us and our bellies will be full as well as our hearts—brimming over with gratitude.
And along these lines, I propose that in order to enable us to exercise our right of GroceryCare, it is glaringly obvious that we also need GasCare. How else can we get to that single source of government-issued sustenance without a means by which to get there? So, our very health is dependent upon the government’s gracious extension of another sacred right of ours—to have gas. Can you imagine what kind of health ramifications there would be if we couldn’t get our food? If we couldn’t get to our jobs? If we couldn’t travel like everyone else, freed from the constraints of costly (global-warming causing) fuel? The stress that we save our bodies, and thereby committing thoughtful preventative healthcare, is incalculable (kind of like the Stimulus Package’s effect on our economy).
But one cannot possibly broach the subject of Healthcare without the means by which so many of us make it by, every day—Credit. So, in light of the millions of Americans who are without good credit, or are seeking better credit options but are left without a way to have what others have due to the poor state of Credit, I propose PlastiCare. Yes, nearly every day, we Americans are defined by our ability to swipe that plastic. Think of all of the anxiety that can be eliminated if people know that the government is taking care of their plastic. Health experts would certainly see a sharp increase in individual and collective happiness as the barriers to materialism are leveled. The government’s been living off of credit for decades, seemingly without consequences, why shouldn’t the debt-strapped American public? Let’s subsidize it and ensure that PlastiCare gives hard-working citizens (oh, and the lazy ones too) a sense that there’s no limit to what can be achieved…I mean, acquired.
So, I beg my fellow Americans to think beyond just HealthCare. There’s a world of rights we haven’t claimed for our own. Let’s jump into that same river our elected leaders have thrust themselves into. The current is fast, furious and irresistible. Let it take us away. For we know we have a government who has already charted the course, has navigated its tumultuous turns, and will, in the end keep us all above water.
Then again, this was a literary exercise in fantasy.
=============================
Ryan is an Emmy Award winning broadcast design and branding professional in Atlanta, GA.
For more information, visit: http://www.shouldhavebeenaborted.com
© 2009 Ryan Scott Bomberger
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
THE COMMON SOUND OF COMMON GROUND
Last Sunday we were called upon, once again, to find Common Ground from a leader whose words often contradict his actions. Finding Common Ground appears harmless, on the face of it, but what does it really imply? I suggest that Common Ground is invoked more by those who desire for you to cede your position while they hold to their rigidly held convictions...beliefs, of course, that are touted as inclusive and embracing. There are instances where common ground is the area where we should attempt to meet. However, there are some issues in our society that so deeply violate and coarsen our humanity, the only ground on which to stand is higher ground.
Should we have found 'common ground' on slavery? Should we have found 'common ground' on women's right to vote? Should we have found 'common ground' on the liberation of the victims of the Nazi death camps in WWII? Should we have found 'common ground' when our nation was savagely attacked on 9/11 by those who'd like to annihilate us? Abortion is not an issue that simply needs a semantic overhaul, Mr. President. It's a core issue of our humanity that illuminates how we, as a society, regard the most defenseless among us. It defines what we believe truly empowers an individual. And what is it about this issue that has some clinging to the rhetoric of 'reducing abortions'? Why reduce something that gives so much clarity and strength to an individual? Shouldn't we be encouraging more abortions as the possession of this right makes us a stronger people?
The answer is simple. Abortion is indicative of a much greater societal problem that only worsens as people willfully ignore the truth. As one who is, like Obama, both black and white, I can't help but recall the 1857 Dred Scott decision. Just as in Roe v. Wade, this supremely unconstitutional and shameful ruling determined that a certain class of people were "non-persons" and thereby not entitled to the protections of our Constitution. I'm eternally grateful that our Congress overturned the decision of 7 profoundly misguided Supreme Court justices and brought Justice with the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. How ironic that, in 1973's Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court actually pulled language ("due process of law") from the very amendment that ascribed full humanity and citizenship to black Americans in order to strip those very same rights from the unborn.
Common ground can be unstable, as the truth begins to erode a loose foundation of emotional underpinnings. We can't reclaim the destroyed lives in the Nazi death camps. What would've happened had we entered the war earlier? We can't reclaim the Rwandans who were slaughtered in the name of Hutu-Tutsi tribalism as the world chose to do nothing. But today, we have an opportunity to stop the judicial criminality and the cleverly marketed vernacular that excuses the death of millions in the name of 'Choice'...a political machine that has shown it has absolutely no interest in common ground, or often the simple truth. Its very mission (NARAL, NOW, Planned Parenthood) is to prevent discussion, to fight any common-sense prolife legislation, to downplay heterosexual marriage and fatherhood, and to encourage promiscuity in the guise of sexual liberation and tolerance. Barack Obama, himself, never showed any interest in finding common ground on the difficult issue of abortion. Both as a senator and as a presidential candidate, he was an outspoken supporter of the "Freedom of Choice Act"--the complete antithesis to last Sunday's supposed clarion call. In fact, his carefully crafted words to the Notre Dame audience should be considered in context to the recent DHS "Rightwing Extremism" report (see pg 2 of 9), released by the Obama administration, which considered those who hold prolife views possible terrorists. Who's demonizing whom here?
Common ground is a small area indeed. And it is not often that it is the shared destination, particularly in political discussions. But beware of the lure, of the enticing rhetoric, that insists it is where you should plant your feet. You might find that the ground you thought was so solid is nothing but sinking sand.
======================
Ryan is an Emmy Award winning broadcast design and branding professional in Atlanta, GA.
For more information, visit: http://www.shouldhavebeenaborted.com
© 2009 Ryan Scott Bomberger
Should we have found 'common ground' on slavery? Should we have found 'common ground' on women's right to vote? Should we have found 'common ground' on the liberation of the victims of the Nazi death camps in WWII? Should we have found 'common ground' when our nation was savagely attacked on 9/11 by those who'd like to annihilate us? Abortion is not an issue that simply needs a semantic overhaul, Mr. President. It's a core issue of our humanity that illuminates how we, as a society, regard the most defenseless among us. It defines what we believe truly empowers an individual. And what is it about this issue that has some clinging to the rhetoric of 'reducing abortions'? Why reduce something that gives so much clarity and strength to an individual? Shouldn't we be encouraging more abortions as the possession of this right makes us a stronger people?
The answer is simple. Abortion is indicative of a much greater societal problem that only worsens as people willfully ignore the truth. As one who is, like Obama, both black and white, I can't help but recall the 1857 Dred Scott decision. Just as in Roe v. Wade, this supremely unconstitutional and shameful ruling determined that a certain class of people were "non-persons" and thereby not entitled to the protections of our Constitution. I'm eternally grateful that our Congress overturned the decision of 7 profoundly misguided Supreme Court justices and brought Justice with the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. How ironic that, in 1973's Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court actually pulled language ("due process of law") from the very amendment that ascribed full humanity and citizenship to black Americans in order to strip those very same rights from the unborn.
Common ground can be unstable, as the truth begins to erode a loose foundation of emotional underpinnings. We can't reclaim the destroyed lives in the Nazi death camps. What would've happened had we entered the war earlier? We can't reclaim the Rwandans who were slaughtered in the name of Hutu-Tutsi tribalism as the world chose to do nothing. But today, we have an opportunity to stop the judicial criminality and the cleverly marketed vernacular that excuses the death of millions in the name of 'Choice'...a political machine that has shown it has absolutely no interest in common ground, or often the simple truth. Its very mission (NARAL, NOW, Planned Parenthood) is to prevent discussion, to fight any common-sense prolife legislation, to downplay heterosexual marriage and fatherhood, and to encourage promiscuity in the guise of sexual liberation and tolerance. Barack Obama, himself, never showed any interest in finding common ground on the difficult issue of abortion. Both as a senator and as a presidential candidate, he was an outspoken supporter of the "Freedom of Choice Act"--the complete antithesis to last Sunday's supposed clarion call. In fact, his carefully crafted words to the Notre Dame audience should be considered in context to the recent DHS "Rightwing Extremism" report (see pg 2 of 9), released by the Obama administration, which considered those who hold prolife views possible terrorists. Who's demonizing whom here?
Common ground is a small area indeed. And it is not often that it is the shared destination, particularly in political discussions. But beware of the lure, of the enticing rhetoric, that insists it is where you should plant your feet. You might find that the ground you thought was so solid is nothing but sinking sand.
======================
Ryan is an Emmy Award winning broadcast design and branding professional in Atlanta, GA.
For more information, visit: http://www.shouldhavebeenaborted.com
© 2009 Ryan Scott Bomberger
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A Little Angel Named Aliyah
How can one describe being a daddy? The gift of life often defies the ability of language to capture the truly intense emotion that defines being a father. There are many different types of fathers. Some are present. Some are not. Some connect. Some don't. Some uplift. Some tear down. Some see a blessing. Others see a burden. I pray my life, as a husband and father (currently of 3) will always be the former in each example. I'm in awe of each of my children. They remind me of what adults should be--curious, passionate, uncomplicated, loving, and eager to learn. My newest little angel arrived in October, and she has tugged on my heart just like my other two munchkins. Love is forever an evolving thing. Just when you think you've loved with all you have, you find you've only begun to tap into that wellspring of affection.I understand how God sees us, His children, in a way no one can understand until you hold that child closely and cling to her as if you never want to let go. I get a glimpse of what it's like to want to move heaven and earth so that the ones you've created will know that you did it simply because you love them. I will do all I humanly can to be the kind of father that my children need. I pray that I will always be the husband that provides an environment where my wife can be the loving mother she is so naturally.
I've been given 3 beautiful responsibilities that will always know their daddy loves them no matter what. And although actions speak louder, I hope I never give up trying to find the words to tell them, every day, how much I love them.
Ryan Scott Bomberger is a media professional serving as a Creative Director in Atlanta, GA.
© 2008 Ryan Scott Bomberger. For more information, visit: http://www.thisisryan.com
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
SAFE, LEGAL AND RARE?
Let me start by saying, abortion is a VERY difficult, heart-wrenching issue in which a man can never truly appreciate its full depth. However, it transcends politics and cuts right to the core of our humanity. At some point, we reap from the efforts we've set forth to define who we are and how we value life, on both ends of the chronological spectrum. We live in a culture that is fascinated with death. Our tv shows are saturated with it, our video games explode with it, and our music celebrates it. The Abortion Issue defines the very core of our society. And it's always worth conversation--the verbal tugging and pulling--and all-the-while moving closer to what it all really truly means. Throw away the semantics. Throw away the politically designed vernacular and let's talk explicitly...not about choice (for a candy bar, soda, school...such an innocuous and ever-evading word 'choice' has become), but about the very future of our beautiful American society.
I've been vocally anti-abortion/pro-child (any child, any defect, any circumstance) since I did a persuasive speech in Mrs. Jennings 8th grade class (she was an AMAZING teacher). The politics of abortion weren't as intense then, at least in the public schools. I was able to speak honestly and factually about it, undeterred by the censors of today's public education system.
Flash forward to the bizarre, upside-down rationale of today's society and it's considered increasingly intolerant and ignorant to discuss openly and honestly the issue of abortion than to simply subscribe to the slogan-based, celebrity-led, chic status of the pro-choice (Pro-Abortion) crowd. Planned Parenthood, like PETA, has a penchant for the extreme offense. It makes for great PR. But their efforts take us no closer to the truth, and certainly no closer to any common ground (not that common ground is the highest virtue). Seemingly content to shout obnoxiously than converse meaningfully, Planned Parenthood continues to flaunt its hypocrisy when it comes to privacy. Recently, they fought against the seizing of personal records of abortion patients by the State Attorney General of Indiana who sought the records of 84 clients (allegedly under the age of 14). Planned Parenthood filed suit claiming, primarily, a breach of 'constitutionally protected' privacy.
It's funny how privacy is such a convenient weapon.
Planned Parenthood (on their website originally and now through surrogates such as www.clamormagazine.com) is more than eager to sell shirts for women to publicly proclaim "I HAD AN ABORTION"...a triumphant statement, an action steeped in pride, a mantra for a brave new generation of young women? What happened to the ever sacred privacy? Safe, legal and rare is a myth. Abortion is a multi-billion dollar industry, and apparently apparel adds some more zeros to this industry's yearly figures.
Ryan Scott Bomberger is a media professional serving as a Creative Director in Atlanta, GA.
© 2006 Ryan Scott Bomberger. For more information, visit: http://www.thisisryan.com
I've been vocally anti-abortion/pro-child (any child, any defect, any circumstance) since I did a persuasive speech in Mrs. Jennings 8th grade class (she was an AMAZING teacher). The politics of abortion weren't as intense then, at least in the public schools. I was able to speak honestly and factually about it, undeterred by the censors of today's public education system.
Flash forward to the bizarre, upside-down rationale of today's society and it's considered increasingly intolerant and ignorant to discuss openly and honestly the issue of abortion than to simply subscribe to the slogan-based, celebrity-led, chic status of the pro-choice (Pro-Abortion) crowd. Planned Parenthood, like PETA, has a penchant for the extreme offense. It makes for great PR. But their efforts take us no closer to the truth, and certainly no closer to any common ground (not that common ground is the highest virtue). Seemingly content to shout obnoxiously than converse meaningfully, Planned Parenthood continues to flaunt its hypocrisy when it comes to privacy. Recently, they fought against the seizing of personal records of abortion patients by the State Attorney General of Indiana who sought the records of 84 clients (allegedly under the age of 14). Planned Parenthood filed suit claiming, primarily, a breach of 'constitutionally protected' privacy.
It's funny how privacy is such a convenient weapon.
Planned Parenthood (on their website originally and now through surrogates such as www.clamormagazine.com) is more than eager to sell shirts for women to publicly proclaim "I HAD AN ABORTION"...a triumphant statement, an action steeped in pride, a mantra for a brave new generation of young women? What happened to the ever sacred privacy? Safe, legal and rare is a myth. Abortion is a multi-billion dollar industry, and apparently apparel adds some more zeros to this industry's yearly figures.
Ryan Scott Bomberger is a media professional serving as a Creative Director in Atlanta, GA.
© 2006 Ryan Scott Bomberger. For more information, visit: http://www.thisisryan.com
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Black, White, Tan
Color. It's a phenomenon of light that relies on reflection and perception. Change the atmosphere, the environment, and what appears to be one color one moment, takes on a different hue all together the next. Yet, somehow, we are fixated. We can't seem to take our mind off the momentary reflection. Now, don't get me wrong. Color is beautiful. It is inspiring. But it's only temporal.
Just as the sky is painted in beautifully diverse strokes by day and dusk, the same strokes give way to the color of night. Instead of embracing color and enjoying the canvas it paints for us on a daily basis, there are those who would rather draw lines, create categories, and enforce unknown boundaries based upon a fleeting reflection of light. Reflections can be so misleading and so unfulfilling. Just think of an instance when you saw someone's reflection in a window or mirror, but upon a close encounter, you realized you saw a distortion, something that didn't represent the reflection at all. In the same way, the reflection shouldn't be where our perception ends.
It's the substance that lies beneath.
As one who has grown up in a multi-racial family, I can truly appreciate the normalcy of the insignificance of color. We love our diversity...different shades, shapes, talents, and personalities....so don't get me wrong, the veneer is nice, but it’s just a covering. It takes an intentional, deliberate desire to see the person and the worth within.
The vultures of the dying civil rights victimology industry demand that we see only the reflections, and immediately classify, categorize, and criticize each other. They continue to circle around picking away at the carcasses of the memories of those who blazed paths that led to us focusing on the content of our character and NOT the color of our skin. Their diatribes are divisive, and their rhetoric is downright rabid. The mouthpieces of the media-embraced church of victimology continue their rants, foaming at the mouth about reparations, segregation, and social justice (often at the expense of denying justice to others). Undeniably, there exists racism and inequality and, well, humans who will always wallow in weakness and the destructive proclivities that make us so, human. But racism also knows no racial boundaries. No single race has a monopoly on this repugnant human behavior.
But the voices of division will continue to spew their venomous vituperation—hate that gets dressed up in oxymoronic political correctness. Howard Dean, Jesse Jackson, Cynthia McKinney, Louis Farakahn, Kweisi Mfume, Janeane Garofalo, Julian Bond, Harry Belafonte, Kanye West, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Al Sharpton, Tim Wise...you get the point.
There is so much the binds us together, more so than what should EVER tear us apart. Our color is a mere reflection that can change from sunlight to moonlight. Who we are, and what we stand for, what we so ardently believe...these are what lie beneath the reflection in the deep pools of introspection and discovery. And it's there that we find that it's not whether we're black, white or tan on the outside but rather if what's on the inside is ever illuminated, it reflects character, integrity, love and compassion. These are qualities that know no color.
Just as the sky is painted in beautifully diverse strokes by day and dusk, the same strokes give way to the color of night. Instead of embracing color and enjoying the canvas it paints for us on a daily basis, there are those who would rather draw lines, create categories, and enforce unknown boundaries based upon a fleeting reflection of light. Reflections can be so misleading and so unfulfilling. Just think of an instance when you saw someone's reflection in a window or mirror, but upon a close encounter, you realized you saw a distortion, something that didn't represent the reflection at all. In the same way, the reflection shouldn't be where our perception ends.
It's the substance that lies beneath.
As one who has grown up in a multi-racial family, I can truly appreciate the normalcy of the insignificance of color. We love our diversity...different shades, shapes, talents, and personalities....so don't get me wrong, the veneer is nice, but it’s just a covering. It takes an intentional, deliberate desire to see the person and the worth within.
The vultures of the dying civil rights victimology industry demand that we see only the reflections, and immediately classify, categorize, and criticize each other. They continue to circle around picking away at the carcasses of the memories of those who blazed paths that led to us focusing on the content of our character and NOT the color of our skin. Their diatribes are divisive, and their rhetoric is downright rabid. The mouthpieces of the media-embraced church of victimology continue their rants, foaming at the mouth about reparations, segregation, and social justice (often at the expense of denying justice to others). Undeniably, there exists racism and inequality and, well, humans who will always wallow in weakness and the destructive proclivities that make us so, human. But racism also knows no racial boundaries. No single race has a monopoly on this repugnant human behavior.
But the voices of division will continue to spew their venomous vituperation—hate that gets dressed up in oxymoronic political correctness. Howard Dean, Jesse Jackson, Cynthia McKinney, Louis Farakahn, Kweisi Mfume, Janeane Garofalo, Julian Bond, Harry Belafonte, Kanye West, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Al Sharpton, Tim Wise...you get the point.
There is so much the binds us together, more so than what should EVER tear us apart. Our color is a mere reflection that can change from sunlight to moonlight. Who we are, and what we stand for, what we so ardently believe...these are what lie beneath the reflection in the deep pools of introspection and discovery. And it's there that we find that it's not whether we're black, white or tan on the outside but rather if what's on the inside is ever illuminated, it reflects character, integrity, love and compassion. These are qualities that know no color.
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