I have just recently finished learning about the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr. in American History. I have also been thinking about some of the current issues dealing with race such as the accusations of racism against the Tea Party.
As I have been learning about Martin Luther King Jr. and what he did, I thought it was really good the way he went about his protests in a peaceful manner and with patience. We as Americans, in a time when the Government is not doing what we want it to do can learn from Dr. King's leadership of peaceful, persistent protest.
One thing I did have a question about was one about all of the sit-ins that were held to protest segregation. Seregation would probably not have ended if it wasn't for these sit-ins, but I wonder if it was slightly against the principles of the country to not move. The reason I say this is because those places where sit-ins were held were usually privatly owned. The only thing I would say about the sit-ins would be that I think legally if the owners of the property would have had the right to get the protesters off. However, Jim Crow Laws in the South would not have been changed as fast as they were with sit-ins.
A thought I had on the president at the time of the Civil Rights Movement was that he was a really progressive president. It is unfortunate for people's viewpoint on Conservatives that Lyndon B. Johnson was the president who really pushed the civil rights acts and voting rights acts in the sixties. When the average U.S. citizen learns about history of the civil rights movement, the fact that a liberal president was leading the country makes liberals and democrates out to be the good party rather than the racist one.
In this country over the past few months the media has been targeting the Tea Party Movement as being a race based movement as well. Some members of the Tea Party Movement could very well be racists, but the movement itself has nothing to do with racism. The movement is just for reducing government size and power; because of that, the Tea Party Movement has been targeted by the media with a smear campaign of racism. The Tea Party Movement does not have many African-Americans involved, but the ones who are come to the conclusion that it is not a racist movement. Here is an article about black conservatives in the tea party: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9ETR1380&show_article=1
Today we have a African-American president, but the question of weather he was elected because of his race is one I have asked myself many times. In America today are we showing racial bias towards others, as in this instance, by giving them more power than others just because of their race or do we vote or give respect towards those of any race, gender, or religion who are good people that have strong values?
3 comments:
Very thoughtful. I've had some of the same questions.
MLK wanted people to be judged by their character rather than the color of their skin. Unfortunately that has been corrupted by people who clame to be his followers.
MLK was right in many things, but I to did not approve of the sit ins. I have never understood why most of the black people are democrats. It is the Republicans who passed all of the laws that gave them (black people) equality. It was Republicans who freed them in the first place. As I see it the Democrats are the ones that have continued there enslavement. More than 90% of them vote Democratic. It was democrats, who were in the KKK. In fact many Senators from the South, such as Senator Byrd. Were KKK members. Common sense, in my opinion, would make me shun the elected officials that continued to enslave me after I was freed. I would not want to have anything to do with them. Living of of the government, ie Welfare, Government housing etc. does not help people, but keeps them in a continuous state of enslavement. They have been kept down by their own leaders. Fortunately some of the minorities have worked hard to advance themselves, and have succeeded. I am so grateful that we were raised by hard working people that believed in shunning welfare and getting ahead by our own work and determination. Dad taught us that there was no such thing as work that was beneath us. Any legitimate work was acceptable. No stealing, lying, robbing or other illegal and sinful work allowed. Dad was a good example of this, because he was one of the hardest working people I ever knew. Character was number one when it came to living his life, and his example has served us well. Grandpa Ray also had this philosophy also, as did almost,if not all, of our ancestors. I am also proud that none of our families ancestors were slave owners.
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