Fox 31 KDVR, Denver’s local Fox
affiliate recently ran a story about what they called “Racist Flyers” being
distributed around a northwest Denver neighborhood. Apparently, the flyers were
distributed around the Berkeley neighborhood during the night, so residents
found them the next morning.
According to Fox 31, residents were
outraged. One women sent an email (apparently to the studio) saying that the
flyers were “racist, hateful material” and linked the fliers to the election of
an African American President. One man interviewed said that the material was
counter productive, saying “I don’t think there’s any point in it, I mean, it
seems to be…I don’t think they’re going to change anybody’s mind by that kind of
behavior, so, um, just seems to be unrest, and uh, I suppose in some ways maybe
they expose themselves by doing this, so that people know…who’s out there that’s
spreading this kind of message….”
Residents contacted the Anti Defamation
League and complained.
What was on this horribly offensive,
hatemongering, racist, white supremacist flyer? It was a plain piece of paper,
on which was a drawing of the profile of a white woman gazing upward. At the
top, it read: Love Your Race. At the bottom, it gave the organizations website
address.
Now I don’t know anything about this
particular organization. I don’t know if they are racist or not, but that’s not
the point. How could anyone with half a brain consider this flyer racist or
hateful? Would it still be racist if the woman was black and the web address
was for the NAACP?
And if this is racist and hateful, then
what are the “Cultural Centers” that nearly every city around here has, that are
completely devoted to the “Latino” culture? What is the NAACP? What about the
United Negro College Fund? What about Black History Month? Google “Mexican
Pride” and you’ll get over 1.3 million results, “African American pride” will
bring back over 6.9 million results, and “black pride” will get you a
whopping 13 million results. I see people all the time, wearing t-shirts that
say “Brown Pride”, apparently that is some kind of movement or organization.
I never hear complaints about these
things. I never hear on the news how BET (Black Entertainment Television) is
racist, but I assure you, if there was a WET (White Entertainment
Television)….well, that could never happen, it just wouldn’t be
tolerated.
Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t have an
issue with these things. What I take issue with is the fact that everyone, in
every culture or ethnic group is expected to take pride in their
heritage. But if a white person does, they are labeled a racist or bigot or
hatemonger. If it is wrong for whites, then it’s wrong for blacks and Hispanics
and everyone else. And if it’s okay for blacks and Hispanics and everyone else,
then it’s also okay for whites. If you want to be proud of your heritage, fine, be proud, just don't try to stop others from being proud of theirs.
I personally think it’s okay to be
proud of your heritage, whether it’s white, black or otherwise, BUT, I think
that there is way too much emphasis put on these things. God created all of us
and He does not see skin color. Jesus Christ died for all of us. He
wasn’t black, white or Hispanic, in point of fact, He was a Jew. So before any
of us gets too proud of our earthly heritage, it behooves us to remember
Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a
fall.” (ESV)
We are Americans. I’m not
Irish-American, I’m proud of my Irish heritage, but I am just American. You
aren’t African-American. That doesn’t mean you can’t be proud of your African
heritage, but you are American. You aren’t Mexican-American, or
French-American, or any other kind, you are just American. Isn’t it interesting
that anytime someone hyphenates, American comes last. If you are that proud of
whatever heritage you put in front of American, then perhaps you should
consider moving there. Until we stop thinking with hyphens, the race war in
this country will never end.
Teddy Roosevelt once said, “In this
country we have no place for hyphenated Americans.” I happen to agree with
him.