A Moment on the Soap Box

So, it seems as if Cincinatti Reds outfielder Dernell Stenson has been shot and possibly dragged to death behind a truck in Arizona. I don't think it's that much of a leap to assume that this killing was racially motivated...particularly considering how closely it mirrors the killing of James Byrd in Jasper, Texas, five years ago.

Try as I might, I don't understand the mentality of somebody who would so cruelly murder somebody solely because of their race. I know that sounds particularly naive, but it really does amaze me.

A couple months ago I saw a short documentary on a busing program that had been set up in Boston in the 1970s. In this movie, seemingly respectable members of the white middle class are seen throwing rocks at buses carrying black children to school. Throngs of these white middle class folks stood in front of their local high school screaming angrily that they did not want "n-ggers" attending school with their children. (I edited that word only because I don't want to take the chance that people might find my site by searching for it.)

Frankly, if I had stood outside of a high school and shouted those things thirty years ago and saw myself in a documentary today, I would never want to show my face again. The pure ignorance that was displayed in their objections is truly disgusting.

Some might try to use the excuse that it was a different era...and while that might be true, that doesn't make it any more or less wrong. Morality is static...it doesn't change with the times, as much as some might want it to. Racism is bred of fear and ignorance...and I'd say the majority of it is ignorance.

These days, people soften their rhetoric. While very few people would be caught dead standing in front of a high school holding a sign which reads "N-gger go home," much of the sentiment still remains. People cover it up by saying things such as, "I don't want my child in school with those people" in their cleverly crafted letters to school administrators. As the diversity of our country increases, those people encompasses a larger group. Even though they attempt to say it a little nicer these days, the sentiment is the same. And those who don't want their children attending school with those people are simply ignorant fools...and I make no apologies for saying that.

Obviously, not everybody who harbors a secret prejudice is going to end up killing a man and dragging him behind their vehicle. For many, their prejudice sits just below the surface, manifesting only in their minds. In extreme cases, it can lead to violence such as this.

Ok...this ends my rant. I didn't really intend to go off on this...I just read the article about the killing and got really worked up about it. I don't know...it's just sad that somebody would torture somebody to death in such a manner. Even if the killing was not racially motivated...it's just sad.

On a lighter note, today is my nephew Sawyer's birthday. He's eight years old. For those of you who knew him when he was like two years old, let me tell you that he has grown up quite a bit. He's also extremely smart these days...he almost ended up at a magnet school this year, but because of the scheduling problems related to it, he was unable to go. No matter...his brilliance will be released upon the world someday. Just you wait...