Subj : Dems in NH To : aaron thomas From : Lee Lofaso Date : Tue Feb 18 2020 01:07 am Hello Aaron, >LL>Not really. His biological father was black, but split with his >Let me correct myself: It appears that Obama was not raised black or white, > but it also appears that he was able to score some votes for having dark > skin and a shoddy sales pitch. A man of all colors, having been raised white, black, and yellow. What a nice combination. Score with all voters, regardless of what color they consider themselves. Our most inclusive president ever! >LL>What we do to overcome our own racism and bigotry is up to us. >LL>Both as individuals and a society. >That's a good point- the "as a society" part. Andrew Young said it first. When he was a kid he used to play with a neighbor, who was white. But some of the neighbors got upset and wanted him to play only with kids of his own color. He never forgot those days, even though it was long ago in New Orleans. Much has changed since then, but we still have a long way to go. We should look at ourselves as being one community, not separate, as America itself is an idea. An idea of one giant melting pot. Where all can play as equals. >In my experiences, colors prefer to stay somewhat segregated. I like to see > that change, but not until it's safe to do so. It is one thing to be proud of one's heritage. Quite another to hate others due to race or ethnicity. We are more of a quilt, rather than a homogeneous country (such as Japan). A quilt, woven together, but not xenophobic. >And I'm not sure how to make it happen either; there's not going to be many > people agreeing with this. A community that is divided into armed camps, some of those camps gated so that none can enter, is no community at all. Either we all live in peace, or this country devolves into chaos. Remember the late 1960s? Imagine what happened in Chicago at the Democratic Convention in 1968. Remember what happened in Washington DC. Remember what happened in Los Angeles. Remember what happened in Memphis. Remember what happened at Kent State ... >LL>Everybody deserves a marker. But do you realize what is being >LL>done for the homeless who die in America? Their bodies are cremated, >That's another good point. We do not treat the poor in this country well at all. We treat the homeless even worse. And for those who die with no money in their pockets? Oh, those are the worst of the worst ... >What's happened to the slaves is already buried in >the past, where it belongs. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. We should never sugarcoat what happened, but accept the facts being what they are. Never turn a blind eye, but show the world we are man enough to accept our own shortcomings and always try to make this a better place for all. >We didn't do it them. Yes, we did. The Framers of the Constitution deliberately allowed slavery to continue, refusing to even recognize black folks as being human. >Those who enslaved them, did it legally. So did Saudi Arabia, until very recently. And even now, slavery continues to exist, although not officially. There is nothing legal about human bondage. People cannot be bought and sold, like cattle. Even after "legal" slavery came to an end in this country due to the 13th Amendment, it was still practiced in the form of indentured servitude. That did not end until FDR put a stop to it. We do have a form of slavery that continues with prison labor. This was an exemption in the 13th Amendment. Please read it, and be amazed. >Let's do something for the homeless instead. Especially homeless veterans. And homeless with mental issues. And homelss children. And homeless everybody. >LL>Everything ought to be free. And not just for black folks. >We should be able to pick fruit from trees and hunt for meat, but if you're > talking about getting a free meal from the grocery store, then that's a lot > different. What's wrong with getting a free lunch? Everybody wants one. Just like MAGA hats. Everybody wants one. As long as somebody else is buying. >LL>A free lunch is all black people ask. >Who? I haven't heard any black people asking for free lunch. When one is asked if they want to join the party, the only question neded to be asked is how much it costs. If no mention of cost is made, it is a known fact the party is free for all. See how that works? Usually, however, it is more of a statement rather than a question - "Come, join the party!" Now that is an offer nobody can refuse ... >If I did hear someone ask for that, I'd buy them one if I had enough money > to do so. "Come to the Mardi Gras!" The world's biggest free party, in New Orleans. >But I definitely wouldn't go around saying "black people want free lunch" > just because one person asked for it. There will be plenty free food to eat during Mardi Gras. Trust me, I know. :) --Lee -- Big Or Small We Lay Them All --- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb * Origin: nntp://rbb.fidonet.fi - Lake Ylo - Finland (2:221/360.0) .