Although it has become very popular in America for American citizens to attack their own country as an evil bastion of racism, it's just not true.
Furthermore, decent people do not need to be bullied into treating other races and ethnicities fairly.
And bullying or thought-and-speech policing nasty people will not change them.
Furthermore, regarding people who aren't decent, we have the law.
And yes, sometimes even the law isn't enough. Sadly, some criminals get away with their crime, whether motivated by racism, financial gain, power, taavah, or just plain sadism.
BLM (Black Lives Matter) and similar groups and their followers who attack others do nothing for their communities, especially since the top killer for black males between the ages of 15-34 is another black male. (A lesser known but far more alarming statistic is that homicide is the second leading cause of death for black children aged 1-4 & 10-14, after unintentional injuries, which is the leading cause of death for those age groups. So BLM might want to look into see who's murdering black one-year-olds. Helpful hint: It's not white cops!)
The fact the BLM and other groups posing as protectors of racial minorities refuse to even address what actually destroys black lives - and it's not white cops - demonstrates their total lack of caring and compassion for the very people they claim to protect.
So let's look at some historical examples of people who WEREN'T racist, even when it was legal to be racist.
And they did so without BLM or civil rights thugs threatening them.
Furthermore, decent people do not need to be bullied into treating other races and ethnicities fairly.
And bullying or thought-and-speech policing nasty people will not change them.
Furthermore, regarding people who aren't decent, we have the law.
And yes, sometimes even the law isn't enough. Sadly, some criminals get away with their crime, whether motivated by racism, financial gain, power, taavah, or just plain sadism.
BLM (Black Lives Matter) and similar groups and their followers who attack others do nothing for their communities, especially since the top killer for black males between the ages of 15-34 is another black male. (A lesser known but far more alarming statistic is that homicide is the second leading cause of death for black children aged 1-4 & 10-14, after unintentional injuries, which is the leading cause of death for those age groups. So BLM might want to look into see who's murdering black one-year-olds. Helpful hint: It's not white cops!)
The fact the BLM and other groups posing as protectors of racial minorities refuse to even address what actually destroys black lives - and it's not white cops - demonstrates their total lack of caring and compassion for the very people they claim to protect.
So let's look at some historical examples of people who WEREN'T racist, even when it was legal to be racist.
And they did so without BLM or civil rights thugs threatening them.
Martha Ballard, Colonial Puritan Midwife
Born in Massachusetts in 1735, Martha served her community as midwife and general medical practitioner who treated the ill and delivered over 800 babies in 27 years until her death in 1812.
Among the women she treated, there were free blacks who received the same dedication and care as Martha's white patients, even if it meant that Martha (along with a neighborly assistant) had to sit up all night in uncomfortable conditions. Also, Martha's diary records her interactions with a little Native American girl who used to come out of the forest to Martha's home, and Martha freely gave her foodstuffs.
Needless to say, Martha did all this without any pressure to be politically correct or culturally plural.
She was a profoundly religious woman who simply cared about others.
Among the women she treated, there were free blacks who received the same dedication and care as Martha's white patients, even if it meant that Martha (along with a neighborly assistant) had to sit up all night in uncomfortable conditions. Also, Martha's diary records her interactions with a little Native American girl who used to come out of the forest to Martha's home, and Martha freely gave her foodstuffs.
Needless to say, Martha did all this without any pressure to be politically correct or culturally plural.
She was a profoundly religious woman who simply cared about others.
Harriet Jacobs: "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl"
Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery in North Carolina in 1813. Taught to read by her her first lady owner, she eventually made her way to Massachusetts and published her memoir Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl under the pen name Linda Brent in 1862.
But before escaping to the North, Harriet hid out in the plantation home of a white woman who refused to sell her slaves for any reason. The white woman hid Harriet for several days, despite the danger to the white woman's reputation, legal penalties, and the generous reward offered for Harriet's return.
But before escaping to the North, Harriet hid out in the plantation home of a white woman who refused to sell her slaves for any reason. The white woman hid Harriet for several days, despite the danger to the white woman's reputation, legal penalties, and the generous reward offered for Harriet's return.
In fact, Harriet's greatest threat was a fellow black slave named Jenny.
The other black slaves labeled her as "naughty."
Described as "always got the devil in her" by her fellow slaves, Jenny suspected the house hid a fugitive and wanted to flush out Harriet to return her to her slave owners.
Yet after the other female slaves informed the white mistress of Jenny's interference, the white mistress kept Jenny busy in the kitchen until plans were made to go spend the day in the country, taking Jenny with her, and allowing Harriet to find a better hiding place.
Considering travel in those times, this day-outing was a big inconvenience and likely the devil-inhabited Jenny wasn't an enjoyable person with whom to spend the day.
Yet the white mistress did so anyway.
Not because BLM told her to, but because of her own sense of decency and compassion.
In fact, many white people helped Harriet along her journey to freedom - again, out of decency and compassion, not BLM thuggery.
(Although BLM might want to have some words with Jenny...)
It's worth noting that the Underground Railroad that helped black slaves and the freedoms black people eventually enjoyed could not have and did not happen without the dedicated participation of good-hearted white people.
The full memoir of Harriet Jacobs is available online and makes for some fascinating reading:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper/JACOBS/hj-site-index.htm
Yet after the other female slaves informed the white mistress of Jenny's interference, the white mistress kept Jenny busy in the kitchen until plans were made to go spend the day in the country, taking Jenny with her, and allowing Harriet to find a better hiding place.
Considering travel in those times, this day-outing was a big inconvenience and likely the devil-inhabited Jenny wasn't an enjoyable person with whom to spend the day.
Yet the white mistress did so anyway.
Not because BLM told her to, but because of her own sense of decency and compassion.
In fact, many white people helped Harriet along her journey to freedom - again, out of decency and compassion, not BLM thuggery.
(Although BLM might want to have some words with Jenny...)
It's worth noting that the Underground Railroad that helped black slaves and the freedoms black people eventually enjoyed could not have and did not happen without the dedicated participation of good-hearted white people.
The full memoir of Harriet Jacobs is available online and makes for some fascinating reading:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper/JACOBS/hj-site-index.htm
3 White Ladies & Black Orphans
Until 1836, black orphans (unwanted in white orphanages) were housed in alms houses with all the homeless adults and received no nurturing, education, or protection.
So 3 white Quaker ladies decided to open an orphanage to care for the black children.
It was quite an undertaking because no one would rent out a building for black children, so the ladies were forced to buy one. As soon as they managed to get it up and running in 1836, these ladies headed straight to the almshouse and immediately collected 11 orphans to bring them to refuge in the new orphanage.
The orphanage grew to accept more and more black children, and also accepted Native American children in need of better care.
They also provided work for the brilliant black doctor, Dr James McCune Smith, who traveled all the way to Glasgow to receive his medical degree due to the racist restrictions of that time in American medical schools. He was appointed the orphanage's medical director.
Both the black doctor and the white matrons encouraged the children to make the most of themselves and to succeed in life.
The Quaker ladies did all this despite the fact that slavery was still legal in the South and blacks suffered limited rights in the North.
When the overflow of the Civil War draft riots turned into a racist mob (comprised not of Americans, but of Irish immigrants) and attacked the orphanage in 1863, one of the white matrons risked her life to lead every single one of the 233 orphans to safety.
Two Irish firemen also risked their lives to fight the terrible fire, endangering themselves to save the black children from both the mob and the raging fire.
While the people in the mob were obviously evil, I'm not sure that waving posters proclaiming "BLACK LIVES MATTER!" or Antifa could do to change their minds or stop them. (This is despite the fact that, unlike BLM's target of a mostly non-racist police force, the above incident was actual violence with deadly intent against a purely innocent populace and motivated by genuine racism.)
Also, it would probably shock Leftists today to learn that white people are capable of such courage and compassion on behalf of black children, with no ACLU or BLM or thought police to bully them into it.
So 3 white Quaker ladies decided to open an orphanage to care for the black children.
It was quite an undertaking because no one would rent out a building for black children, so the ladies were forced to buy one. As soon as they managed to get it up and running in 1836, these ladies headed straight to the almshouse and immediately collected 11 orphans to bring them to refuge in the new orphanage.
The orphanage grew to accept more and more black children, and also accepted Native American children in need of better care.
They also provided work for the brilliant black doctor, Dr James McCune Smith, who traveled all the way to Glasgow to receive his medical degree due to the racist restrictions of that time in American medical schools. He was appointed the orphanage's medical director.
Both the black doctor and the white matrons encouraged the children to make the most of themselves and to succeed in life.
The Quaker ladies did all this despite the fact that slavery was still legal in the South and blacks suffered limited rights in the North.
When the overflow of the Civil War draft riots turned into a racist mob (comprised not of Americans, but of Irish immigrants) and attacked the orphanage in 1863, one of the white matrons risked her life to lead every single one of the 233 orphans to safety.
Two Irish firemen also risked their lives to fight the terrible fire, endangering themselves to save the black children from both the mob and the raging fire.
While the people in the mob were obviously evil, I'm not sure that waving posters proclaiming "BLACK LIVES MATTER!" or Antifa could do to change their minds or stop them. (This is despite the fact that, unlike BLM's target of a mostly non-racist police force, the above incident was actual violence with deadly intent against a purely innocent populace and motivated by genuine racism.)
Also, it would probably shock Leftists today to learn that white people are capable of such courage and compassion on behalf of black children, with no ACLU or BLM or thought police to bully them into it.
Jewish Heroine of the Wild West
Jewish pioneers of the Sante Fe Trail of New Mexico, Levi Speigelberg arrived with his brothers from Germany, then sought out a nice Jewish girl from afar and brought over the pretty 29-year-old Betty in 1860. (Betty was a classy version of a mail-order bride.)
With few women in the area, Levi's pretty new wife stuck out to the point that a buggy drive past army headquarters caused the soldiers to sit up and take notice, with one saying, "By Gingo! What a beautiful woman in these war times. A fellow might be tempted to kidnap her."
Upon hearing a report of these words, Levi forbade his wife to even look out the bedroom window (for fear of her being seen) while his 3 brothers slept in an adjoining room with loaded shotguns to defend Betty from any potential abduction.
Yet one day, Betty heard a female voice crying out and moaning from under her bedroom window: "For God's sake, help me! I'm starving and bleeding to death!"
Afraid to approach her window, yet unwilling to ignore the young female's desperate situation, Betty ran across the yard to her husband's store, but he was trying to hold off all the rowdy soldiers fighting and shouting for provisions.
Rushing back to her room, Betty listened to the piteous cries for help until she dared to look out the window and saw a young black girl, still begging for help.
With assistance from Betty's Mexican maid, Betty succeeded in dragging the girl into her house where she washed, fed, and listened to the girl and sent for a doctor.
Soldiers had snatched the young black girl from her plantation, then assaulted and abused her until she managed to escape and make her way to Betty's bedroom window. If she was "starving," the assault and abuse must have gone on for at least a couple of days.
Going out for the girl must have been terrifying for Betty, who saw on the battered and bleeding girl what had been threatened to Betty.
Yet Betty did it anyway.
There's no record of Levi Speigelberg's initial reaction to his wife's daring heroism, but Levi allowed the girl to stay while he and his brothers pooled their financial resources to buy the girl's freedom.
And not only did the Speigelbergs help this particular black girl, but also a black male slave and they rescued a Native American girl captured by soldiers.
I want to point out that it's unlikely that the Spiegelbergs had encountered non-white people before coming to America. And regardless of your own race, if you didn't grow up with people of other races, then people of other races often look strange until you get used to them.
(Case in point: A friend of mine went to a village in Ghana where white people hadn't been before, so she and her friends were the first white people the children had seen. After being faced with a trio of pre-teen boys who walked backwards so they could stare at the 3 white people who were walking along, one of the boys quipped, "Man, you people sure are UGLY.")
Yet good-hearted people respond with compassion and courage anyway.
The Spiegelbergs didn't need anyone shouting out them "Black lives matter!" or "Black is beautiful!" in order to risk their lives or put forth serious financial resources to help black people.
With few women in the area, Levi's pretty new wife stuck out to the point that a buggy drive past army headquarters caused the soldiers to sit up and take notice, with one saying, "By Gingo! What a beautiful woman in these war times. A fellow might be tempted to kidnap her."
Upon hearing a report of these words, Levi forbade his wife to even look out the bedroom window (for fear of her being seen) while his 3 brothers slept in an adjoining room with loaded shotguns to defend Betty from any potential abduction.
Yet one day, Betty heard a female voice crying out and moaning from under her bedroom window: "For God's sake, help me! I'm starving and bleeding to death!"
Afraid to approach her window, yet unwilling to ignore the young female's desperate situation, Betty ran across the yard to her husband's store, but he was trying to hold off all the rowdy soldiers fighting and shouting for provisions.
Rushing back to her room, Betty listened to the piteous cries for help until she dared to look out the window and saw a young black girl, still begging for help.
With assistance from Betty's Mexican maid, Betty succeeded in dragging the girl into her house where she washed, fed, and listened to the girl and sent for a doctor.
Soldiers had snatched the young black girl from her plantation, then assaulted and abused her until she managed to escape and make her way to Betty's bedroom window. If she was "starving," the assault and abuse must have gone on for at least a couple of days.
Going out for the girl must have been terrifying for Betty, who saw on the battered and bleeding girl what had been threatened to Betty.
Yet Betty did it anyway.
There's no record of Levi Speigelberg's initial reaction to his wife's daring heroism, but Levi allowed the girl to stay while he and his brothers pooled their financial resources to buy the girl's freedom.
And not only did the Speigelbergs help this particular black girl, but also a black male slave and they rescued a Native American girl captured by soldiers.
I want to point out that it's unlikely that the Spiegelbergs had encountered non-white people before coming to America. And regardless of your own race, if you didn't grow up with people of other races, then people of other races often look strange until you get used to them.
(Case in point: A friend of mine went to a village in Ghana where white people hadn't been before, so she and her friends were the first white people the children had seen. After being faced with a trio of pre-teen boys who walked backwards so they could stare at the 3 white people who were walking along, one of the boys quipped, "Man, you people sure are UGLY.")
Yet good-hearted people respond with compassion and courage anyway.
The Spiegelbergs didn't need anyone shouting out them "Black lives matter!" or "Black is beautiful!" in order to risk their lives or put forth serious financial resources to help black people.
Good Ol' Grampa!
Then there's the story of my grandpa, who rescued a black man falsely accused of murder. It happened in New York, in the 1930s or 1940s. You can read that here:
Values: When People Want to BE Good & Not Just Feel Good
This black man could have been executed for a crime he never committed, but Grandpa intervened to save his life.
Values: When People Want to BE Good & Not Just Feel Good
This black man could have been executed for a crime he never committed, but Grandpa intervened to save his life.
Note to the Language Police
It's worthwhile noting that the above heroes did not use politically correct terminology.
For example, my grandpa used the term "colored" and "black," but I never heard him say "African-American." "Negro" was common for a while in the USA, and even the "n-word" was common and not considered innately racist. (Actually, it's merely a corruption of the word "Negro," which is just the Spanish word for the color black with no secret evil meaning.)
Just as an amusing digression: I have a copy of a book of poems written by a Southern family member who was born just 2 years after the end of America's Civil War. In the book, she references black people by using the n-word, but she usually describes them sympathetically or even admiringly. It was quite a mind-bender when I first read it to see a sympathetic or admiring portrayal of a black person using the n-word! But a Southern friend explained to me that the word's usage wasn't then what it is now.
In fact, the above-mentioned orphanage for black children was officially called "The Colored Orphan Asylum." In today's language, that paints a picture of a building full of mentally deranged little black kids, but in reality, the children nurtured by The Colored Orphan Asylum turned out well, both morally and practically, and had good memories of their stint in the orphanage. One former charge even expressed concern that today's foster care system is a step down from the group home environment she experienced in The Colored Orphan Asylum.
I personally do not use derogatory language to describe my fellow human beings' race or ethnicity, but as long as you are using acceptable terms that aren't inherently racist and you don't have racist intent when you use them, then what is the big deal?
So I prefer a person who innocently calls black people "colored" and will risk being burned to death to save black children from a fire to the thought-and-speech police who are makpid to use whatever politically correct language is in vogue (and fanatically correct the speech of others), but do nothing for humanity.
And I think that's right.
For example, my grandpa used the term "colored" and "black," but I never heard him say "African-American." "Negro" was common for a while in the USA, and even the "n-word" was common and not considered innately racist. (Actually, it's merely a corruption of the word "Negro," which is just the Spanish word for the color black with no secret evil meaning.)
Just as an amusing digression: I have a copy of a book of poems written by a Southern family member who was born just 2 years after the end of America's Civil War. In the book, she references black people by using the n-word, but she usually describes them sympathetically or even admiringly. It was quite a mind-bender when I first read it to see a sympathetic or admiring portrayal of a black person using the n-word! But a Southern friend explained to me that the word's usage wasn't then what it is now.
In fact, the above-mentioned orphanage for black children was officially called "The Colored Orphan Asylum." In today's language, that paints a picture of a building full of mentally deranged little black kids, but in reality, the children nurtured by The Colored Orphan Asylum turned out well, both morally and practically, and had good memories of their stint in the orphanage. One former charge even expressed concern that today's foster care system is a step down from the group home environment she experienced in The Colored Orphan Asylum.
I personally do not use derogatory language to describe my fellow human beings' race or ethnicity, but as long as you are using acceptable terms that aren't inherently racist and you don't have racist intent when you use them, then what is the big deal?
So I prefer a person who innocently calls black people "colored" and will risk being burned to death to save black children from a fire to the thought-and-speech police who are makpid to use whatever politically correct language is in vogue (and fanatically correct the speech of others), but do nothing for humanity.
And I think that's right.
What Does Hashem Say about It?
My point isn't that there hasn't been racism (there has) or that there isn't racism (there is) or even that laws can solve everything (they can't).
The point is that all of the above people were familiar with the idea of every human being being made in God's Image with some familiarity of verses like: "Justice, justice, you shall pursue" and "Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor" and "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Even though my grandpa wasn't a religious person, he'd been raised with Torah Judaism (albeit practiced and understood on a superficial level). I don't know how religious the Speigelbergs were, but the Speigelberg brothers were connected enough to Jewish values that they waited until they'd saved up enough to go all the way back to Germany to marry a Jewish wife.
So this is the running thread through many of these acts of courage and compassion by white people toward disadvantaged minorities.
And yes, I realize that there are people who read the Bible and claim to be religious, but are racist.
What can I tell you? Some people refuse to internalize Hashem's value system.
My point is that the key to fighting racism is imbuing ourselves with the idea that every human being really is made in God's Image.
Also, it's up to us to emulate Hashem's Ways, to respect and embrace how HE views the world.
And as stated in Tehillim/Psalms 145:9: "Tov Hashem l'kol v'rachamav al kol ma'asav - Hashem is Good to all and His Compassion is upon all His creations."
Violence, ranting, witch-hunting, self-righteous mobs, and reverse racism can't do that.
In fact, such people may want to read about Joyce Gladwell here:
Anyone Can Talk to the Big Master
It's only about Hashem and getting back to Torah values.
The point is that all of the above people were familiar with the idea of every human being being made in God's Image with some familiarity of verses like: "Justice, justice, you shall pursue" and "Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor" and "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Even though my grandpa wasn't a religious person, he'd been raised with Torah Judaism (albeit practiced and understood on a superficial level). I don't know how religious the Speigelbergs were, but the Speigelberg brothers were connected enough to Jewish values that they waited until they'd saved up enough to go all the way back to Germany to marry a Jewish wife.
So this is the running thread through many of these acts of courage and compassion by white people toward disadvantaged minorities.
And yes, I realize that there are people who read the Bible and claim to be religious, but are racist.
What can I tell you? Some people refuse to internalize Hashem's value system.
My point is that the key to fighting racism is imbuing ourselves with the idea that every human being really is made in God's Image.
Also, it's up to us to emulate Hashem's Ways, to respect and embrace how HE views the world.
And as stated in Tehillim/Psalms 145:9: "Tov Hashem l'kol v'rachamav al kol ma'asav - Hashem is Good to all and His Compassion is upon all His creations."
Violence, ranting, witch-hunting, self-righteous mobs, and reverse racism can't do that.
In fact, such people may want to read about Joyce Gladwell here:
Anyone Can Talk to the Big Master
It's only about Hashem and getting back to Torah values.
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