I went south. To Florida. In 1962. To work. It really was a godsend. An eye-opener. Because it got me immersed in the civil rights movement. I was seeing, for the first time, up-close, on a daily basis, the worst of a racist society. This was an awakening. Surreal. Almost unbelievable. Seeing how badly white people treated black people. Just on the basis of skin color. Racism left over from the days of slavery. Blacks treated as inferiors. Denied basic civil and human rights. Denied respect. In a nation that bragged of being founded on the credo that all men (mankind) are created equal. But we weren’t practicing what we espoused. Not even coming close.
Ever since I was a kid, I imagined myself being black. Exactly the same person I am, but only with a different skin color. And I knew that it would have made a profound difference in my life. I would have been a member of the oppressed class. I would have been denied so many, many opportunities and rights that whites took for granted. No doubt about it.
Yes, I was never a racist. Never will be. But I ain't perfect. I may be discriminatory in other ways. Against political and social conservatives who deny people basic rights. Maybe against religious zealots who proclaim their way is the only way, and want to foist it on others. Lord knows, I haven’t treated everyone fairly in my life. But I try...and I think I'm getting better at it all the time. –Jim Broede
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
He who stands aloof runs the risk of believing himself better than others and misusing his critique of society as an ideology for his private interest.
Once the last trace of emotion has been eradicated, nothing remains of thought but absolute tautology.
He who says he is happy lies, and in invoking happiness, sins against it. He alone keeps faith who says: I was happy. The only relation of consciousness to happiness is gratitude: in which lies its incomparable dignity.
The most powerful person is he who is able to do least himself and burden others most with the things for which he lends his name and pockets the credit.
Dear Anonymous:
Your comment sounds like gobblygook. --Jim Broede
Jim---It may sound like a bunch of gobblygook...but..What we have here is a collection of Theodor Adorno quotes. This anonymous poster is obviously well read.
I'm suffering from sensory overkill by seeing so many disjointed thoughts off of a quote thread.
Post a Comment