God would tell us we're full of it.

I know it won't ever happen. But still, I'll continue to advocate it. Repeatedly. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. We need a truth and reconciliation commission in the USA. To address the longtime racism that permeates our society. Yes, it would be a good idea if we followed in the footsteps of South Africa. After all, we've practiced apartheid for even longer than South Africa. It's time to cleanse our nation's soul. To recognize the gross social and political and economic injustices we've practiced throughout our history. Even today we do it. Yes, to a somewhat lesser extent than before. But still, racism persists. It's high time we faced it head-on. But I know we won't. Because it's been so gawd-awful, we don't want to admit it. We don't want to face the shame. The truth. And that's the pity. Many of us mistakenly think we've solved the problem of racism. That it was practiced by our ancestors. And that we have become an enlightened new generation and new society. But that's bullshit. Many white people are even incapable of imagining what it's like to live in a black skin. Or for that matter, to fully comprehend what we whites did to Native Americans. In a sense, we've committed crimes against humanity that rank right up there with the deeds of Nazi Germany and South Africa. The genocide seemed worse in Germany only because it occurred over a relatively compact period of time. But face it. At the very time of the Holocaust we Americans were treating black people like shit. Like second and third class people. Inferiors. Blacks lived in ghettos. And in fear of being lynched. And many were. They were living in a separate kind of USA. With separate schools, separate restaurants, separate drinking fountains. They were denied the right to participate in our so-called democracy. And they're still denied equal civil and human rights. Because our system is set up that way. We pretend everything is okay. And it isn't. Many of us whites refuse to see. We choose to be blind. We could open our eyes. Maybe we don't. Because we don't want to see the horror. We don't want to have to face up to truth and reconciliation. Click below. Read the transcipt of Bill Moyers' Journal. From Friday night. On PBS. Then tell me. It ain't true. Tell me we've solved the problem of racism. Tell me we're free and clear. In god's eyes. On this Easter Sunday. But I think god would tell us we're full of bullshit. --Jim Broede

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04022010/transcript3.html