Precisely.
I have an early member from the 50s when my mother took me to the local county fair parade back in Oklahoma. As you know, county fairs are the premiere presentation of what the people consider the exhibition of the culture of the county.
I knew my youngest aunt played clarinet in her high school marching band. I'd seen them march before. I didn't really have an understanding though, that she played for the black high school, not the white high school. I had been taught what the "white" and "colored" signs around the town meant, but I wasn't really old enough to connect all the dots where they all led.
So as the high school band marched by, I held my mother's hand in the crowd at the curb and strained to see my aunt or any of the other faces I might have recognized, but did not. I asked my mother why Aunt Faith wasn't in the band, and my mother replied, "We can't be in their parade."
Over the next few years, observing things like the white reaction to the Freedom Riders, white reactions to people merely wanting to sit in a restaurant (or, when I was a kid, just wanting to find a place to pee).
Why didn't you sit in a restaurant owned by a black, run by a black?
Why didn't you pee in a bathroom owned by a black, run by a black?
Black people worked for a century trying to adopt white culture and assimilate, and whites did every possible thing in every possible way to make our assimilation impossible.
In a century black people, could not build restaurants, businesses, bathrooms, schools, libraries, housing, parks, communities and enjoy the control over such? and enjoy the common likes of such? And rebuild it when nature or other men destroy it? That is what other men have been doing for centuries.
Bombs and dogs and assassinations, beatings and murders, teargasing and firehosing.
Do you think that is unique to Blacks? It isn't. Every race has people who do those things, and no race has escaped such treatment.
Separating ourselves? It wasn't a black man who conceived of segregation.
Correct. It was not ANY man who conceived the notion of separation; It was God.
Deut 7
[
6] For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God:
By the 1960s, as I entered my teen years I observed our history with white people and realized along with a lot of other blacks in my generation that America white culture was ugly and immoral, and assimilation into it wasn't desirable after all. That emperor was naked, and after 100 years we realized it.
Looking back, I realize that the reason I fled into the military was because it is a culture of its own, a more egalitarian culture in its ideals and a more honest culture overall. I'd rather be a soldier than a civilian any day.
See? There ya go. You made a discriminating choice of whom you decided to surround yourself with.
So now you all want us to assimilate. Frankly, I don't believe it. At least not until the Boomer generation--the last generation raised to consider segregation the social norm--is dead.
Assimilation in America is not about becoming a different RACE, or having the same culture, music, speech, beliefs, food preferences.
It is solely about agreeing to subject oneself to not INFRINGING on what IS an others.
What is mine is mine, by and through my efforts, my risks, my works, my choices, my blessings. And it is NOT for an other to decide to Take, Borrow, Steal, Trespass against.
And the SAME applies to others. What is theirs is theirs, by and through their efforts, their risks, their works, their choices, their blessings. And it is NOT for an other to Take, Borrow, Steal, Trespass against.
Personally, I could care less a person's race or culture. If they take, steal, trespass against me, my family, my property - I keep myself prepared to defend against such things. If I do not like their culture, I avoid it. My prerogative.
It matters not to me what individuals or groups want to raise funds and decide where they want to invest their funds, and have exclusive control over such things.
It matters not to me what race or culture does whatever they choose, I simply take notice, and decide if I like it or not.
What matters to me is individuals. I am the only one who can discriminate, which simply means to decide and choose who to trust and who not to trust. And the basis for my conclusions are based on numerous things; foremost being the individuals character, and observance of their behavior and their own word out of their mouth.
Personally, I LIKE surrounding myself with LIKE-MINDED, LIKE-HEARTED people, who are of all kinds of flavors, but all belonging to the Human race.
So now you all want us to assimilate.
Assimilate in Liberty? Absolutely.
Work, Earn, provide for oneself and family? Absolutely.
Take, from others what they have worked for and earned? Absolutely Not.
God Bless,
SBC