Right is right, and wrong is wrong. You have heard it for years.
Racism, according to Merriam Webster, is defined as "a belief that race
is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that
racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular
race". That is obviously an erroneous world view and obviously wrong.
I do not care who you are. Notice, however, that the definition does
not refer to cultural or behavioral superiority. There is a huge
difference between race and culture.
Merriam Webster also defines racism as "racial prejudice or
discrimination". That works two ways. It can be a particular race of
people being discriminated against or being discriminatory towards
anyone not of their race.
I despise racism. I don't care whom it is from, in what direction it is
from, or at whom it is aimed. Equally, I despise those who prostitute
race for personal gain. For years, I have watched people like Jesse
Jackson, Al Sharpton, and the NAACP deceptively act as "race pimps" that
exploit the downtrodden of their own race for their own power, for
profit, and fame. Here in North Carolina, the race pimps of the NAACP
are very active.
We heard the NAACP erroneously speak out about racism when Mayor Chucky
Hester made his now infamous lynching comment. I was there in the room,
and in the front row. I know the context and the target of the comment,
and it had nothing to do with race.
The NAACP partnered recently with a bunch of Latino advocacy groups in a
prayer vigil held on the Johnston County Courthouse steps "to pray for
healing and reconciliation in the community" over the off the cuff
remarks by Sheriff Steve Bizzell about illegal immigrants. Of course,
the pimping was done by Rev. William Barber, President of the North
Carolina NAACP. I do not know Rev. Barber, but I find it interesting
that almost all race pimps in the Black community hold the title of
Reverend. In listening to the majority of them speak, I rarely hear the
gospel. That is just an observation in general, not specificity.
One man who I know personally had the guts to stand in support of
Sheriff Bizzell. A local pastor, Leroy Hargett, participated in a
counter protest of sorts, in support of Sheriff Bizzell. I emailed
Leroy after I read the news story, having known him for years. I told
him that I was proud of him for taking a stand for what he believes. He
happens to be on the right side of the issue, and I let him know. Rev.
Hargett happens to be a Black pastor of a predominantly Black
congregation. He not only exercised discernment about right and wrong,
but stood up for what is right. For that, I congratulate him publicly.
He lives right here in Selma, and I am proud to know him as a man of
courage and conviction. It is not easy to stand against another man of
the same faith, especially when he purports to speak on behalf of an
entire race. It is even more difficult when it is the juggernaut of the
NAACP.
The NAACP was out for more power by its recent demonstration this past
Sunday about an event that happened in 1898. People, we are not talking
about the 21st Century, or even the 20th Century. We are talking about
the 19th Century. The race riots in Wilmington were an interesting yet
shameful series of events in North Carolina's history. They are
interesting and shameful, but they were 110 years ago.
The NAACP is demanding that the North Carolina General Assembly make
payments of reparations to descendants of the 14 men who were killed in
the race riots. Tragic and wrong as the deaths were, I find it
inconceivable that the taxpayers of the state should fork out money 110
years after the fact for something done in a single city, not done by
anyone still alive today, and not done to anyone that is contemporary to
our time. This is merely pimping the race issue for personal lucre. If
that is not exploitation of a race and racist issues, I do not know what is.
I have this same disgust for the Arian Nation, The World Church of the
Creator, the KKK, and the numerous Hispanic advocacy groups that have
popped up. If a group is so interested in "healing and reconciliation
in the community" then they need to stop picking at the scab and allow
the great strides against racism that have been made in this nation take
their course. In 1898, did anyone envision a Black man possibly
becoming the President of the United States, as may happen in just a
month? I think not.
Showing posts with label race. Show all posts
Showing posts with label race. Show all posts
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Column for Sept. 18, 2008
So called "racial profiling" is a misnomer and is not necessarily a bad thing
Well, the saga of Sheriff Steve Bizzell just keeps getting better and better. Now our old "friends", the NAACP and the ACLU are attempting to investigate Sheriff Bizzell's department to see if he is guilty of "racial profiling" in law enforcement efforts.
Folks, I do not care who you are, there is common sense that must be in play. When I look at airport security efforts, I see the effects of political correctness run amuck. Little old ladies and toddlers are being screened as if they are in the same class as young Muslim males. The last I looked, no terrorist acts were perpetrated by mad grannies or diaper wearing children. As of this writing, there have been 11,849 deadly terror attacks perpetrated by Muslim males, usually of Middle Eastern descent just since September 11th, 2001. This does not take into account the events of 9/11, the USS Cole, the first World Trade Center bombing, and a host of other acts. The point is that it makes sense to look to a certain group if they are the ones primarily responsible for crime and acts of war and not those who do not fit the profile.
It makes sense to me that if our population of illegal aliens has been growing and the crime rate also grew disproportionate to the overall population of the group compared to the whole county, then there would be a reason to profile. If 30% of all DWI arrests (and those are just the ones caught) are from about 14% of the overall population, then there is a reason to pay heavier scrutiny to that population. Hence, Sheriff Bizzell's success in lowering the crime rate in Johnston County.
If there is a group of people who are known to violate the law (not including making the first illegal step on American soil by crossing the Rio Grande), then it makes sense to enforce the laws where the violators are known to be. If there is a bar where a lot of Gringos (White guys) are known to congregate and drive drunk after visiting the establishment, then I would hope that Sheriff Bizzell and other local law enforcement would constantly frequent that spot until all violators are caught or they simply cease said behavior. It just makes sense.
My previous columns and expressed opinions have drawn a lot of commentary from readers. One just this past week said (direct quote, so spelling errors and grammatical mistakes left as delivered to me). For the record, this comes from a Black man who takes issue with Sheriff Bizzell.
"Troy..I'm not trying to insult you…I'll explain it to you this way...Bizell's apology expalins that he didn't mean to talk about all mexican people..there are law abiding mexicans..just like there are law abiding black people..and black people who are jerks...and white people who are crazy..and whte people who are great. But I can't buy into hating a whole race of people..sorry man. There's no need to repeat mistakes of the past. Sorry..but it's a lot deeper than you make it out out to be..especially for people of color. I'm not going to argue with you about it. It's something you'll never understand, which isn;t a bad thing...it's just your point of view. But I served my country to protect the freedom of all americans and the flag that flies over this nation promises freedom for all. there. I have enough sense to know right from wrong and hating people based on color or race is wrong. The underlying thing is racism. If I say all white people in johnston county have wrecks on i-95 and have atv accidents..that's not accurate...and it would be racist. I hope you can understand why..if not..let me know I'll suggest some books you can read to get a better understanding."
I sympathize with the man in that he has a victim's mentality, which is hard to shake off. However, I do believe that there are things that transcend race. Behavior is not race based. It is culturally or personally taught and has nothing to do with the color of one's skin. It is not an issue of skin but is often an issue of sin. I have never been fond of those who see everything through the lens of racism and especially those who profit off the fears and race fears of others, such as the NAACP.
Here was my reply to the gentleman with a few edits for the sake of brevity and for a few details that would reveal identity. The individual is a fellow member of the media and would be known to some readers had I mentioned his name.
"I wholeheartedly disagree with your assumption that it is all about racism. Not everyone who hates to see 52% of our school growth come from people who are here illegally, see one third of our DWI rate come from people who are here illegally, see our emergency rooms packed with non-English speaking people who are not here legally and are ripping off our system for free health care that we are paying for, or just plain have a problem with people breaking the law are inherently racist.
I can't stand young men who walk around with their boxer shorts showing and their pants around the cracks of their butt or lower. Does that make me racist? No, it makes me someone who has respect for our society rather than be obnoxiously offensive to the rest of the community in defiant fashion.
I do not and can not ever support a candidate such as Barack Obama and think that TD Jakes' endorsement of him is racist. Does that make ME racist? No, it makes me observant and one who stands for principles in the candidate of his choice. For the record, I have strongly supported people like Allan Keyes and Clarence Thomas because of the principles for which they stand. I could not care less about a person's skin color. I care about character.
I understand the racism cry all too well. I run across it routinely from people who find it behind every tree, every comment, every action... When I make a comment based upon common sense and rational observation, I get the accusation hurled at me.
I spent the better part of a week listening to a disciple of Martin Luther King, Jr. scream at me and a few of my coworkers about how we are inherently racist because we are White. I have heard it all over the years, just in different forms and from different sources.
Yes, I can understand it. When I first moved to NC, I got flack from both Whites and Blacks. I was a big White guy from New England. I got the comments from the rednecks that I was not from around here and I got the hate from some Blacks that I was a big White guy and therefore worthy of hate. Racism comes from BOTH sides and is never unilateral.
When I was ordained by an all Black church (the only White boy there) do you think I gave a whit about what color the skin was of my fellow brethren? Heck, no. I cared about what we had in common.
I spend time talking to a lot of people, having a background in media. I was in radio for years, have been an active blogger, have been active in politics, a columnist, and a few other interests. That has gotten me involved with a lot of civic leaders, it has caused me to meet a lot of star athletes, politicians, actors, writers, and high profile preachers. I often get to spend time with some of the leaders, especially. I have run across a lot of LEGAL immigrants who are now elected officials and heads of advocacy groups that think exactly as Steve Bizzell does in terms of the blight upon our society caused by rampant illegal immigration. Are you going to claim that Honduran, Peurto Rican, and Cuban men I have met and fellowshipped (even teamed up with to lobby our lawmakers in Raleigh on immigration issues affected by NC legislation) are themselves racist? No, they are about the rule of law. They want illegal immigrants to be as legal as they were and follow the rules, too. But let a White man say that and he is racist?
Take a drive with me sometime to the same trailer parks that Steve Bizzell [referred to]. Stay at my house on a weekend and see the chickens running around in the yard of a home rented by illegal aliens while they drink beer, do the laundry on their front porch, let the grass grow two feet high, and play Mariachi music until after 1 AM. Visit my town where 60% of the residents are renters, not homeowners, having no respect for the taxes paid or cost of government. Come with me to my 5 year old's kindergarten class and see how 60% of his classmates are Hispanic, mostly the children of illegal aliens that do not speak English, are anchor babies, their parents do not pay taxes here, I am furnishing the classroom supplies because their parents refuse to buy them for their own kids, they are getting free lunch while I pay full price and in actuality, pay for their kids' lunches, too. Is any of that racist? Hardly. It is called simple economics, common sense, and respect for America and society. To find a racist thread in that is looking for goblins where there are none.
Why can one not refer to a problem with a particular group of problematic population without it being deemed racist? Bizzell used the term "trashy". Considering that I have plenty of trashy relations, I can definitively say as Forrest Gump would have, "trashy is as trashy does". Does that make me racist? No, just observant."
Obviously, I encourage Sheriff Bizzell to continue in his efforts in law enforcement, regardless of the ethnicity of the perpetrators involved.
Well, the saga of Sheriff Steve Bizzell just keeps getting better and better. Now our old "friends", the NAACP and the ACLU are attempting to investigate Sheriff Bizzell's department to see if he is guilty of "racial profiling" in law enforcement efforts.
Folks, I do not care who you are, there is common sense that must be in play. When I look at airport security efforts, I see the effects of political correctness run amuck. Little old ladies and toddlers are being screened as if they are in the same class as young Muslim males. The last I looked, no terrorist acts were perpetrated by mad grannies or diaper wearing children. As of this writing, there have been 11,849 deadly terror attacks perpetrated by Muslim males, usually of Middle Eastern descent just since September 11th, 2001. This does not take into account the events of 9/11, the USS Cole, the first World Trade Center bombing, and a host of other acts. The point is that it makes sense to look to a certain group if they are the ones primarily responsible for crime and acts of war and not those who do not fit the profile.
It makes sense to me that if our population of illegal aliens has been growing and the crime rate also grew disproportionate to the overall population of the group compared to the whole county, then there would be a reason to profile. If 30% of all DWI arrests (and those are just the ones caught) are from about 14% of the overall population, then there is a reason to pay heavier scrutiny to that population. Hence, Sheriff Bizzell's success in lowering the crime rate in Johnston County.
If there is a group of people who are known to violate the law (not including making the first illegal step on American soil by crossing the Rio Grande), then it makes sense to enforce the laws where the violators are known to be. If there is a bar where a lot of Gringos (White guys) are known to congregate and drive drunk after visiting the establishment, then I would hope that Sheriff Bizzell and other local law enforcement would constantly frequent that spot until all violators are caught or they simply cease said behavior. It just makes sense.
My previous columns and expressed opinions have drawn a lot of commentary from readers. One just this past week said (direct quote, so spelling errors and grammatical mistakes left as delivered to me). For the record, this comes from a Black man who takes issue with Sheriff Bizzell.
"Troy..I'm not trying to insult you…I'll explain it to you this way...Bizell's apology expalins that he didn't mean to talk about all mexican people..there are law abiding mexicans..just like there are law abiding black people..and black people who are jerks...and white people who are crazy..and whte people who are great. But I can't buy into hating a whole race of people..sorry man. There's no need to repeat mistakes of the past. Sorry..but it's a lot deeper than you make it out out to be..especially for people of color. I'm not going to argue with you about it. It's something you'll never understand, which isn;t a bad thing...it's just your point of view. But I served my country to protect the freedom of all americans and the flag that flies over this nation promises freedom for all. there. I have enough sense to know right from wrong and hating people based on color or race is wrong. The underlying thing is racism. If I say all white people in johnston county have wrecks on i-95 and have atv accidents..that's not accurate...and it would be racist. I hope you can understand why..if not..let me know I'll suggest some books you can read to get a better understanding."
I sympathize with the man in that he has a victim's mentality, which is hard to shake off. However, I do believe that there are things that transcend race. Behavior is not race based. It is culturally or personally taught and has nothing to do with the color of one's skin. It is not an issue of skin but is often an issue of sin. I have never been fond of those who see everything through the lens of racism and especially those who profit off the fears and race fears of others, such as the NAACP.
Here was my reply to the gentleman with a few edits for the sake of brevity and for a few details that would reveal identity. The individual is a fellow member of the media and would be known to some readers had I mentioned his name.
"I wholeheartedly disagree with your assumption that it is all about racism. Not everyone who hates to see 52% of our school growth come from people who are here illegally, see one third of our DWI rate come from people who are here illegally, see our emergency rooms packed with non-English speaking people who are not here legally and are ripping off our system for free health care that we are paying for, or just plain have a problem with people breaking the law are inherently racist.
I can't stand young men who walk around with their boxer shorts showing and their pants around the cracks of their butt or lower. Does that make me racist? No, it makes me someone who has respect for our society rather than be obnoxiously offensive to the rest of the community in defiant fashion.
I do not and can not ever support a candidate such as Barack Obama and think that TD Jakes' endorsement of him is racist. Does that make ME racist? No, it makes me observant and one who stands for principles in the candidate of his choice. For the record, I have strongly supported people like Allan Keyes and Clarence Thomas because of the principles for which they stand. I could not care less about a person's skin color. I care about character.
I understand the racism cry all too well. I run across it routinely from people who find it behind every tree, every comment, every action... When I make a comment based upon common sense and rational observation, I get the accusation hurled at me.
I spent the better part of a week listening to a disciple of Martin Luther King, Jr. scream at me and a few of my coworkers about how we are inherently racist because we are White. I have heard it all over the years, just in different forms and from different sources.
Yes, I can understand it. When I first moved to NC, I got flack from both Whites and Blacks. I was a big White guy from New England. I got the comments from the rednecks that I was not from around here and I got the hate from some Blacks that I was a big White guy and therefore worthy of hate. Racism comes from BOTH sides and is never unilateral.
When I was ordained by an all Black church (the only White boy there) do you think I gave a whit about what color the skin was of my fellow brethren? Heck, no. I cared about what we had in common.
I spend time talking to a lot of people, having a background in media. I was in radio for years, have been an active blogger, have been active in politics, a columnist, and a few other interests. That has gotten me involved with a lot of civic leaders, it has caused me to meet a lot of star athletes, politicians, actors, writers, and high profile preachers. I often get to spend time with some of the leaders, especially. I have run across a lot of LEGAL immigrants who are now elected officials and heads of advocacy groups that think exactly as Steve Bizzell does in terms of the blight upon our society caused by rampant illegal immigration. Are you going to claim that Honduran, Peurto Rican, and Cuban men I have met and fellowshipped (even teamed up with to lobby our lawmakers in Raleigh on immigration issues affected by NC legislation) are themselves racist? No, they are about the rule of law. They want illegal immigrants to be as legal as they were and follow the rules, too. But let a White man say that and he is racist?
Take a drive with me sometime to the same trailer parks that Steve Bizzell [referred to]. Stay at my house on a weekend and see the chickens running around in the yard of a home rented by illegal aliens while they drink beer, do the laundry on their front porch, let the grass grow two feet high, and play Mariachi music until after 1 AM. Visit my town where 60% of the residents are renters, not homeowners, having no respect for the taxes paid or cost of government. Come with me to my 5 year old's kindergarten class and see how 60% of his classmates are Hispanic, mostly the children of illegal aliens that do not speak English, are anchor babies, their parents do not pay taxes here, I am furnishing the classroom supplies because their parents refuse to buy them for their own kids, they are getting free lunch while I pay full price and in actuality, pay for their kids' lunches, too. Is any of that racist? Hardly. It is called simple economics, common sense, and respect for America and society. To find a racist thread in that is looking for goblins where there are none.
Why can one not refer to a problem with a particular group of problematic population without it being deemed racist? Bizzell used the term "trashy". Considering that I have plenty of trashy relations, I can definitively say as Forrest Gump would have, "trashy is as trashy does". Does that make me racist? No, just observant."
Obviously, I encourage Sheriff Bizzell to continue in his efforts in law enforcement, regardless of the ethnicity of the perpetrators involved.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Column for April 10, 2008
Martin Luther King and Moses
This past weekend was bittersweet for many Americans. Saturday and Sunday marked the anniversary of the loss of one leader and the recent loss of another. Though very different in many respects, they had the same end desire, freedom and equality. Even so, their respective views of equality may have been different.
April 4th marked the anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. King is revered by millions, vilified by others, and is held with indifference of estimation by still others. King's life was indeed ended prematurely and tragically, which unfortunately, made him a martyr in the minds of many. He has been deified by many, which I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears. For some reason, he has become an object of worship among some of his race. Personally, I believe that King would have found this abhorrent. Unlike many White folks, I have actually read behind King. The internet is full of documentation and audio of his speeches. I personally spent three days with one of King's disciples at a conference discussing racism.
King said in his famous "I Have A Dream" speech, "Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred." It is unfortunate that so many of those who claim to follow King's vision do just that. All one has to do is listen to one of his disciples, Jesse Jackson. Even worse has been the rhetoric of Barack Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright, which has been full of pure venom. Oddly enough, many of these people carry the title of "reverend", and yet I never hear them preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rather, I hear a social gospel, which tickles the ears of those who feel wronged by their status and position in life and blame society as a result.
One thing of which I am sure is that racism is not exclusive to Caucasians. It is certainly more prevalent, yet less overtly so, in the minds and actions of so called liberals. Liberals tend to tell people of color, whether of African or Hispanic heritage, that they can not advance in society without the assistance of the government. Over forty years ago, the great hope was for equal treatment under the law. Today, it seems that it is a hope that the government will supply their needs rather than having the opportunity for pursuing the dreams that equality can offer.
King said in the same aforementioned speech, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" These words are the foundation of this nation, and many were excluded by law from this creed. Today, the work of those like King resonates with the result. There is indeed equality under the law for all, regardless of skin color. The rest is up to the individual to rise above circumstances and thrive rather than flounder in pity and doubt.
One of my favorite lines from King's speech is "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." A big amen to that line. If it would be so, however, then we would no longer have the enslaving paradigm that so called affirmative action brings. We would no longer allow welfare, regardless of skin color, to be propagated generation after generation.
One man who actually marched with King and the civil rights movement, was Charlton Heston. Heston was a staunch conservative and later, president of the National Rifle Association. He was very politically incorrect in a very politically correct society such as Hollywood. Yet, Heston knew that the opportunity for equality was an essential tenant of what I refer to as "classic liberalism". Classic liberalism bears no resemblance to modern day liberalism as we know it. Actually, classic liberalism is what is true conservatism today. Few actually practice it, however. Liberalism refers to the practice and promotion of liberty with accompanying exercise of responsibility.
Heston knew that gun rights were essential to the exercise of freedom. That is just one aspect of individual liberty, as he obviously understood, hence, his participation in the civil rights movement of the 1960's. His dream, however, was a bit different than those liberals of today. He believed in the principle of being free to succeed, yet free to fail; of being free to participate in the American dream and take advantage of the freedoms available, yet taking responsibility for one's own actions and success or lack thereof.
Heston, who portrayed Ben Hur, Moses, El Cid, and John the Baptist, died this past weekend. I was saddened to see this, though it was not unexpected. Charlton Heston was 84 years of age and suffered from Alzheimer's Syndrome.
I am amazed at the difference between civil rights activists like some of Martin Luther King's disciples, who have perverted the message of King to be a self serving and ironically enslaving paradigm and someone like Charlton Heston, who preached freedom and equality for all until the day he died. Heston's message actually embodied the concept of "…a nation where [people] will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character". I wish that there were more that preached that message in this nation.
Selma, Alabama may have been where MLK and his disciples chose to bring the message of freedom, but I have chosen Selma, North Carolina to do the very same thing, regardless of skin color. The civil rights movement was a necessary thing, and has made great changes in our nation. What we need today is a civil responsibility movement to follow up and free minds now that the bodies have been freed.
This past weekend was bittersweet for many Americans. Saturday and Sunday marked the anniversary of the loss of one leader and the recent loss of another. Though very different in many respects, they had the same end desire, freedom and equality. Even so, their respective views of equality may have been different.
April 4th marked the anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. King is revered by millions, vilified by others, and is held with indifference of estimation by still others. King's life was indeed ended prematurely and tragically, which unfortunately, made him a martyr in the minds of many. He has been deified by many, which I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears. For some reason, he has become an object of worship among some of his race. Personally, I believe that King would have found this abhorrent. Unlike many White folks, I have actually read behind King. The internet is full of documentation and audio of his speeches. I personally spent three days with one of King's disciples at a conference discussing racism.
King said in his famous "I Have A Dream" speech, "Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred." It is unfortunate that so many of those who claim to follow King's vision do just that. All one has to do is listen to one of his disciples, Jesse Jackson. Even worse has been the rhetoric of Barack Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright, which has been full of pure venom. Oddly enough, many of these people carry the title of "reverend", and yet I never hear them preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rather, I hear a social gospel, which tickles the ears of those who feel wronged by their status and position in life and blame society as a result.
One thing of which I am sure is that racism is not exclusive to Caucasians. It is certainly more prevalent, yet less overtly so, in the minds and actions of so called liberals. Liberals tend to tell people of color, whether of African or Hispanic heritage, that they can not advance in society without the assistance of the government. Over forty years ago, the great hope was for equal treatment under the law. Today, it seems that it is a hope that the government will supply their needs rather than having the opportunity for pursuing the dreams that equality can offer.
King said in the same aforementioned speech, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" These words are the foundation of this nation, and many were excluded by law from this creed. Today, the work of those like King resonates with the result. There is indeed equality under the law for all, regardless of skin color. The rest is up to the individual to rise above circumstances and thrive rather than flounder in pity and doubt.
One of my favorite lines from King's speech is "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." A big amen to that line. If it would be so, however, then we would no longer have the enslaving paradigm that so called affirmative action brings. We would no longer allow welfare, regardless of skin color, to be propagated generation after generation.
One man who actually marched with King and the civil rights movement, was Charlton Heston. Heston was a staunch conservative and later, president of the National Rifle Association. He was very politically incorrect in a very politically correct society such as Hollywood. Yet, Heston knew that the opportunity for equality was an essential tenant of what I refer to as "classic liberalism". Classic liberalism bears no resemblance to modern day liberalism as we know it. Actually, classic liberalism is what is true conservatism today. Few actually practice it, however. Liberalism refers to the practice and promotion of liberty with accompanying exercise of responsibility.
Heston knew that gun rights were essential to the exercise of freedom. That is just one aspect of individual liberty, as he obviously understood, hence, his participation in the civil rights movement of the 1960's. His dream, however, was a bit different than those liberals of today. He believed in the principle of being free to succeed, yet free to fail; of being free to participate in the American dream and take advantage of the freedoms available, yet taking responsibility for one's own actions and success or lack thereof.
Heston, who portrayed Ben Hur, Moses, El Cid, and John the Baptist, died this past weekend. I was saddened to see this, though it was not unexpected. Charlton Heston was 84 years of age and suffered from Alzheimer's Syndrome.
I am amazed at the difference between civil rights activists like some of Martin Luther King's disciples, who have perverted the message of King to be a self serving and ironically enslaving paradigm and someone like Charlton Heston, who preached freedom and equality for all until the day he died. Heston's message actually embodied the concept of "…a nation where [people] will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character". I wish that there were more that preached that message in this nation.
Selma, Alabama may have been where MLK and his disciples chose to bring the message of freedom, but I have chosen Selma, North Carolina to do the very same thing, regardless of skin color. The civil rights movement was a necessary thing, and has made great changes in our nation. What we need today is a civil responsibility movement to follow up and free minds now that the bodies have been freed.
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