Blacks

The Double Standard In The United States

Monday, March 24th, 2008
by Travis McCrea

I wanted to write about relationships this week but I noticed something, and wanted to bring it up. This blog was inspired by a black friend of mine who had a “black power fist” on his pick for his hair… and then I noticed he also had one on his phones background. I asked him if I had a white fist in the air saying “White Power” if he would be offended, and of course he said he would be. Sri Sathya Sai Baba (what a mouth full) said it best when he said:

“Treat all as your own self. Do not have a double standard.”

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

I am not a racist, I love all human beings. I love some more then others and its unfortunate that the English language only has one word for love, but this is not the point, the point is that in the world, and in my writings the United States holds a double standard in race relations. I have some black people in my family, although you can’t see it in me (although there is more white in Barack Obama then black, Senator Obama is 50% Caucasian from his mother’s side. He is 43.75% Arabic, and 6.25% African Negro from father -Source- but people can’t see that either). When I hear a black person refer to himself or a friend as a “N (Censored Hover For Word)” I will correct them, for the reasons I will outline below.

There are some good people out there fighting this good fight for equal rights in the United States, and I know we have come a long way in race advancement, but I also am aware we need to do more to advance the treatment of other races. We still have racist cops, and laws that are “unofficial” like DWB and other racist profiles and such that are simply counter productive. However, when blacks (and I will use the term black because there are other people who are NOT African, but still are black, for instance Jamaicans) call themselves these racist terms to call themselves, they hurt the entire cause. Its degrading to themselves and their cause.

Another issue that causes a double standard is different treatment, now I know Rev. Al Sharpton will probably be mad at me for saying this but I think he will live. We cannot get anywhere if we still segregate them. For instance, if the Federal Government pays for every black person to go to college, is that not still singling them out? We should be giving assistance to EVERY child that needs help going to college, not based on their race, but based on their ability to go and the effort they show to be able to go to college. I am all for the advancement of black people, and I understand that there are still some families who have yet to get their break… but there are some white children who’s families have fallen into ruts as well. I understand these children get grants too, but we need to remove the race from the equation.

The United States is still working on becoming a more race friendly country, but in doing so, and by trying to correct its past mistakes its still being racist by embracing this double standard. It is essential to see Americans as just that Americans, recognising race is okay… If you see me in a room of black people, and you want to identify me, you will call me the white guy. Its okay to acknowledge some one’s race, its not okay to single them out for it (apart from a description). I am proud to be white, and that is fine. I have friends that are proud to be black, that is fine too… but when we put ourselves above other people, or try to segregate ourselves by any means, we ourselves are the racists. Martin Luther King would surely ask that his brothers-ALL of our brothers be treated the same. That was the point, equality.

“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.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nowhere in that does it say “my dream is that my four little children get more opportunities then the little white boys” because he didn’t believe in that nor do I. We are equal and we need to acknowledge that and stop putting down the movement by degrading ourselves (and our race) and by not accepting assistance based on race, but yet assistance based on need of assistance.