America’s Original Sin: How Slavery Paved Today’s Path

I was driving home when It hit me.

All this talk of homosexuality being normal, and people coming out of the closet – it’s absolutely everywhere. You and I can no longer go through an entire day without being told that homosexuality is normal. They’re really drumming it up pretty hard. Several Conservatives are extremely upset over it too. This is not to ‘attack’ homosexuality though. Just about to point out how much effort is going into “correcting” a wrong in our society. For so many years, gay people were ‘in the closet’, living ‘in secret’ as possible. It ‘was’ taboo in this society, but is become more accepted. The devices used to suggest it was not ‘normal’, namely, the bible and Christianity, are not holding as much ‘influence’ over the population as it once did.

That’s when it hit me…. (again, I was driving home…)

As much as I don’t like it when homosexuality is compared to what black people faced in this nation’s history. I realized while driving home what is really going on.

America never righted the wrongs of slavery. No significant push like we see with the push to change how we view and treat homosexuality.

In fact – the moment Americans used the bible to Justify slavery … they put this nation on the path that it’s now on today. (the image above, is from an article on Christianity’s Relationship with Slavery in America)

America, put it’s ‘religion’ in peril as well. Today, we are seeing fewer people attending church. Because this nation was ‘founded’ on several lies. Including using the Bible to say that black people were ‘meant’ to be enslaved, property of whites, to do with as they saw fit.

You cannot point to the verses in the bible to tell a homosexual that their lifestyle is an abomination; or that they should be put to death – besides, I personally am not in favor of killing human beings anyways, regardless of the situation. But, ideas like this hold no weight. It then breaks down every other aspect of the bible as well. Conservative ‘Christians’ end up seeing the religion they were raised on, challenged every single day.

Our Justice System in America has always been Unjust towards black people, so voting for the death penalty always seemed like a foolish idea. You never know when an innocent black man is on death row, since so many black men are convicted for being black alone. It’s difficult to get the necessary attention on this lingering unsolved issue – as so much ‘else’ pulls attention away.

But, the abomination part … at ‘least’ we could try to use that to show them the error of their ways, right?

Nope, not in America.

That response is often met with “well, America used the Bible to justify slavery of blacks too” …. and they are right.

The whole conversation goes out the window, as it should. Unfortunately though, we’re not discussing how much, ongoing harm, black america is ‘still’ going through today. Flint Michigan, Police brutality all over the nation. High levels of discrimination in the work place, and so much more. Not to mention, so many of the off-shoot groups, who also are claiming oppression tend to ‘contribute’ to the oppression of black Americans.

The reality is, this conversation we’re having today is the result of what America chose to do to black people during and following slavery.

Somehow, I have a feeling that until White America wakes up and realizes that WE MUST come together and stop hating one another on the basis of race; that we MUST fight for a more just society that allows blacks the same opportunities as other races; and doesn’t just ‘claim’ those opportunities are there. Until then, we can never truly say that homosexuals and black people aren’t two different groups – even if people ‘think’ they actually aren’t. I wouldn’t blame this on people who are gay however, it’s just what this society always does. They find, ‘others’ to reward with opportunities, attention, etc … , instead of black people.

Until we do black people right in this country, our path downhill will only continue.

Michelle Alexander, professor and author speaks with Bill Moyer in the video above. I first heard about her book a few years back, the New Jim Crow – and love her point on colorblindness. “Being color blind is not good” – especially in a society where Racism is still very real and very harmful to black life.

Trayvon Martin to Jordan Davis – to all the black youth shot and killed that were not covered in the press; mostly just because they looked a certain way – If Jordan Davis was a homosexual and Michael Dunn claimed he Shot the car up because Jordan Davis made a ‘pass’ at him … Michael Dunn would’ve been crucified by our mainstream media.

But, since he said he was afraid for his life – the media and many citizens in America gave him the benefit of the doubt; afterall …. black people are So scary.

The very idea of comparing what black people face and have faced, with what homosexuals face is silly.

It’s offensive to any black person alive with good sense – because in spite of the fact that blacks are treated VERY differently in society today from homosexuals; you will find blacks fighting for the rights of gay people left and right. You’ll find black people saying what ‘white oppressors’ have trained blacks to say. In spite of there being no evidence to support it. Homosexuals have more rights today than blacks ever had. We’ve never dealt with righting the wrongs of How blacks have been treated in America. We are unable to stand up to the lies.

In the clip above, Michelle Alexander speaks about Immigration. While she makes a great point about who was ‘really impacted’ by desegregation (poor working whites) – immigration is not the same either.

I hate to disagree with the professor on that point, and yet I still need to see her entire platform on this issue. That being said, the one group mostly impacted by illegal immigration today, are not just the poor whites – but are the poor blacks; who for the most part are just as poor today, as blacks were during and right after the conclusion of slavery. The lack of jobs, in the black community, leads to the %’s she mentions; where more blacks are imprisoned today, than were enslaved during slavery.

It’s past due for America to wake up – As the gay agenda keeps us debating whether or not men can marry men, or if women can marry women. We are ignoring the continuing downfall of the black man (and woman) in America. We’ve ignored their ongoing oppression.