Redstate

The KKK was influencing elections all the way into Illinois.
It took people like Harry Truman to disavow it.
The African American version of it is not really different from then - except maybe with less organized violence than then.
It will pass. But it will not pass until we stand up to it as a people.

I read Redstate far more than I contribute because, no matter the subject, someone here will put my thoughts, beliefs and feelings to words much better than I ever could.

Thanks absentee

"As before at Trinity, Wright was compared to Jesus by several of the speakers"

Wright is so far from being Christlike in any way shape or form that comparisons border on apostasy. (Ooh, ooh, but he set up some breakfast programs!)

Christ harbored no hatred toward any man. He forgave those who tortured and murdered him. Wright openly condemns those who gave him the right to speak freely without fear of prosecution. That anyone dares compare the two men is evidence, in my mind, of either willful ignorance in the cause of racial/political circling of the wagons or deliberate apostasy in that they are openly renouncing that which Christ stood for.

Then again, we live in the age of apostasy, so I suppose that I should not be surprised.

you make it really hard to make any kind of substantive reply because of your ability to put things so clearly into perspective.

I guess what I will do instead is echo the sentiment that racism is very much alive in the black community. This is especially true in the sense that many in the black community are quick to cry victim. I have personally experienced this.

Once upon a time(two years ago to be precise), I was a member of store management with Walgreens. I was at one point in my career on the cusp of being promoted to Store Manager. At least, I thought I was. My District Manager and I had a falling out of sorts. It resulted in me being demoted to a regular Assitant Manager and a transfer to an inner city store. I didn't mind this transfer so much as I was being reunited with one of my favorite managers that I had ever worked for (and someone to whom I maintain contact to this day).

Now, because of my history with this Store Manager and my wealth of knowledge and experience, I was asked to help guide the manager who had my old position in that store (what they called and Executive Assitant Manager...essentially an Assistant Manager with increased responsibilities, a salary, and no restrictions on hours worked). I gladly took on this role as I saw it as a way to reignite my career.

The same day that I was transfered to this store, another Assistant Manager transferd in. The report from the prior Store Manager indicated that this individual was a problem employee. He was very inconsistent in his work ethic (which I later found to be quite odd considering the man was a former Marine. If I was a Marine, I may very well disown this man. He would be a poor representative of the quality individuals that I have known to come out of the Corps). He was also incredibly combative. My friend, the Store Manager, and I were under the assumption that this individual was being sent to this particular store to try to force him out of the company.

Well, it didn't take long for this individual and I to start butting heads. I was trying to relate to him all that I knew to be true, both about how to do the job and how the Store Manager prefered things to be done. He wanted none of my advice. One particular day, the one that created the ultimate demise of my career at Walgreens, this Assistant Manager was involved with a situation in our pharmacy waiting area. The patient was obviously drunk as a skunk and was in no mood to listen to anyone around him. One of the things that I was always taught was to calmly guide a beligerent individual out of the store. The goal was to make as little a scene as possible so not to disturb the other patients and shoppers. The Assistant Manager did just about the complete opposite. He was beligerent in return. He dared the customer to return. He told him that he would call the cops if the guy came back.

After the incident ended, I approached the Assistant Manager to engage him in a bit of coaching. I related much of the same that I put in the above paragraph about how I would have responded to the situation and why it was the right course (including that it was considered the company way). I was immediatly informed by this Assistant Manager that I didn't understand. I didn't know what I was talking about. He gave me every excuse he could think of as to why he shouldn't listen to me. In fact, he became quite heated at points throughout the discussion. I maintained my calm (I was smart enough to have a witness present for most of the conversation) and tried to keep the discussion moving in a positive manner.

At that point, I tried to engage him on what his future career plans were with the company. I was trying to see if I could draw some small piece of information out of him that I could use to relate my lesson to him. He told me he wanted to be a Store Manager some day. I told him that there was no reason that he couldn't be. He was smart. He could be hard working. And he had plenty of people around him that wanted to help him.

I should at this point state the obvious. The Assistant Manager in question was black.

For some reason, I still can't figure out why to this day, I decided to add to the conversation the fact that there were still very few black managers at Walgreens. I told him that he would be able to take advantage of this. It would lead to him getting noticed quicker. Notice that I didn't make any mention of things that would inheirently be foolish. I did not mention any kind of quotas (although that is what he would allege). I was simply trying to put in front of him that he had an edge. If he was willing to work hard and learn from those around him then he would be in a great position to take advantage of that edge to reach his goals.

Well, within a week I was being coached by the Loss Prevention Supervisor (a rules enforcer of sorts), coached by my new District Manager and being informed that I was lucky to still be employed. It was apparent to me that the only evidence that was being taken into consideration. I had my witness that I mentioned above, but that didn't seem to count for anythin. I had my account of the situation, which I had given no reason to the Loss Prevention Supervisor to not believe. We had dealt with each other on many other occasion and I had been able to show that I am pretty darn good at remembering what is said in situations like this.

Two weeks later, the punishment for the crime was dealt. I was to be transfered to another store. [The intangible punishment was the stigma of being a racist that I would carry for my career with Walgreens. I wisely decided to make that career as short as possible.] The irony is that I, a marked racist, was being transfered to the East Saint Louis location. For those of you who don't get that: East Saint Louis is a poor, black community on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River opposite downtown St. Louis. I know, go figure. Send a racist to a black community.

I know this was a little long-winded, but I hope you can see that by playing the victim this individual turned down an opportunity to better himself by learning from someone who knew what he was doing.

A further interesting point is that I learned a few weeks ago that the individual was terminated for poor performance. I guess he should have listened after all. Maybe he would still have a job.

"If the church is silent, then the United States cannot be united?"

Obvious similarity to the leadership of the Methodist and Episcopal churches aside . . . It sounds like Otis is only interested in seeing whites, conservatives, men and whoever else piques his curiosity slit their wrists on the altar of self-pity. Unity doesn't come on the terms of one group alone - its a two-way street.

"If we ever forget that we are One Nation under God, then we will be a Nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan

The "we don't get it" mentality being used to mask the vitriolic hatred & racism from "Rev." Wright will keep him in the news - bad for Obama, however he brought this on himself by having this person as his mentor.

in that church, who applaud so loudly at the "hate America" references, are in fact living on the public dole at the expense of the tax-payers of this great country.

As awful as Wright comments were, and as awful as the support for him is, this is not all bad. It is also liberating.

Ten years ago I was labeled a racist - in statewide newspapers - because I suggested our first priority in hiring should be our curricular needs, with race and gender further down the list.

For ten years, I've feared a recurrence. No more.

The people who holler "racist" at any discussion of "merit" have lost substantial credibility. They are the Obama/Wright supporters. Next time, my response will be "Gimme a break."

Most people will understand. The media - at least in Florida - will understand.

This is liberating . . . so keep it coming.

Steve Willis
Professor of Law
University of Florida College of Law

absentee