Robeson County led North Carolina in supporting the Amendment One in 2012. The U.S. Supreme Court recently nullified those votes, deciding that same-sex marriage is guaranteed by the Constitution, thus superseding states rights. Whether you agree or disagree with the decision, the fact is we simply have an activist judiciary.
Following the decision, President Obama bathed the White House in the colors of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender flag. For the record, he and Hillary were both originally against gay marriage.
Even more hypocritical was that the president did this during the same week he declared the Confederate flag should come down in South Carolina as it might offend folks, stating it represented hate and violence. No word yet on whether he is in favor of banning rap music representing hate and violence. Clearly, he didn’t consider the LGBT flag might be offensive to some either.
While marriage decisions are now beyond states’ rights, the Confederate flag is another matter. Gov. Pat McCrory entered North Carolina into the debate, saying the state should stop issuing license plates bearing the Confederate flag. Alfonzo Rachel is a popular black Republican commentator and agrees the issue is conflated.
His point is that Democrats flew the Confederate flag the highest and its representation is complex. Hate groups hijacked its use, so racism associations are unavoidable and obvious. According to Rachel, like teens who can’t understand why they don’t get any respect whle their pants are hanging off their butt, folks shouldn’t be upset if negativism occurs flying the Confederate flag. Teens, pull up your pants if you want respect. Folks, rally around the American flag to steer clear of racism controversy.
Americans were most upset though that the response to the Charleston murders was to start a discussion about a flag. President Obama has said Americans shouldn’t judge all of Islam by a few radicals. Yet, the White House seems to judge the whole South by one idiot who shoots up a church.
The Charleston church demonstrated true Christian love in its response. There were no riots. Al Sharpton couldn’t promote racial unrest. Church members even expressed forgiveness in the face of such a horrific tragedy. They truly exemplified class and community unity to which we all should aspire.
There are many double standards today. According to Professor Henry Louis Gates, the same scholar who had a beer with President Obama, 10.7 million slaves were horribly shipped through the middle passage between 1525 and 1866 before it was outlawed.
He cites the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database as it is the most comprehensive. He also points out that less than 4 percent — or 388,000 — came to North America. The rest went to South America and the Caribbean.
The math comes out to an average of 1,137 a year during the period. I had to do the math because Alfonzo Rachel complains that today more African-Americans are murdered each year, which is the current growing tragedy, while we are stuck on past sins. He’s right. The FBI reported 6,329 African-American murders in 2011 alone, usually by other African-Americans.
African-American scholars like Gates estimate that even in the South, 80 percent of the population never owned slaves. Given the fact that many Americans today are descendents of immigrants who arrived after the Civil War, it is estimated that today maybe 5 percent bear any generational guilt for the exploitation of slave labor.
The point is that there are too many double standards and too much hypocrisy over flags, be it LGBT or Confederate. With slave-owning descendents at less than 5 percent, this wound should heal. Also as a predominantly Christian nation, it’s best for the White House to remain impartial so as not to anger a nation. Again, there is too much hypocrisy.
The Charleston church showed us how healing is accomplished with love and unity. They practiced what they preach.
