Before you react to this read EVERY WORD, please.

First of all, I KNOW RACISM EXISTS.

But is it possible that some some people think that in our culture, where disrespect is already rampant, that the even non-violent yet open and blatant disrespect of the flag is just not a good thing to model, to teach, to present as a standard to reach for? Is it possible that it is looked upon (I think rightfully) as a gateway drug to utter disdain for the country. Can one approve of the non-violent approach and still take issue with the disrespect? I think it's possible. Sometimes two seemingly opposing things can be true simultaneously.

Peaceful protest is great and needed at times.

Encouraging the police as pig slur is not ok.

There is no place for destroying property and harming other citizens and/or police officers.

There is no place for resisting arrest.

Respect and instantaneous cooperation with the police are not 100% guarantees but they are much more likely to give you a safe and favorable outcome.

I know racism is an actually thing.

I've dealt with it on numerous occasions.

On infinitely more occasions I have being treated like I was just Aaron who happens to be black and I have no problem. I said it last week, even the most racially charged, bigot infested, year of my life yielded me lifelong friendships that far outweigh the hideous effects of the prejudice I encountered.

Does that have anything to do with how I and others carried ourselves during that ordeal? Absolutely.

Does THAT excuse bigotry, hatred and injustice? Absolutely not.

Did MLK achieve the progess, the very real progress that has been made, through respectful and non-violent means? Absolutely.

HEAR ME NOW AND HEAR ME WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I KNOW WHAT IT BIGOTRY AND RACISM ARE!!

I HAVE DEALT WITH THEM IN MY LIFE!!!!

I AM NOT SOME INSANE RACISM DENIER!

So please don't even think of going there.

On the other hand, some things are as diametrically opposed as they seem.

No sane, honest person denies that racism exists unless they are incredibly naive.

PLEASE HEAR ME SAY THIS AND INGRAIN IT IN YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS. Any person that that takes a black life and or any other life unlawfully should be dealt with accordingly. Any law enforcement officer that does so unlawfully should have the full weight of the law come down on them. Any officer than makes a fatal mistake should be dealt with accordingly. But police and/or racial victimization is not the greatest physical danger facing the back community.

http://www.dailywire.com/news/7441/7-statistics-you-need-know-about-black-black-crime-aaron-bandler

" "There were almost 6,000 blacks killed by other blacks in 2015.

By contrast, only 258 blacks were killed by police gunfire that year."

http://www.lifenews.com/2016/06/29/black-pastor-69-times-more-black-people-died-from-abortion-than-homicide/

Black pastor Walter B. Hoye II wants to get on board with the #BlackLivesMatter movement, but it troubles him how the movement ignores the leading cause of death among Black Americans – abortion.

Hoye, president of the Issues4LifeFoundation, said abortions on Black Americans outnumber the homicides of Black Americans by 69 to 1. Yet, little attention is drawn to ending the genocide of abortion in the Black community."

I KNOW WHAT IT BIGOTRY AND RACISM ARE!!

I HAVE DEALT WITH THEM IN MY LIFE!!!!

"He uncovered some shocking data by comparing a 2013 report from the Violence Policy Center, which shows that there were 6,217 Black American homicides that year, and national abortion statistics from 2013 showing that there were 429,000 abortions on Black American women.

According to his breakdown of the numbers:

In other words, for every three Black babies born in America, two will be aborted.

The numbers get worse.

In 2013, there were an estimated 429,000 abortions in Black America.

This equates to …

35,750 abortions per month

8,250 abortions per week

1,175 abortions per day

49 abortions per hour

This amounts to 1 Black abortion every 74 seconds."

None of this is to say that racism has become a thing of the past. This is just to say that to whatever extent there are people, organizations, systems or institutions trying to rid America of the "Negro Problem", we must stop doing their dirty work for them at such an efficient pace.

How can we convince others that black lives matter so much when we can't even convince ourselves?

I KNOW WHAT IT BIGOTRY AND RACISM ARE!!

I HAVE DEALT WITH THEM IN MY LIFE!!!!

I just refuse to be a victim of racism beyond the duration of the actual event. And I absolutely refuse to be party to actions that give however many racists are out there, their sick justification of "See, that's how THEY are."

I love you all. I don't see you as colors. I see you as humans. Some good, some bad. I love you all, even those of you who despise me. We all have choices to make. I choose to love my enemies and (when I remember) pray for those that persecute me.

By the way,

I know there is racism in America I've experienced it. I just refuse to live a life of victimhood.

THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF LOVE IN THIS COUNTRY. It's about time we acknowledged both that there has been great progress, but there is still a very real struggle. But there is more than one struggle. And often the struggle to wrestle with both of these competing realities is abandoned. Because the truth is often messy. It's like life that way.

Last week a older, Christian, conservative white guy literally gave me the shirt off his back. That really happened. No latent hate/pity/white man's guilt/overcompensation. He just thought it suited me better than him.

Racism/ugliness happens and so does harmony/beauty.

Why don't we all make a point to be part of the harmony and beauty today, this weekend, always?

We need, more than ever, to unite in America.

Taking a knee is better than throwing a brick through a window.

Take note what it going on around Colin Kaepernick...

Taking a hand is even better than taking a knee.

 

Best choice: Unity. Defiance against injustice. Was most effective in lasting change.

 

I KNOW THERE IS RACISM HERE.

there is also a lot of love

I HAVE experienced both and one far, far, far more often than the other. That is the one I'm going to continue to live out. Love.

https://michaelhyatt.com/you-get-what-you-expect.html

I treat people well and I EXPECT to be treated well. Equally, harmoniously. And for the very most part of my almost 50 years of being black in America that it what I've gotten in return. Although I readily acknowledge that racism exists I don't expect it on a daily basis. Nor should I.

Letter From A Birmingham Jail:

http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

Are we still there? (Worse still have we RETURNED there?)

If we are on the road back to those days, why is it so?

We've come so far. Injustice will never end but it has been decreased, significantly. This is a very different country.

Consider this:

Could MLK have imagined a two term black president?

Two black Secretaries of State?

Two black Attorney's General?

Is there a long way to go? Absolutely

But have we come a long way? Absolutely

HARMONY, JUSTICE, LOVE AND BEAUTY EXIST RIGHT HERE IN AMERICA.

I love you all!

God loves you infinitely more, infinitely better and absolutely equally.

.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.