Let me begin by stating what should be felt by any sentient human.  I am deeply saddened by the loss of innocent lives in Gaza.  By innocent I mean the women and children who live there.  Women because they had no vote.  Children because children of every ethnicity are innocent.  But it should be remembered that 75% of the male citizens of Gaza elected Hamas as their ruling government.  When Hamas attacked Israel, raping women, beheading babies, killing innocents and taking hostages it was the same as if the country of Gaza had done it.  It was a planned and deliberate act of war and war always has innocent casualties.  The loss of civilian lives in both World Wars was horrific. The conflict in Gaza will be prolonged for as long as it takes to eradicate Hamas.

Western Wall, Jerusalem

 

Damascus Gate Entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem

COVID 19

 Wuhan Labs should be prosecuted in International Court for deliberately engineering and releasing a virus intended to be lethal to humans--and Anthony Fauci should be prosecuted for lying about it.

It will be years before the full extent of COVID's damage to civilization is known.  Besides the worldwide death toll, there were repercussions in almost every facet of life.  Long-term side effects are still being discovered in patients.  Businesses closed or changed how they operated.  Jobs were lost and never came back.  Kids were deprived of a year of formal education and social interaction with other kids.  People were coerced into receiving vaccines that were relatively untested.  Quarantines were imposed.

Yet, no person or entity is being held responsible for their deliberate evil.

The Black Elephant

     Let me preface this rant with a spoiler alert.  I am a White male. I am going to voice my opinion on racially sensitive issues.  In doing so, I risk a lifetime of 80+ years building a reputation of fairness and honesty.  I am too old to care about that anymore; I am more concerned with the deliberate distortion of truths surrounding racism.  These distortions are being perpetuated by mainstream media, academia, and government bureaucracy.  Why do they turn a blind eye to what is glaringly obvious?

    Black Americans are being conditioned to believe anything that adversely influences their lives is a result of racism.  BTW, it is now considered racist for Whites to use the word racism.

    Facts:  13% of the U.S. population is Black.  Young Black Americans are being shot at 100 times the rate of White teens. There is far more Black on White crime than vice-versa.  Prison populations are much more than 13% Black.  Smash and grab robberies and urban arson are committed by blacks at a rate exceeding White, Asian, and Hispanic combined.  According to standardized tests, less than 5% of Black high school graduates are college ready.  As much as 75% of Black babies are born to single mothers. 

    Is all of this a product of racism?  Are Blacks not as smart as other peoples?  Is Black crime an inborn trait?  Are Black people not as moral?  Of course not.  During the WWII era more Blacks stayed married than Whites.   In those times many Blacks distinguished themselves in a variety of endeavors requiring intellectual excellence.  So, what can be the problem?

    I believe that the Black sociological experiment begun in the 1960's is the Black Elephant in the room that everyone seems embarrassed to confront.  Black children were conditioned by government and educators to see themselves as victims of White Americans. At about that time the number of single parent households began to rise, the result being that single moms were struggling to raise and provide for kids instead of thinking about careers.  Young Black males with working mothers sought acceptance in unsavory urban pursuits.  The "turn on, tune in, drop out" counterculture movement was translated by Blacks into a rebellion against all things White.  Malcolm X was their militant hero.  Young Black males rejected Christianity and turned to Islam. 

    We have to eventually see that IT AIN'T WORKING!  Race relations are probably worse now than at any time since the Jim Crow laws of the 1960's.  There is a vast difference between equality and equity.  Equality is a God-given right; Equity must be earned.