How risky is respect, in combating racism and rage in building power?
Mam us not go out backward like we did when we first came here.
I am older, wiser at least pray every day to be. History repeats itself, which helps us to not have to reinvent the wheel. Nothing new is under the sun. People always have and will need the same things. Love and truth never fail long-term except for the occasional bump in the road where hate and evil stones on the side of the road are topsoil by natural events of nature or contrived by men.
Music has oratory historical and emotionally expressive and healing lessons. I love music that soothes, moves, teaches, and affords a feeling opportunity to release feeling which is not suitable for us. Respect, racism, and rage provide a more expansive way of deciding for our own needs.
Respect benefits the individual and recipient. It can be likened to planting seeds, watering, and fertilization of honor, value, acknowledgment, commemorating something or someone. When I am polite, show good manners and speak without profanity, my message receives a positive response. Universal quotes have provided me with substantial benefits.
Proverbs 23:1 says: Respect is better than silver or gold
Proverbs 13:13 says, Respect is rewarding
Hopefully for my potential non-Bible readers “You get more with honey than you do with vinegar”
Stable Singers Respect yourself
The Staple singers’ lyrics in the song “Respect yourself” described the realities of feelings, wishes, and responses when there is a lack of Respect. Lyrics did not dismiss personal accountability or Respect to some mystical none living entity like “White supremacist.”
No, we have the responsibility to make choices based on education and knowledge. The base voice lyrics’
“Talking about pollution put your hand over your mouth when you cough that will help the solution.” If you disrespect everybody that you run into, how in the world is anybody going to respect you?”
“You curse around womenfolk; you don’t even know their name. Then dumb enough to make you think it makes you…. man.
Unbound by Tarana Burke, said
“Unkindness is a serial killer. Death in the flesh seems like an excruciating way to succumb to the slow and steady venom unleashed by mean, spirited, cruel words and actions that poison over time.
Profanity cursing is a sign of disrespect. Our men of color are our lovers, fathers’ defenders, and protectors of the Cleopatras of society. Abusive speech is often a trigger for victims of abuse and violence. Consider the backlash executed upon the vulnerable as you roll your words about. Your words in the head of some can be the incentive of a male child being shot, killed, or beaten.
· Jesus was the most remarkable man who ever lived, served, educated, healed, and unified by love…
· Malcolm X used endearing terms like brother’s sisters. In Chicago, I was fortunate enough to hear him speak, and he did not belittle people who had a different view. He stopped and listened. The message of caring so much willing to defend
· Martin Luther King did not re-traumatize the vulnerable. No threats like killing or cutting out the tongue of people with a different view. His message included a demand for justice to relieve poverty.
Unity of plan and effort demands choosing to not buy into “White Supremacy” even when it pays. Especially not at the expense of people cared for. It is not the “White Supremacy” which forces us to buy into the payoff of oppression of our family members. It is a conscious choice.
Disrespect causes the recipient to experience fear, anger, shame, confusion, uncertainty, isolation, self-doubt, depression, and many physical ailments such as insomnia, fatigue, nausea, and hypertension. Disrespect demotivates while talking, interrupted before having finished speaking.
Racism, homophobia, xenophobia expressions of hate-related to race, nationalism, sexuality are hugs of aggression, bullying, vandalism, assault, rape, murder, and genocide. The belief is that race is the primary determinate of human traits and capability. Racial differences produce inherent beliefs of superiority and rage. Racism is the belief that humans are divided into separate and exclusive biological entities.
Wilkerson, Isabel (2019) Caste, Clarifies caste as the infrastructure of our divisions. The subconscious code of instructions for maintaining… social order is created by human hierarchy. Further, she acknowledges it is an artificial construction. Throughout history and all over the world’s caste system, stand out. 1.
1. The tragic caste system of Nazi Germany, India, and race.
2. This destructive construction relies on stigmatizing those deemed inferior and justifies the dehumanization necessary to keep the lowest-ranked people at the bottom.
3. Race-based caste prevalent in the United States.
Proverbs 15:1 says a mild answer turns away rage. But a harsh word stirs up anger
Psalms 37:8 says Let go of anger and abandon rage.
The fruit of racism, caste, and disrespect is rage. Ibram X Kendi's “How to be Antiracist” points out the danger of racist ideas encourages minorities, poor people of color, to think less of themselves. Encouraged to blame problems on people’ Muslim, Latinos, immigrants. Racist practices include continuous disrespectful ideas that youth do not value education, religion, each other, etc. These racist ideas are promoted within hearing distance of many youths of color with a superior pinch of salty disrespect.
Generations behind the baby boomers have gotten a terrible deal. High student loan debt, barriers to education, decent housing, and wages are burdens placed upon many youths. While pseudo successful, educated folk sport the diamonds and pearls of pensions, social security, paid for houses while looking sideways, judging, disrespecting, and degrading youth. Little wonder the pot of boiling rage is verbalized.
Take the opportunity to review mistakes of the past and learn from them. We may have dropped the ball, but you think and reason past the rage and injustice. My deceased father-in-law always said, “Listen.” The wisdom of that statement is to listen, then decide if you agree or disagree, but first listen. I benefit still from that simple advice.
There seems to be moving within society. Where no one handles what they do for themselves, but all are responsible for what somebody else did in the present or past, according to Thomas Sowell.
Laws votes cannot and will not legislate the heart. Greed will not cease because it should, but respectful unification heals people. We can only address the wounds of racism and feelings of unproductive rage, racism with a powerful balm of empathy, unity, and compassion... Respectful parents give children a healthy start in becoming emotionally healthy adults to grow and expand and live fulfilling lives.
Effective leaders of change were silenced not for the thought of change. But because the unity they were able to forge was a real threat to changing the systems. Power real power is in numbers of strands of much-focused, moving. Brothers and sisters save yourselves, care for yourself, but protect those not able to do the same.