Tag: Bigotry

That Offends Me

August 26, 2025

Those with Jewish heritage are fighting those who hate Jews to keep the history of the holocaust in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. Some say that the historical fact of the execution of thousands of Jews and others cannot be proven. Holocaust survivors say that they remember these events. In one hundred years, will this be removed from history books?

Black Lives Matter protesters want Confederate flags and statues removed. They do not want to be reminded of the fact that their ancestors were owned by other Americans. This is viewed as a black against white issue. The fact is that some Caucasian Americans are among the activists you see in the news clips.

Another fact that some want to be removed from history is the stories of slave owners like William and Henry Ellison. They are slave owners who were of African American heritage. That’s no big deal. You are talking about only two blacks who owned slaves. Check out the book “Black Slaveowners” by Larry Koger. He uses historical records that still exist to show the number of former slaves and freemen who purchased and used their own slaves to establish businesses that were profitable to them.

This does not make slavery or racial prejudice acceptable. It does separate those of us who have never owned slaves or accepted racial disparities from anyone of any race who currently has racial prejudices. Oh, by the way, crimes are committed inside racially identical groups. That means whites kill whites, blacks kill blacks, and Asians kill Asians. Therefore, I believe all lives matter. That includes blacks. I believe it is an act of racial prejudice to use this BLM slogan. Does that offend you? I am sorry. It is my opinion. In this country, I am allowed to express it.

Let’s step away from race and look at other forms of bigotry. A person who kills or injures someone else because they are in some way like another person who did injury to one who is like them in any way is acting on prejudice. Was that confusing? I’ll give you two examples. A white person who attacks a black person they do not know just because they are black. A person who attacks a police officer because of the uniform they are wearing. I know you have many examples you can share of this type of bigotry.

What is the solution? Treat everyone the way you want to be treated. Do not accept or reject anyone because of pre-conceived ideas that you have been taught or created for yourself. If I want a society free of bigotry and prejudice, I must work every day to dispel it from my own mind.

©Copyright 2025 by Charles Kensinger

Prejudice

February 1, 2023

It is easy to define prejudice. Break it apart. Pre means before. Judice is a form of judging. If you judge people before you know them personally, you are prejudiced. We often confuse this with bigotry. Bigotry is like racism where prejudice is due to an easily identified reason.

Prejudice does not have to be related to race or nationality. I have no problems with you if you are of a different color, race, or culture. However, for those of you who do stupid things, I immediately put you in the stupid or dummy category.

The stupid things that I am referring to are the way you drive, the way you treat others, decisions that you make which hurt others, and similar actions that violate my personal ethics. Yes, this is harsh. I admit it. I base whether I trust you on how you think of others.

I am also prejudiced against those who prejudge people but believe that their biases are justified or nonexistent. I have been watching this take place for many years. Those who are bigoted against white Anglo-Saxons accuse every one of them of being racist. An example of this is the statement that African Americans are racial, not racist.

Those who condemn all law enforcement personnel because of those that hurt others without justification are also prejudiced. When you lump all Republicans into one group like Donald Trump you are prejudiced. The same thing is to believe that all Democrats are like the ones that you disagree with like Nancy Pelosi.

Let’s look at what our prejudices are. Any group that you do not trust, or do not like is the one that you are discriminating against. Be man or woman enough to admit that you are not perfect. We must admit that we are like everyone else. We make good and bad choices.

I am not perfect and guess what, you are not either. If you have been accused of being prejudiced, look at the circumstances. Some of the stupid people I have problems with may be affiliated with a minority. Others could interpret their appearance as the reason for my prejudice. Either way, I should get over my prejudice.

I’m working on that. Join me in trying to be a better person. Avoid making hasty decisions about what you think of everyone until you can make an informed decision about who they are. Let’s give each other the benefit of the doubt. peel off the hide and we are alike.

©Copyright 2023 by Charles Kensinger

Systemic Racism

July 16, 2022

This word confused me when I started to hear it in connection with George Floyd and other stories about police abuse. I have researched the word because I am a writer. Words are my brushes and paints in the artistry of my writing. Other writers know what I mean. I must understand what my and others’ words are supposed to mean.

A word or phrase that is used is not always the correct way to express an idea. I work hard to make my words understood. I am as dedicated to being sure of what your words are supposed to mean. Often this process is difficult.

Such was my problem with the phrase “systemic racism”. Finally, I determined that it is the prejudice that is built into our laws and rules. Usually, it refers to civil rights violations against a minority group. Racism is currently being exhibited publicly on television and in other media.

Putin is shown as being against Ukraine. They have been enjoying freedoms that the Russian people are not given. Their economy is blossoming, and it makes their time in the USSR seem to be a block of wasted time. Their success is a black eye for the founding country of the United Soviet Socialist Republic. They are the target because they have not joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization yet. One of the Soviet leader’s reasons that were voiced before the invasion was that he did not want Ukraine to join NATO as Poland and other former USSR states had.

Is this “systemic racism”? I think it falls in that category. The USSR as an entity is opposed to former member nations making their own choices. The resources they lost when the Berlin wall came down and former leaders allowed the Soviet Union to break apart have damaged the ability of the communist party leaders in Russia to maintain their extravagant lifestyles.

Isn’t this the same situation the African Americans experienced after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed? They fought for over a hundred years to gain the freedoms and rights of other American citizens. The Black Lives Matter movement claims that the racism that exists in the U.S. comes from our existing laws.

I do not believe that their conclusion is the correct one. George Floyd was killed by one man. He was a police officer who violated the rules that are supposed to protect all citizens from excessive force by law enforcement. We hear of these cases from time to time between not only police but individual citizens or even military or other officials against each other and civilians. A few of these reports are picked up by the media because of the racism that is assumed to be involved.

Another ongoing story of blatant bigotry is being played out in our country. One man verbally promised to show racial favoritism should the opportunity arise. That chance has been given to him and he is following through on his pledge.

President Joe Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace Stephen Breyer as Associate Supreme Court Justice. He stated that he would nominate a black woman to this body if he was elected president. I agree with him that the Supreme Court should be more racially and gender-specific in its makeup. I disagree with his method.

I am not saying that his nomination is systemic racism. I am saying that we allow individuals to make decisions based on race and gender in a process that is legal under our laws. There is no statute that says that the President of the United States cannot choose whomever he wishes for this position.

If he had promised the next nominee for this position would be a white man, that would be considered biased. Why are we accepting his refusal to consider any candidate who was not African American and female as acceptable when we have Americans of all genders, races, and backgrounds protesting for equal treatment for all people?

We as freedom and equality-loving human beings want Putin to stop his war against Ukraine based on his soviet prejudice against a free nation. We also want every American with the experience and qualifications to be able to fill a position on the highest court in the land.

The question is “Did the president look at all of the Federal Justices in the same light when he chose Justice Jackson?” She is undoubtedly qualified to be on this august body. Did everyone else get the same consideration? What about the lighter-skinned African American women Federal Judges?

©Copyright 2022 by Charles Kensinger