Tag: prejudice

He wasn’t willing to back down

February 19, 2026

Have you seen the newly released video of the altercation between Alex Pretti and Federal officers? No, I am not talking about the ones where he was murdered in a street. I am speaking of one where he spits on a vehicle and kicks out a taillight. All we see in this incident is him being taken down.

If that had been me, I would not have chosen to continue to confront these madmen. I try not to be confrontational. That does not look good for a minister or an emergency room nurse. He chose to act on what he thought was correct. Some call him stupid. I think the difference between stupidity and courage is a fine line.

I would like to discuss this. Some examples of courage are standing against bullies, helping out a person facing danger, even if it puts you in danger, or standing against racism or prejudice. This is what Mr. Pretti did.

The agents were doing more than just their jobs. Have you noticed the President and other officials stepping back from what they have been trying to justify? How many will lose their jobs because of this death? He did not want to die, but he was not willing to back away from injustice.

The President says that he is doing what he said he would do by removing illegal immigrants from our country. The problem is the methods they are using. Did you know that Texas has significantly more law violators from other countries than Minnesota? Why did the Immigration officials not start there?

Just this week, an illegal immigrant from South America murdered a man here in Springfield, MO. He is being held in the Greene County jail for an ICE pick-up. Maybe one of those officers from Minnesota who likes to kill people can come get him and see if he makes it across the state line.

We are in the seventh Congressional District of Missouri. Highly Republican and Trumpite in sentiment. If ICE gets him and takes him out of the country and loses him, no one will ever have to worry about him again. We Ozarkians know what to do with murderers.

Some other facts have recently come up. CBS released statistics from a Homeland Security report that reports that less than fourteen percent of the detainees that ICE has seized have been held for being criminals.

We all need to follow Pretti’s lead and not back down from a fight. President Trump says that he wants to remove illegal aliens and send them packing. How about helping the Republican Greene County Sheriff get rid of those in his lock-up?

If they’ve been arrested legally, had their preliminary hearing, and are awaiting extradition back to where they belong, I am sure Sheriff Arnott will have no problem handing them over. Maybe the Homeland Security Director would like to have Trump come with her for a photo opportunity to show they are doing something other than murdering Americans

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger

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