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Abstract

rs.Although the confederate states lost the Civil War, little changed in the south. Black people were beaten and lynched over false accusations. Often, they simply disappeared.Even after blacks served in combat during World War I and II (separately), they were still considered second-class citizens. It would take an order by President Harry S Truman to finally integrate the military.And down south, the beatings and lynchings continued well into the 1960s. Blacks, like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, were assassinated for no reason other than their skin color.And in a church basement, on Sept. 15, 1963, four Black girls died when a bomb exploded during Sunday morning services in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The girls who died were Addie Mae Collins, 14, Cynthia Wesley, 14, Carole Robertson, 14, and Carol Denise McNair, 11.I’m sure some readers noticed that I mentioned the past eight years. Donald Trump began his campaign for the presidency in 2015, and his actions made it OK to hate people who weren’t white, and ridicule people who have a disability.Adding to the tumult in the country are the actions of red state legislators, who have done or are doing their damnedest to prevent, or make more difficult, the ability for minorities to cast their ballots. I’m surprised these states haven’t reimposed a poll tax.We all have biases. That does not make us racist. It’s our actions towards minorities that do. And there’s no need for it.Now we’ve elected people who want to divorce blue states from red. Yeah, that would be the genius of Georgia voters who elected Marjorie Taylor Green. It’s also a result of the cowardice of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who would instead let members of the House Freedom Caucus run rampant, chairing committees that do no actual work other than to divide the nation.I’m not the smartest person in the room. But I like to think I have common sense. Given the actions of Republicans holding office, voters could use a little common sense.Sadly, our founding fathers could have saved the nation countless lives and pain with a little foresight.“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” — Abraham LincolnIf you’ve read this far, thank you for stopping by.I accept tips, which go directly to <a href="https://www.diningforhunger.com">Dining for Hunger</a>, a recognized 501(c)(3) organization that looks to end food insecurity. If you can spare a dollar or two, I’d be grateful.More stories from Bruce Coulter.<div id="79ee" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/make-a-list-of-the-things-that-make-you-happy-30192073ffb9"> <div> <div>

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HUMANITY

Hate Makes the World More Difficult to Live In

The light of racism is shining brightly, thanks to the GOP

**A memorial dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln, is a short distance from where he delivered the Gettysburg Address.** Photo by author

The world has become, in some instances, difficult to survive. For the past eight years, the world has suffered from hatred, racism, and murder for no other reason than the color of a person’s skin.

Yes, this has been an issue going back thousands of years. And during humankind’s existence, more than one opportunity has existed to change the direction of our world. And we’ve wasted those chances.

In more recent history, the founding fathers of this country had the chance to eliminate the enslavement of blacks.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” — The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

“All men.” Yeah, not quite. Not for Blacks and certainly not women, both of whom were considered the property of white men. The only difference was that women were kept in the home, while Blacks were kept toiling away in plantation fields. When a plantation owner needed a few bucks, he had no qualms about breaking up a family unit — selling a son or father, a daughter or mother — to put a few coins in his pocket or to pay off debts.

And if enslavers weren’t selling black people, they were bedding or raping them. Talk about hypocrisy.

But representatives of the northern states needed the votes of Georgia and South Carolina to create a united nation of states at the time. So they turned a blind eye to slavery when they could have changed history for the good of America.

The legacy of enslavement continued during the early years of our country. Asians, like Blacks, were relegated to the back of history books. They worked physically demanding jobs, building railroads, clearing fields, and other low-paying or low-skilled jobs.

Eventually, the demands for labor in the south led to conflict and the country’s division, with 11 southern states joining the Confederate States of America after the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency.

Those states were South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, (a swing state now), Louisiana, Texas, Virginia (still blue), Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Today, most are Republican states, so nothing has changed during the ensuing years.

Although the confederate states lost the Civil War, little changed in the south. Black people were beaten and lynched over false accusations. Often, they simply disappeared.

Even after blacks served in combat during World War I and II (separately), they were still considered second-class citizens. It would take an order by President Harry S Truman to finally integrate the military.

And down south, the beatings and lynchings continued well into the 1960s. Blacks, like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, were assassinated for no reason other than their skin color.

And in a church basement, on Sept. 15, 1963, four Black girls died when a bomb exploded during Sunday morning services in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The girls who died were Addie Mae Collins, 14, Cynthia Wesley, 14, Carole Robertson, 14, and Carol Denise McNair, 11.

I’m sure some readers noticed that I mentioned the past eight years. Donald Trump began his campaign for the presidency in 2015, and his actions made it OK to hate people who weren’t white, and ridicule people who have a disability.

Adding to the tumult in the country are the actions of red state legislators, who have done or are doing their damnedest to prevent, or make more difficult, the ability for minorities to cast their ballots. I’m surprised these states haven’t reimposed a poll tax.

We all have biases. That does not make us racist. It’s our actions towards minorities that do. And there’s no need for it.

Now we’ve elected people who want to divorce blue states from red. Yeah, that would be the genius of Georgia voters who elected Marjorie Taylor Green. It’s also a result of the cowardice of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who would instead let members of the House Freedom Caucus run rampant, chairing committees that do no actual work other than to divide the nation.

I’m not the smartest person in the room. But I like to think I have common sense. Given the actions of Republicans holding office, voters could use a little common sense.

Sadly, our founding fathers could have saved the nation countless lives and pain with a little foresight.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” — Abraham Lincoln

If you’ve read this far, thank you for stopping by.

I accept tips, which go directly to Dining for Hunger, a recognized 501(c)(3) organization that looks to end food insecurity. If you can spare a dollar or two, I’d be grateful.