BEING RESPONSIBLE COULD FIX WHAT AILS US

Sometimes when I pick a subject to write about, it is very easy. Lately it has been easier than ever. Never in my imagination would I have thought we would have such an imbecile serving as our President. But we do. 

 

The person who fixes my breakfast and edits my columns has said I spend too much time obsessing about Biden. To which I reply, “But it's so easy.” But, when she is right, she is right. So, this week I'm going to leave Biden and those who control him and pull his strings alone. 

 

I will write instead about the biggest word in the news today and that is racism.   

 

First, I want to make it clear that I am not a racist.  I resent the constant accusation that because I am caucasian, it is assumed by some that I would be a racist. I also resent the idea that because I am white that I should apologize for that. I further resent the thought by some that I have some kind of privilege because I am white. Like every person who has ever been born, I had nothing to do with what race I am. All of this is total nonsense. 

 

I strongly suspect that this particular "red herring" is used to make excuses for a group of Americans whose choices, not their skin color, leaves them behind others in America. 

 

As I have reported before, I am a product of rural Appalachia. In other words, I am a "hillbilly" or "redneck" if you would prefer. I did not have the 

opportunity to attend college. I basically had to educate myself. I had a pronounced southern accent, which many equated with a lack of intelligence. 

 

I decided early on that if I was going to have any success at all, I had to learn how to speak proper English. I watched TV news and paid attention to the way they talked. I hung around with people who I thought could help educate me. I worked to eliminate the hillbilly accent. 

 

I have had a modicum of success, but it is not and never was because I was white. I worked for my success and resent anyone who thinks it was handed to me because of my skin color.  

 

MLK Jr. thought we should be judged by the content of our character. I totally agree. Just this week a huge rap star, DMX, died because of drug use which led to a heart attack. He was just 50 years old. He fathered fifteen children with nine different women. He had one wife but was divorced. He probably could afford it but, how many young black babies are born without a father and without the financial means of this rap star? And there is a huge difference between a father and a sperm donor.

 

Does my thinking that this is irresponsible and wrong make me a racist? I don't think so. Facts prove that fatherless children are much more apt to live in poverty, fail to get a proper education, and end up in jail. This isn't a matter of their skin color, it's a matter of their choices and the choices of their parents. The same is true for all races. 

 

Throwing around the racist accusation is rapidly causing the word to lose its sting. It is similar to saying the sky is falling, or that the world is coming to an end in ten years because of climate change. 

 

I believe racism does exist but not as rampant as the accusation would have you believe. And I also believe you don't have to be white to be a racist. I think we all need to be more civilized and responsible. That would go a long way toward fixing what ails us.

 

Ron Scarbro April 12, 2021