The Antidote to Racism
Over the last two weeks, Gatto’s proof is plastered throughout TV news broadcasts, and this group think is celebrated by TV news personalities. Yet there is no rational justification for these mass demonstrations in a civilized society. That is the last step before armed insurrection against an oppressive dictatorship, but America is the most free, open, and prosperous society the world has ever known.
Today’s short-answer question – America is defined by, a. White privilege b. Capitalist greed c. Systemic racism d. Inequality e. Police brutality. Yet this is old as dirt, and straight out of terror group Weather Underground’s 1974 playbook titled Prairie Fire.
Around the same time, comedy troupe Second City had a hit musical titled Lemmings. In the role of stage announcer was John Belushi, who blasted, “If you’re not a black, homosexual, working class woman, your an oppressor, pig. And you deserve to die!” Fifty years later, slave traders Don Lemon, Chris Cuomo, and Al Sharpton are coaxing their Lemmings over the Brooklyn Bridge while posing as cutting edge human rights oracles.
Today’s short-answer question – America is defined by, a. White privilege b. Capitalist greed c. Systemic racism d. Inequality e. Police brutality. Yet this is old as dirt, and straight out of terror group Weather Underground’s 1974 playbook titled Prairie Fire.
Around the same time, comedy troupe Second City had a hit musical titled Lemmings. In the role of stage announcer was John Belushi, who blasted, “If you’re not a black, homosexual, working class woman, your an oppressor, pig. And you deserve to die!” Fifty years later, slave traders Don Lemon, Chris Cuomo, and Al Sharpton are coaxing their Lemmings over the Brooklyn Bridge while posing as cutting edge human rights oracles.
Dad has very little exposure to philosophy, yet lives mostly an objective life. We have shared, my lifetime, of all the contexts you so skillfully illustrate, regarding the concept of justice. Your essay gives context to all the outrage toward injustice and to the equities in life we so endeavor to manifest. Tomorrow my father celebrates 85 years. I can think of no greater gift than to present him your essay as a validation of his insights and actions over a lifetime.
Regarding Childcraft; My copyright date is 1949, yet the material is from a history of same that dates to 1932. Chapter 1 pg 5, William H. Kilpatrick, "Teachers and parents must learn that each child has his own individuality and must be treated accordingly. Individuality does not mean freedom to do just as one wishes or to be odd or queer. Self respect cannot be built properly on whims; it grows on reasonable thoughts and acts. Even today, however, there are so many people who are unable to see what stands so plainly before them. But until these needs and rights of children are recognized, modern educators cannot eliminate altogether the old deadly school procedure with its memorizing and punishment."
"Society's" punishment, racism / ethnicism / culturalism, is direct corollary to the punishment inflicted by compulsory schooling. Gatto spelled it Congregationalism. We separate, define, make distinctions of difference; it is in our linguistics. How often do statements of objective inclusivity and integration occur?....a small percentile of the whole.....and we separate ourselves into groupings of "comfort" "safety".
Insights? Dad awakened me early on a Saturday morn in 91, 6AMish. He just couldn't wait any longer. "What do you get when you boil life to its simplest?" Cooooffeeeee!!!!! Nicotine!!!! Get my brain super started. It was my turn in the barrel. Simplest: Relationships and choices. Relationships are based on choices made, based on relationships....ad infinitum. In the next couple years relaltionships became the expression; Awareness, Involvement, Commitment, Insight, Wisdom and Faith. I've offered slight modification with Exposure preceding or equaling Awareness and we agree that Faith is only in one's self to continue the process.
Thematically, my father's life has been inciting joy of learning...anything and everything. And seemingly, almost oxymoronically, he has great difficulty integrating some of the most important aspects of objective thinking. I've prodded a bit to get him to write of his decades of experiences to little avail. To write of the threats to his employment and the terminations of same because he cared for the kids. To write of the victories, those who were so positively affected they remember and write to him decades later with gratitude for his involvement.
For me, directly regarding your post, an event when I was 6. Dad and I went to the UW LaCrosse campus for something regarding his final teaching certifications. Pop was a pretty big guy, 6' 4" and 260#. We happened upon a friend of his who made dad look rather small, he is black. In my curious pattern I looked at my hand after the customary handshake....to see if the color came off. This wonderful man had the presence of mind and temperament to take me up in his arms and educate me as to his biological origin. I can't help think that this was one of the most important lessons of my life regarding "difference". I learned and then had to unlearn a lot of cultural bias through the years....always this interaction came to the surface of my thinking. This man had to have taken some form of fundamental care for himself that he was able to express education rather than separatism. Awareness, involvement.......relationships and choices.
For centuries apprenticeship was necessary to divest the skills between generations. To experience the truths of the nuances of the physical world takes time. Today I am encountering the environ of "The computer knows all". Gifted youngsters with no more than rote educational learners permits are a driving force in my vocational world. Wednesday I had to spend 45 minutes, with the owner of a business, Scott, regarding a part being quoted. The part was expertly drawn and dimensioned. There are l/h and r/h variations for this front suspension application. Scott's programmer set the operational sequence without consulting me. I build the fixturing. Because I am gifted in seeing 4 dimensional aspects (time / space relationships) I saw an immediate difficulty with process. I asked Scott's sales manager to call the customer and ask for a conference on how this part may be changed for manufacturability. I was met with the response "We can't do that". So...I quoted $8800 for 4 production fixtures. The ensuing dialog with Scott two days ago left him with two options. Leave the quote as is or confer with his staff regarding customer contact, and pursue this avenue. If they pursue the latter I can fixture both parts for less than 4k.
This is the subjective simplicity of a physical-world education versus the abstractive learning of what we are and how we interact philosophically. So, I'll not be too hard on Dewey or Kilpatrick. I think they were enthusiastically trying to change the "rote" of their time. I also think they did not have the tools to envision the "Law of unintended consequence".
Another proof: As I was responding I unintentionally learned that depressing my mouse button and dragging on the lower r/h corner of the dialog box expands the writing plane.......after all this time and frustration of typing and scrolling in the "prescribed" little box format. My ignorance, assumption, lack of insight or assertiveness to ask if there was a better way. I'll leave you to a good belly laugh! ENJOY!!!!! This is why my forehead slopes!
Now that this phase of my career is nearing an end (engineering, working for somebody else) I have contemplated becoming a math teacher. I feel a desire to jump right into primary public education to teach it...and I admit it sounds crazy. But, nobody seems to be teaching the kids math anymore. I have to teach my kids myself. But...I'll probably consult in engineering, make as much money working half-time, and enjoy more golf and fishing...
As far any any antidote to racism...I'm a firm believer that without good parenting for children we'll always have plenty of racism (in multiple directions). So, we've got what we've got. I've done my part, but don't expect a medal for it...
You know...I work with a very sharp professional who has gone and taken classes at the local community colleges and he reports back that many of his classmates are sitting in the class just taking up space. I was a little surprised by this. I'd love to instruct at my alma matter. Would LOVE it. Perhaps I should inquire there. I went back a few years ago and spoke to, of all things, the investing club. It was a blast. The young people there are so sharp. Being near them, then and in a few of the mentoring days I've attended, has always lifted my spirits and given me hope...
That reminded me of my experience with (NCFCA) National Christian Forensics and Communications Association. I was asked to be a volunteer debate judge a few years ago and was thoroughly impressed by the maturity, articulation and critical thinking that was displayed by these young people as they participated in debates. My hopes for the future were visibly lifted as I watched these students (high school age and home-schooled) make their points clearly and in a manner of both competition and synergy (team debates).
I sure hope that you take the next step and make inquiry of instructing at your old home school ... and renew that connection, sense of youthful vitality and the reward of being relevant in the company of sharp and welcoming minds.
Racism is not something I encountered, as blacks were always friends in our house, but were also help personally to the same standards of providing for their famileis as were white friends. To do otherwise was racist in my dad's book. Equality, is equality, of opportunity, of learning and of responsibility. Racism and entitlement are things white and black kids are taught in public schools, moer than academics, and it is ruining all youth. Funny, all the blacks at our house were working class, but their English far surpassed that of today's college grads. Now, since Dems have run the school fprograms for so many years, esp. Obama, why would that be? Who is really the racist, is it color based, or is it a method to control both races?
Thanks for an excellent summary of Gatto's wisdom.
This struggle for the individual to be free and independent in mind, body, and spirit from the blandness and suffocating blanket of the collectivist tribe has never been extinguished and, I believe, never will be as long as there are people like Gatto to take up the torch.
Today, the word "racism" has little real meaning, with all the cross breeding thats gone on.
I am not a racist, I am a culturist. I prefer various aspects of cultural values, and definitely dislike and want to stay away from other aspects of cultural values. I dont happen to consider the entitled black (or white for that matter) culture of today a good thing, and I want to steer clear of those people who espouse those values.
The left would call me a racist, but they are wrong and in fact dont even know what the word really means.
This is what I tweeted to her:
Think of "race" as a BIG difference between species. Differences between humans, wouldn't be skin color or ethnicity...it would be Conscience. the haves and the have nots. Human Verses Humanoid-(no mind, not conscious). We have been ruled by the have nots, That! needs to change.
True, the definition of Race needs to change to the original idea...A dramatic difference within a species or between species like:
A Human and a Dolphin...both perhaps, (sar) self introspective but very different.
The chemical that defines skin color would not qualify...BUT, I observe, having a Conscience or not would certainly qualify as a dramatic difference within a species.
"racism being at the top"...precisely! they think they are different than us...they are! They... are the Great Unwashed. Humanoids by measure.
Descendants of a Nephilim/Human mix?
That's my premise and I am sticking to it.
That is what the discussion in: The Fight for Conscious Human Life© is all about.
Why so long?