“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” - SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts
I grew up in a diverse city. Miami Florida. I attended school with whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Black Hispanics, White Hispanics, Haitians, Jamaicans, Jews, Catholics, Baptists and even one girl from Trinidad, among others. I remember a few kids who were gay but back in the 70s and 80s it wasn’t common for a teen to come out of the closet, but we all knew and didn’t care. I can honestly say I really don’t remember anyone caring about the ethnicity or race of a person when I was growing up. I do remember black friends who chewed tobacco and listened to country music and “redneck” friends who grew their hair long and smoked pot. I went steady with a black girl in middle school, dated a girl of Chinese descent in high school, another who was born in Columbia, etc. We didn’t care.
Maybe it was the way my mother raised me. She was a reformed hippie who really didn’t care what people thought of her. You see, she was a teen mom who had to finish high school at night because she got pregnant at 17 with me. She worked multiple jobs to put food on the table. I can remember her not eating so I would have enough on my plate.
I am completely fed up with the “woke society” telling me that it’s my fault slavery happened. You know what? Kiss my ass! My ancestors didn’t come to this country until the late 1890s. My family has fought for our nation in every war since we came here. And they came here poor Irish immigrants who within a generation became college graduates.
If you look at me and all you can see is the color of my skin, then you have a problem. I don’t judge a person by their country of origin, maybe that’s why I like to see immigrants come to this country legally. Because the more immigrants who are working hard to achieve the American dream motivates me to strive to make this country a better place. I don’t see the color of your skin, but I do see ugly. I see the ugliness of hatred, the ugliness of separation, ugliness of the lack of understanding, ugliness of the lack of respect of humanity. I don’t like ugly!
When I enlisted in the Marine Corps, I was told that I was no longer “white”. I was now GREEN. I have fought alongside many other green Marines. Some were dark green; some were light green. I still call them all my brothers.
“I have a dream that little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” – Dr. King
Do you have a dream like that? I do. Maybe one day I will run for elected office. Maybe one day I will step into THAT arena. Maybe when the anger in my heart gets too unbearable that so many are ungrateful for the freedom that the blood of my brothers bought them. But until that day …
Semper Fidelis
