The black people and the white people.....

There are bad apples from each group that are are always trying to mess things up for the rest of us.

Alas! Here we are: the topic area I’ve been heading towards since I started this blog. This is what I promised in my “about me.” I will tell the truth. I will say the things that most of us are thinking, but are afraid to say.

Our country, America, has a wonderful history. It also has some ugly, not-so-hidden skeletons hanging in its closet. While this beautiful country was built on many things, including determination, hard work, and pride, it was also built on and driven by racism.

Let me be flip and say, that’s all water under the bridge. Because it is, actually.

There are thousands of books and articles written from the perspective of both blacks and whites outlining the history of racism in this country. Therefore, I’m not going to get into all of that. Besides, anyone who’s spent at least a year here in this country has felt the residual affects of its racist history.

Here’s the problem: roughly 400 years ago, in less civilized times, bullying dullards ran rampant. Unfortunately, some of them were wealthy and held powerful positions. They contributed with significance to laying the foundations of our America.

Today we are living with the ramifications of their actions. There was no consideration or plan for how future generations would move forward from the mess created by this history and co-exist.

Plan or no plan, here we are. And guess what? The majority of us do not require instructions on how to behave like civilized human beings. But as there will be in any given group, there seem to always be some bad apples. Now let me say to each of the two groups, I understand how challenging it can be to shake old behaviors. And yes, white people, you’ve been accustomed to being the leaders, the privileged, always having things go your way (so many lawyers, so little time). And yes, black people you were treated in the most heinous of ways, from slavery, to discrimination, to violent and hateful crimes against you.

We’ve all – well a lot of us, I hope – been in relationships that helped us to understand that some of our ways needed changing. But change can’t come if you can’t see how your conduct impedes our progress as a social set. So here I offer you some guidance to help you in your self-growth.

There are numerous traits among the bad apples that I can name, but in the interest of time, I’ll name the most outstanding ones.

The bad apples among the black women are pissed off every day. And they’re not taking shit from anybody. They wear expressions that say, “Don’t even try it.” In the work place they challenge every directive, every rule, every procedure. They speak a little louder than the other people around them. They are extremely suspicious of any behavior that is contrary to their own, such as being too nice or too friendly.

The bad apples among the white men are arrogant and they possess a tendency towards bullying. They are accustomed to living a privileged position in a society where they rank highest in order of interest and importance. Their privilege also extends to being a member of the alphas in a society that hold the majority of this country’s wealth. Their behaviors towards cultures outside their own reflect disdain, hostility, and ignorance.

The bad apples among the black men are even more pissed off than their female counterpart. Their facial expressions reflect hostility, dangerous foreboding and they tend towards implacable behavior. They talk in loud voices, their intention to intimidate. They are convinced that our society is largely evil and on an active campaign to keep them from getting their piece of the American dream. They approach every situation that involves a white person with a pessimistic attitude of suspicion and distrust.

The bad apples among white women are frightened and complacent. Their behaviors reflect a constant fear that any exchange with a black person could erupt into violence. They see no need to have blacks move into their community or socialize with their children. Where they are typically quiet and acquiescent with their own, they are condescending and rude with those outside their culture.

Let me say this, we have ALL harbored bad apple thoughts. We are only human, after all. We watch movies and route for the bad guys, don’t we? It’s fun to fantasize about robbing a bank or hoodwinking the IRS. But it’s our actions that we are judged by, and rightly so if we are to live in a civilized society.

I’ll wrap this up by leaving you with a gauge to help you determine if you are one of the bad apples. If you became angry at some point(s) during this read, you probably saw yourself in this article because you ARE a bad apple. If you became defensive at some point(s) during this read, you’re probably NOT a bad apple, but guilty of some bad apple behavior. If you held your breath at some point(s) during this read, you’re probably one of the civilized black or white persons who do NOT need a lesson in how to treat people different from yourself, but always wished you could speak up without being misunderstood.

And finally, if you smiled, laughed, or cheered at some point(s) during this read you are probably just like me: you love ALL human beings for the uniqueness that they offer. And you’re living your life mostly with a smile because we know a secret: life is really a fun, loving, blast!

Eyes wide open, icanseeclearlynow