It's not "rhetoric" to state historical FACTS. There was NEVER any orchestrated action to commit genocide and slavery of Irish people, Spanish people, Portuguese people, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Iranians, Polish people, Norwegians or Swedes. You "spew" rhetoric denying a clearly well-orchestrated lily-Whiteness that has perpetually and ultimately controlled all aspects of the United States of America. Why do you ignore that White-owned newspapers and elected officials put bounties on killing Native Americans (The only good Indian is a dead Indian!), but did not put bounties for killing Irish people, Spanish people, Portuguese people, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Iranians, Polish people, Norwegians or Swedes? Why do you ignore that White-owned newspapers and elected officials put bounties on killing escaped slaves (Hang the niggers!), Black people, but did not put bounties for killing Irish people, Spanish people, Portuguese people, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Iranians, Polish people, Norwegians or Swedes? Where's your "rhetoric" to re-write history, Andrew?
Answer this question, Andrew: Given that race-based genocide, oppression, and discrimination against all people of color began prior to the inception of the United States of America on July 4, 1776 and continued uninterrupted thereafter, on what specific year and date did White people, specifically "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men, relinquish their ill-gotten wealth, power, and control to enable people of color, and women, with "fair and just" access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? When?
Answer this question, Andrew: If the overwhelming majority of White people believe the genocide of Native Americans to be unjust, that the theft of Native American lands unjust, then why don't White people return all lands and related properties back to the Native American tribes? Well, Andrew???
It’s a total waste of time to respond to the callousness or stupidity of White people who act in denial of or indifference to the FACT of voluminous race-based atrocities committed by their ancestors, which has allowed their descendants to prosper at the direct expense of people of color.
It’s a total waste of time to respond to the callousness or stupidity of White people, especially White men, who now consider themselves a "victim" for ultimately being in control of and responsible for the overwhelming majority of acts of racism and sexism - while never fixing the problem.
It’s a total waste of time to respond to the callousness or stupidity of White people, especially White men, who believe systemic racism and systemic sexism no longer exists, simply because Barack Obama became POTUS and Oprah Winfrey's a billionaire, while constantly ignoring the fact that with every generation there has always been a "token negro" who's been "allowed" by the great White oppressor to do a little more, to have a little more success, etc., such as Madame C.J. Walker (1867-1919), Stepin Fetchit (1902-1985), Sidney Poitier (1927+), Richard Pryor (1940-2005), Eddie Murphy (1961+), etc. Again, these "famous" people of color only functioned as tokens, because they NEVER acquired or held the power or wealth of comparable White males and some White females. Conversely, in "Hollywood" ultimate control has been and continues to be primarily dictated by White Jewish men. As published in the LA Times article, "How deeply Jewish is Hollywood? C'mon." When the studio chiefs took out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times a few weeks ago to demand that the Screen Actors Guild settle its contract, the open letter was signed by: News Corp. President Peter Chernin (Jewish), Paramount Pictures Chairman Brad Grey (Jewish), Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert Iger (Jewish), Sony Pictures Chairman Michael Lynton (surprise, Dutch Jew), Warner Bros. Chairman Barry Meyer (Jewish), CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves (so Jewish his great uncle was the first prime minister of Israel), MGM Chairman Harry Sloan (Jewish) and NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker (mega-Jewish). If either of the (Jewish) Weinstein brothers had signed, this group would have not only the power to shut down all film production but to form a minyan with enough Fiji water on hand to fill a mikvah." Source: Los Angeles Times, December 19, 2008, by JOEL STEIN
P.S. "It’s not anti-Semitic to make a statement of fact; it’s anti-Semitic to imply that there’s something wrong with it." Rachel Shukert
It’s a total waste of time to respond to the stupidity of White people, especially White men, who act in denial of or indifference to acts of racism and sexism which boldly continue to this very day.
The "past" is relevant due to the hypocrisy of "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men. In 1776, these educated, slave-owning White-men created a government that said, consistent with the religious beliefs, that humans are all equal in God's eye. However, contrary to what they wrote and the pseudo-religious beliefs, they intentionally and successfully engineered a "new" nation that mirrored same character and scope of racism and oppression practiced by their British King, which even today continues to exist on racism, oppression, and discrimination. These "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men have sustained their privilege for the past 247 years, and in the absence of another civil war or invasion from Russia, China, or aliens from the planet Mars, etc., they'll continue to do so.
Again, you "spew" rhetoric denying a clearly well-orchestrated lily-Whiteness that has perpetually and ultimately controlled all aspects of the United States of America. Stop White-washing facts to present an alternative reality that's more "palatable" to White people, Andrew.
>> U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt NEVER said the aforementioned about the Irish, or French, Spanish, Russians, etc.
General Ulysses S. Grant said, "Our dealing with the Indians properly lay us open to charges of cruelty and swindling." Page 170, "Killing Crazy Horse," by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.
>> General Ulysses S. Grant NEVER said the aforementioned about the Irish, or French, Spanish, Russians, etc.
As U.S. President Grant, he ordered that all Indians not on their reservations are to be considered an enemy of the United States of America and treated as such. Page 207, "Killing Crazy Horse," by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.
>> President Grant NEVER said the aforementioned about the Irish, or French, Spanish, Russians, etc.
Andrew, if you're going to engage in a serious conversation about "well-orchestrated genocide" in U.S. history, then you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY need to know the "facts," because if you'd read, "Where White Men Fear to Tread," by Russell Means, and "The Black West" by William Loren Katz, and "Killing Crazy Horse," by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard, and many other sources, hopefully, you'd recognize your ignorance on this topic.
Again, the "world" is NOT the issue. The "issue" is the FACT that educated White men intentionally wrote, "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal," while simultaneously committing genocide of Native Americans and slavery and genocide of Black people. Spain, Portugal, France, the "Middle East," Asia, and Eastern Europe were NOT involved in the writing, signing, and execution of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, etc.
Again, the constitutional "expectation" that "we" are all created equal has NEVER been realized for the overwhelming majority of Black people and other people of color, and women, and even worse, equality will NEVER will be realized as researched and reported by:
b. As researched by Derenoncourt, Chi Hyun Kim, Kuhn, and Schularick in their March 8, 2021 report, “The Racial Wealth Gap, 1860 - 2020,” the wealth gap between Blacks and Whites has never been abated, has only increased significantly; and if present trends in the data continue, the racial wealth gap is headed to a steady state with average White wealth at least five times greater than average Black wealth - even through 2260! http://www.tripoetry.com/BEING-BLACK/FACTS/RACIAL-WEALTH-GAP/RACIAL-WEALTH-GAP-1860-2020.pdf
c. The people who ultimately control and make all the rules, laws, etc. (White men), also ultimately control and make all exceptions to the rules; and there's no history of White men sharing power or control, just ask Native Americans about broken treaties and stolen lands; ask the Republic of Lakotah (https://youtu.be/8tEuaj4h8dw); and there's no realistic projection that White men are going to give-up power. http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-wealth.htm
Finally, your comment: We can choose to be people of peace if we have God's peace in our hearts no matter what is happening around us.
God's peace? THAT'S A BUNCH OF RELIGIOUS CRAP. All "organized religions," especially Christians, Jews, and Muslims, function as hypocrites; causing and sustaining more wars and murders than they've ever prevented. Read this - http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-ukraine.htm
YOUR COMMENT: Simply, you have to expect more to get more.
RESPONSE: Your thesis, assessment, and conclusion are entirely wrong, and here's why. For the overwhelming majority of Black people, and other people of color, "expecting more" will never be realized, because our basic "constitutional expectation" of being treated as equals has NEVER been realized.
Here are the facts:
1. White men intentionally used, continue to use and benefit from their Doctrine of Discovery, colonialism, slavery, and genocide to literally MURDER millions and millions and million of people of color; conversely, people of color have NEVER committed such whole scale murder of White people. http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-systemic.htm
2. White men intentionally used, continue to use and benefit from their Doctrine of Discovery, colonialism, slavery, and genocide to literally oppress, discriminate, enforce, and sustain acts of racism and injustice against people of color; conversely, people of color have NEVER committed such whole scale oppression of White people.
3. White men intentionally used redlining, Jim Crow, oppression and racism to:
a. Indoctrinate Black Americans kill white Americans at 4.9x the rate that white Americans kill black Americans.
b. Sustain extremely high rates of unemployment and poverty to indoctrinate Black-on-Black murder rates to consistently be higher than the White-on-White murder rate. The aforementioned fact is perpetually validated by the well-established "norm" for Omaha, Nebraska where Black people were 43.13% of homicide victims between 1880 and 1920; to 55% of homicide victims between 1975 and 1989; to 57% of homicide victims between 2007 to 2022; that's 142 years, that's Omaha's "brand," where the overwhelming majority of homicide victims are Black, and nothing has changed. Between 2007 and 2022, the average number of White homicide victims was 16; conversely, the average number of Black homicide victims was 20. Keep in mind, Omaha's Black population has ranged from 9% to 11% of Omaha's population, against a White population of 85% to 90%. You got that? http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-trust4.htm
c. White men strategically orchestrated via Willie Lynch-based brainwashing during and after slavery and Jim Crow legislation, perpetual high rates of unemployment, destruction of the Black family, etc. Black people, are only 13% of the U.S. population, but have been successfully indoctrinated to commit around 51% to 75% of all homicides in the U.S. At absolutely no point in the history of the United States of America has "Being Black" existed on an equal footing with White people. Re-read the previous sentence. http://www.tripoetry.com/Black.htm
4. White men intentionally committed genocide of Native Americans and other indigenous people all over the planet including the Incas, Mayans, indigenous Australians, etc; conversely, people of color have NEVER committed such whole scale murder of White people.
5. White men twice dropped nuclear bombs on people of color in Japan; conversely, people of color have NEVER committed such whole scale murder of White people. No, not all White people are evil; however, throughout the entire history of the U.S., and without regard to political party, without regard to any so-called religious beliefs (http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-ukraine.htm), NEVERTHELESS, the "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men (http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-wealth.htm) have consistently orchestrated, dictated, enforced, and sustained racism, oppression, etc., against people of color. http://www.tripoetry.com/White.htm
Again, every time someone says Black people should expect more to get more, they simultaneously AVOID the fact that the basic, constitutional "expectation" that "we" are all created equal has NEVER been realized for the overwhelming majority of Black people and other people of color, and worse, equality will NEVER will be realized as researched and reported by:
b. As researched by Derenoncourt, Chi Hyun Kim, Kuhn, and Schularick in their March 8, 2021 report, “The Racial Wealth Gap, 1860 - 2020,” the wealth gap between Blacks and Whites has never been abated, has only increased significantly; and if present trends in the data continue, the racial wealth gap is headed to a steady state with average White wealth at least five times greater than average Black wealth - even through 2260! http://www.tripoetry.com/BEING-BLACK/FACTS/RACIAL-WEALTH-GAP/RACIAL-WEALTH-GAP-1860-2020.pdf
c. The people who ultimately control and make all the rules, laws, etc. (White men), also ultimately control and make all exceptions to the rules; and there's no history of White men sharing power or control, just ask Native Americans about broken treaties and stolen lands; ask the Republic of Lakotah (https://youtu.be/8tEuaj4h8dw); and there's no realistic projection that White men are going to give-up power. http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-wealth.htm
Simply put, when all aspects of the "game" (government, business, education, etc.) are predetermined and you have absolutely no control over the game (government, business, education, etc.), expecting more to get more is ridiculous. Even poor White men and poor White women know this. Even poor White men and poor White women know Omaha Public Schools was intentionally designed by Omaha's political (http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-token.htm) and business (http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-token2.htm) hierarchy to function as THE cesspool for the "educational incarceration" of students of color; and if White people weren't poor they'd move to West Omaha too!
Exposing OPS Racial Failure? On the contrary, OPS has been 100% successful in managing the cesspool of "educational incarceration" intentionally designed and sustained for students of color.
Hey Trip, thanks for commenting on my essay. Much of your post emulates this sentence “White men intentionally used, continue to use and benefit from their Doctrine of Discovery, colonialism, slavery, and genocide” which you use to uphold a racist ethnocentric viewpoint of the world, without having to deal with a vast array of inconvenient details, including monarchies, trade, and how Islam cut Europe off from Asia, and warring African tribes. In many ways, you scapegoat Whites as a whole instead of holding individuals accountable.
At the same time, you appear to hold the idea of Black (as well as Native Americans) people having a monopoly on being victims and can only be rightly viewed as victims. This is quite dysfunctional because of what it enables. First Black racists find support in their ideas that the world will only be good for Black people if the White race is wiped out and there should be no obstacle to obtaining such goal. Second, you convince White supremacists to “continue with the pogram”, and sit back and enjoy the show, if not outright promote it.
There are many lines of discussion and arguments we can have, but on this singular take, you provide an unconstuctive and dysfunctional line of argumentation.
On the contrary, I'm not blaming White men; I'm simply stating a fact specific to the United States of America. I'm not addressing the world, just U.S. history, current practices, and projected practices. The United States was founded on the statement, "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal," while continuing to commit genocide of Native American and enslavement of Black people. The impact of this blatant contradiction has NEVER been corrected. "Monarchies, trade, and how Islam cut Europe off from Asia, and warring African tribes," had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with "well-educated" White men knowingly, intentionally writing, "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal," while NEVER practicing the so-called "equality" they preach. Or do you believe these White men had ABSOLUTELY know idea of the actual meaning of what they wrote?? Wake up, Andrew.
Did White men intentionally commit genocide of Native Americans, steal their land, destroy their history, etc.? Have Native Americans been the oppressor or victim? Pick one.
Did White men intentionally enslave Black people, kill them, steal their history, etc.? Have Black people been the oppressor or victim? Pick one.
It's not racist to detail historical FACTS. Unfortunately, it's the practice of some White people to blame Africans for selling Africans, and to blame Native Americans for fighting against other Native Americans, etc. White men left England to be "free," and supposedly created a new nation with this commitment when "well-educated" White men knowingly, intentionally wrote, "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal," while NEVER practicing the so-called "equality" they preach.
As I stated in my earlier response, not all White people are bad, in fact, the overwhelming majority of White people are good. I'm very specific; the problem is "elite," politically powerful and affluent White people, typically White men ultimately control everything, all laws, businesses, education, etc., and ALWAYS HAVE. Contrary to your statement, the world would NOT be a better place if all White people were wiped out. Plus, White supremacist have ALWAYS been able to "continue with the program," a program that's ALWAYS been in existence since before, during, and after slavery. Here, Andrew, this graphic illlustrates the "program."
More "token" minorities (and women) have strategically been placed in the "public light," but ultimate control remains with "elite," politically powerful and affluent White people, typically White men.
It's an historical fact, Andrew, “White men intentionally used, continue to use and benefit from their Doctrine of Discovery, colonialism, slavery, and genocide” to sustain power and control. You do realize, don't you, Andrew, that China will NEVER trust the United States because of it's duplicity, it's hypocrisy in dealing with people of color, and even its oppression of poor White people.
You engage in too much rhetoric. You quote, with inspiration, the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal” as if it was some manifesto being handed out on the streets.
You complain about how it did not apply to Black people and Native Americans. Well, it did not apply to Irish people, Spanish people, Portuguese people, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Iranians, Polish people, Norwegians or Swedes.
The Declaration was written by subjects of the British king, to the
British king, regarding British rights the king ignored. What resulted was over a decade-long war merely to be independent of British
monarch. Establishing a Republic would take more years to accomplish.
Rhetoric? Words have meaning; and if well-educated, "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men NEVER meant and don't mean what they say then the ENTIRE foundation of the United States of America is a lie! THAT'S THE POINT, ANDREW! The King of England was NOT the entire focus of the Declaration of Independence, because France, Germany, Spain, Italy, etc., were also notified about the "newly formed" nation in the Americas and played key roles in the process. Andrew, although "some" Irish people were indenture servants, but they along with Spanish, Portuguese, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Iranians, Polish, Norwegians, and Swedes were NEVER enslaved, sold, and murdered like Black people; and these White Europeans were not victims of planned genocide as were Native Americans. Your analogy is NOT a valid comparison, and doesn't hold water.
YOUR COMMENT: Establishing a Republic would take more years to accomplish.
RESPONSE: Hogwash. What about Israel and Japan after WWII? What about the hundreds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_republics) of "republics" created after the end of colonialism, like South Africa after apartheid? "Governance" comes with an immediacy; unless it's the United States of America where "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men ultimately make all the laws and rules, and define all exceptions to the laws and rules. Abortion? Only women can have babies, but White men ultimately dictate what 51% of the U.S. population can do with their body. Who ultimately made the laws and rules for "Redlining," which continue to exist throughout the U.S.? Who ultimately made the laws and rules for "Voting rights and redistricting?"
You engage in too much rhetoric by making excuses for the intentional and perpetual lily-White-maleness engineered into every aspect of the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence was a sham. The U.S. Constitution is a shame. Even Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the aforementioned "founding documents" should not be used as a model to create a republic. As originally broadcast on February 13, 2012 (https://www.npr.org/2012/07/04/156186033/should-u-s-constitution-be-an-international-model):
>> A new constitution is an essential step toward democracy for Egypt. During a recent visit to the country, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said she "would not look to the U.S. Constitution if I were drafting a constitution in the year 2012."
Most respectfully, Andrew, I do NOT quote with "inspiration," to be clear, I quote FACTS. You engage in too much rhetoric by making excuses for the intentional and perpetual lily-White-maleness engineered and sustained into every aspect of the United States of America.
It conveniently ignores large swaths of history, such as the Moors invading Spain, Portugal, and southern France, and the Islamic conquests of the Middle East, Asia, and Eastern Europe which led to the Crusades.
The Mongols were particularly brutal and wiped out whole cities of hundreds of thousands of people. Last I checked, they were "people of color."
In South America, the Aztecs (also "people of color") made war on other tribes and people groups, taking them prisoner, and ripping their still-beating hearts out of their chests and offering them to their demonic gods.
In the Western U.S., there is ample evidence of violent warfare and cannibalism practiced by certain Native American tribes before Europeans ever arrived on the east coast.
OH, and in Africa, the genesis of the trans-Atlantic slave trade had its beginning in the violent warfare and civil strife pursued by several successive African kingdoms in Western Sub-Saharan Africa. Long before Europeans ever got involved, Africans were taking other Africans as slaves and selling them on to Arab slave traders.
There were also European and American fishermen, merchants, and travelers by ship who were attacked by North African pirates and enslaved. (Capturing and enslaving white people has long been a thing in North Africa even before the modern era). This vile trade led to the invasion of Tripoli by U.S. Marines in the early days of our Republic, and has been immortalized in a verse of the Marine's Hymn.
There is NO PEOPLE GROUP or civilization on the face of the planet that can with any justice claim to be innocent of harm to their neighbors or anyone else of every skin color. This is why we all need a Savior; why Jesus Christ came to earth to die on the cross for our sins in our place. We are ALL sinners--and we all need to repent of our own individual sins, and strive to be more like Christ.
If you don't even know your own history, if you continually see yourself an only a victim instead of as having the same rights and responsibilities as every other American, and the same duty to God, how will you ever be able to put anything into perspective, much less climb out of the hole of umbrage and resentment that you are digging for yourself?
You are living in a time that offers great blessing, but--because all you can do is dwell on past injuries, you are incapable of embracing those blessings or making them yours.
It's time to let the past go and to heal. It's time to forgive. We can choose to be people of peace if we have God's peace in our hearts no matter what is happening around us.
While I agree with your conclusion of expecting more to get more, Andrew, I had trouble following some of what you said here, and with chunks of it, I seriously wondered where you were going!
I wish that Substack wasn't making it impossible for me to post my own stuff on my own page. I'd have a bunch to say about this--and I don't entirely think that it's fair to be dumping it all on you.
I know a lot of people of all races who work hard to get ahead, and who light a fire under their kids to ensure that they do the same. It may be because of the community that I connected with via a small private Christian school here in Lincoln, NE (such as that community is) that caters to the blue collar community. The parents who sent their kids to that school were HIGHLY motivated to get their kids to succeed. Skin color wasn't a determining factor in that school.
There were also international students attending there from Asian countries, and some kids who were adopted (and ESL students) from African countries.
My daughter ended up being valedictorian of her class, but it wasn't because other kids weren't trying. They were--and they worked really hard at it.
If you are sending your kids to school somewhere that skin color is being used as a determining factor to decide who is and who isn't going to succeed, you don't have to settle for that. Pull them out and find another school to send them to where that isn't the case, or make the commitment and homeschool them yourself.
There are scholarships for private schools. You may still have to pay some of the bill, but it will most likely be affordable, and your child will get the instruction and access to opportunities and to people who are highly motivated to succeed to propel them in the right direction.
As far as technical school or apprenticeship vs. college/university and blue collar vs. white, some of the best paying jobs we have in our society are blue collar. As Mike Rowe points out on his shows, the men and women working many of these jobs are aging and there's a growing labor shortage for vital jobs that keep our society functioning.
Jobs that an active young man or young woman might want to get into because it can definitely pay their way through life: Heating and A/C repairman, plumber, electrician, internet/phone/cable/satellite maintenance, big equipment repair... There's quite a list.
Our kids do not have to go to college to make it financially (most our kids would be better NOT attending college at the present time, given the unreasonably high price tags and woke destruction of most college curriculums). Our kids might, however, have to be willing to work a "dirty" job.
It is not just a matter of money or education. Take a look at this link of just how big the Omaha Public School system (OPS) is and how the predominately Black areas are surrounded by it. This tends to create two cultures at odds. You may need to go to the first link above and read what is in the Central High Register article.. Here is the map of OPS https://www.ops.org/domain/119
Okay, so--I'm reading that--and trying to understand why they're making such a big deal. Yes, there's a public school system. YES, it's undoubtedly lousy. MY POINT IS that you don't have to feed your children to the public school wood chipper. There are no gods of public education that must inevitably be propitiated, and you DO have options and alternatives, regardless of your race, color, gender, ethnicity, income level, etc.
This paragraph in particular made me want to gnash my teeth:
“I was the only freshman in the class, but it was a very diverse class, and the teaching was terrible,” he said. “For me, it was one of those moments where I began to understand it’s not really honors because it’s harder, it’s honors because that’s where the relatively privileged kids go to get better experiences.”
That--is totally antithetical to our experience.
My daughter took college courses for credit while in high school (i.e., AP) from UNL and a local community college. She did this because she needed the challenge and we were trying to find ways to make college less expensive going in. Anyone could (and in our experience, DID) apply for and take AP courses as long as they had the GPA and the grades in that specific subject to support it. My daughter couldn't take AP courses in everything, because she needed the math instruction her high school teacher offered.
And I can't resist adding: if the teaching was terrible, why accept and put up with that? MAKE A STINK!!! We got a teacher fired for being a lousy teacher and not doing her job. My daughter went to the school superintendent on her own and complained, and--when I found out--I backed her up! I was very proud of her and only wish she'd complained sooner. If she had, the school might have been better placed to replace this teacher with one who would have done the job better.
If you're smart, if you're motivated, you do what you have to do and you make stuff happen. You don't blame your situation on racial inequity or on your income level.
Andrew,
It's not "rhetoric" to state historical FACTS. There was NEVER any orchestrated action to commit genocide and slavery of Irish people, Spanish people, Portuguese people, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Iranians, Polish people, Norwegians or Swedes. You "spew" rhetoric denying a clearly well-orchestrated lily-Whiteness that has perpetually and ultimately controlled all aspects of the United States of America. Why do you ignore that White-owned newspapers and elected officials put bounties on killing Native Americans (The only good Indian is a dead Indian!), but did not put bounties for killing Irish people, Spanish people, Portuguese people, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Iranians, Polish people, Norwegians or Swedes? Why do you ignore that White-owned newspapers and elected officials put bounties on killing escaped slaves (Hang the niggers!), Black people, but did not put bounties for killing Irish people, Spanish people, Portuguese people, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Iranians, Polish people, Norwegians or Swedes? Where's your "rhetoric" to re-write history, Andrew?
Answer this question, Andrew: Given that race-based genocide, oppression, and discrimination against all people of color began prior to the inception of the United States of America on July 4, 1776 and continued uninterrupted thereafter, on what specific year and date did White people, specifically "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men, relinquish their ill-gotten wealth, power, and control to enable people of color, and women, with "fair and just" access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? When?
Answer this question, Andrew: If the overwhelming majority of White people believe the genocide of Native Americans to be unjust, that the theft of Native American lands unjust, then why don't White people return all lands and related properties back to the Native American tribes? Well, Andrew???
It’s a total waste of time to respond to the callousness or stupidity of White people who act in denial of or indifference to the FACT of voluminous race-based atrocities committed by their ancestors, which has allowed their descendants to prosper at the direct expense of people of color.
It’s a total waste of time to respond to the callousness or stupidity of White people, especially White men, who now consider themselves a "victim" for ultimately being in control of and responsible for the overwhelming majority of acts of racism and sexism - while never fixing the problem.
It’s a total waste of time to respond to the callousness or stupidity of White people, especially White men, who believe systemic racism and systemic sexism no longer exists, simply because Barack Obama became POTUS and Oprah Winfrey's a billionaire, while constantly ignoring the fact that with every generation there has always been a "token negro" who's been "allowed" by the great White oppressor to do a little more, to have a little more success, etc., such as Madame C.J. Walker (1867-1919), Stepin Fetchit (1902-1985), Sidney Poitier (1927+), Richard Pryor (1940-2005), Eddie Murphy (1961+), etc. Again, these "famous" people of color only functioned as tokens, because they NEVER acquired or held the power or wealth of comparable White males and some White females. Conversely, in "Hollywood" ultimate control has been and continues to be primarily dictated by White Jewish men. As published in the LA Times article, "How deeply Jewish is Hollywood? C'mon." When the studio chiefs took out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times a few weeks ago to demand that the Screen Actors Guild settle its contract, the open letter was signed by: News Corp. President Peter Chernin (Jewish), Paramount Pictures Chairman Brad Grey (Jewish), Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert Iger (Jewish), Sony Pictures Chairman Michael Lynton (surprise, Dutch Jew), Warner Bros. Chairman Barry Meyer (Jewish), CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves (so Jewish his great uncle was the first prime minister of Israel), MGM Chairman Harry Sloan (Jewish) and NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker (mega-Jewish). If either of the (Jewish) Weinstein brothers had signed, this group would have not only the power to shut down all film production but to form a minyan with enough Fiji water on hand to fill a mikvah." Source: Los Angeles Times, December 19, 2008, by JOEL STEIN
P.S. "It’s not anti-Semitic to make a statement of fact; it’s anti-Semitic to imply that there’s something wrong with it." Rachel Shukert
It’s a total waste of time to respond to the stupidity of White people, especially White men, who act in denial of or indifference to acts of racism and sexism which boldly continue to this very day.
The "past" is relevant due to the hypocrisy of "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men. In 1776, these educated, slave-owning White-men created a government that said, consistent with the religious beliefs, that humans are all equal in God's eye. However, contrary to what they wrote and the pseudo-religious beliefs, they intentionally and successfully engineered a "new" nation that mirrored same character and scope of racism and oppression practiced by their British King, which even today continues to exist on racism, oppression, and discrimination. These "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men have sustained their privilege for the past 247 years, and in the absence of another civil war or invasion from Russia, China, or aliens from the planet Mars, etc., they'll continue to do so.
Again, you "spew" rhetoric denying a clearly well-orchestrated lily-Whiteness that has perpetually and ultimately controlled all aspects of the United States of America. Stop White-washing facts to present an alternative reality that's more "palatable" to White people, Andrew.
White people did this: https://youtu.be/8tEuaj4h8dw
It's not rhetoric, it's a fact.
"There was NEVER any orchestrated action to commit genocide and slavery of Irish people" You are all out of facts on your side of this argument.
The well-orchestrated headlines to kill Indians included, "Kill the Indian, Save the Man," etc.
• https://www.californiaindianeducation.org/indian_boarding_schools/
• https://www.ancient-origins.net/weird-facts/native-american-scalps-0017651
• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/319051954844424198/
>> Where's the front page headline story, "Kill the Irish, Save the Man," etc.?
Yes, A 'Redskin' Does, In Fact, Mean the Scalped Head of a Native American, Sold, Like a Pelt, for Cash - https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a29318/redskin-name-update/
>> Where's the research that documents and validates, "Scalped Head of a Irish, Spanish, French, English, Russians, Sold, Like a Pelt, for Cash" etc.?
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt said in January 1886, “I don’t go so far as to think that the only good Indians are the dead Indians, but I believe nine out of every 10 are, and I shouldn’t like to inquire too closely into the case of the tenth.” Source: "Killing Crazy Horse," by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard (and https://ictnews.org/archive/theodore-roosevelt-the-only-good-indians-are-the-dead-indians?redir=1). For more evidence of the "orchestrated action to commit genocide of Native Americans, go here: https://theintercept.com/2020/06/22/as-teddy-roosevelts-statue-falls-lets-remember-how-truly-dark-his-history-was/
>> U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt NEVER said the aforementioned about the Irish, or French, Spanish, Russians, etc.
General Ulysses S. Grant said, "Our dealing with the Indians properly lay us open to charges of cruelty and swindling." Page 170, "Killing Crazy Horse," by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.
>> General Ulysses S. Grant NEVER said the aforementioned about the Irish, or French, Spanish, Russians, etc.
As U.S. President Grant, he ordered that all Indians not on their reservations are to be considered an enemy of the United States of America and treated as such. Page 207, "Killing Crazy Horse," by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.
>> President Grant NEVER said the aforementioned about the Irish, or French, Spanish, Russians, etc.
Andrew, if you're going to engage in a serious conversation about "well-orchestrated genocide" in U.S. history, then you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY need to know the "facts," because if you'd read, "Where White Men Fear to Tread," by Russell Means, and "The Black West" by William Loren Katz, and "Killing Crazy Horse," by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard, and many other sources, hopefully, you'd recognize your ignorance on this topic.
'Nuff said.
Again, the "world" is NOT the issue. The "issue" is the FACT that educated White men intentionally wrote, "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal," while simultaneously committing genocide of Native Americans and slavery and genocide of Black people. Spain, Portugal, France, the "Middle East," Asia, and Eastern Europe were NOT involved in the writing, signing, and execution of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, etc.
Again, the constitutional "expectation" that "we" are all created equal has NEVER been realized for the overwhelming majority of Black people and other people of color, and women, and even worse, equality will NEVER will be realized as researched and reported by:
a. New York Times article published on September 9, 2020, "Faces of Power: 80% Are White, Even as U.S. Becomes More Diverse," that validates the existence of systemic racism and systemic sexism. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/09/us/powerful-people-race-us.html
b. As researched by Derenoncourt, Chi Hyun Kim, Kuhn, and Schularick in their March 8, 2021 report, “The Racial Wealth Gap, 1860 - 2020,” the wealth gap between Blacks and Whites has never been abated, has only increased significantly; and if present trends in the data continue, the racial wealth gap is headed to a steady state with average White wealth at least five times greater than average Black wealth - even through 2260! http://www.tripoetry.com/BEING-BLACK/FACTS/RACIAL-WEALTH-GAP/RACIAL-WEALTH-GAP-1860-2020.pdf
c. The people who ultimately control and make all the rules, laws, etc. (White men), also ultimately control and make all exceptions to the rules; and there's no history of White men sharing power or control, just ask Native Americans about broken treaties and stolen lands; ask the Republic of Lakotah (https://youtu.be/8tEuaj4h8dw); and there's no realistic projection that White men are going to give-up power. http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-wealth.htm
Finally, your comment: We can choose to be people of peace if we have God's peace in our hearts no matter what is happening around us.
God's peace? THAT'S A BUNCH OF RELIGIOUS CRAP. All "organized religions," especially Christians, Jews, and Muslims, function as hypocrites; causing and sustaining more wars and murders than they've ever prevented. Read this - http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-ukraine.htm
'Nuff said.
https://youtu.be/-UaD7csfIH0
Trip, you are buying into a bunch of envy nonsense. The whole colonial system was European, but did African- Americans go extinct? No, they continue to build. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._communities_with_African-American_majority_populations_in_2000
As for religion, get familiar with what the Quakers believed as they contributed greatly to how the United States was formed.
YOUR COMMENT: Simply, you have to expect more to get more.
RESPONSE: Your thesis, assessment, and conclusion are entirely wrong, and here's why. For the overwhelming majority of Black people, and other people of color, "expecting more" will never be realized, because our basic "constitutional expectation" of being treated as equals has NEVER been realized.
Here are the facts:
1. White men intentionally used, continue to use and benefit from their Doctrine of Discovery, colonialism, slavery, and genocide to literally MURDER millions and millions and million of people of color; conversely, people of color have NEVER committed such whole scale murder of White people. http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-systemic.htm
2. White men intentionally used, continue to use and benefit from their Doctrine of Discovery, colonialism, slavery, and genocide to literally oppress, discriminate, enforce, and sustain acts of racism and injustice against people of color; conversely, people of color have NEVER committed such whole scale oppression of White people.
3. White men intentionally used redlining, Jim Crow, oppression and racism to:
a. Indoctrinate Black Americans kill white Americans at 4.9x the rate that white Americans kill black Americans.
b. Sustain extremely high rates of unemployment and poverty to indoctrinate Black-on-Black murder rates to consistently be higher than the White-on-White murder rate. The aforementioned fact is perpetually validated by the well-established "norm" for Omaha, Nebraska where Black people were 43.13% of homicide victims between 1880 and 1920; to 55% of homicide victims between 1975 and 1989; to 57% of homicide victims between 2007 to 2022; that's 142 years, that's Omaha's "brand," where the overwhelming majority of homicide victims are Black, and nothing has changed. Between 2007 and 2022, the average number of White homicide victims was 16; conversely, the average number of Black homicide victims was 20. Keep in mind, Omaha's Black population has ranged from 9% to 11% of Omaha's population, against a White population of 85% to 90%. You got that? http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-trust4.htm
c. White men strategically orchestrated via Willie Lynch-based brainwashing during and after slavery and Jim Crow legislation, perpetual high rates of unemployment, destruction of the Black family, etc. Black people, are only 13% of the U.S. population, but have been successfully indoctrinated to commit around 51% to 75% of all homicides in the U.S. At absolutely no point in the history of the United States of America has "Being Black" existed on an equal footing with White people. Re-read the previous sentence. http://www.tripoetry.com/Black.htm
4. White men intentionally committed genocide of Native Americans and other indigenous people all over the planet including the Incas, Mayans, indigenous Australians, etc; conversely, people of color have NEVER committed such whole scale murder of White people.
5. White men twice dropped nuclear bombs on people of color in Japan; conversely, people of color have NEVER committed such whole scale murder of White people. No, not all White people are evil; however, throughout the entire history of the U.S., and without regard to political party, without regard to any so-called religious beliefs (http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-ukraine.htm), NEVERTHELESS, the "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men (http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-wealth.htm) have consistently orchestrated, dictated, enforced, and sustained racism, oppression, etc., against people of color. http://www.tripoetry.com/White.htm
Again, every time someone says Black people should expect more to get more, they simultaneously AVOID the fact that the basic, constitutional "expectation" that "we" are all created equal has NEVER been realized for the overwhelming majority of Black people and other people of color, and worse, equality will NEVER will be realized as researched and reported by:
a. New York Times article published on September 9, 2020, "Faces of Power: 80% Are White, Even as U.S. Becomes More Diverse," that validates the existence of systemic racism and systemic sexism. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/09/us/powerful-people-race-us.html
b. As researched by Derenoncourt, Chi Hyun Kim, Kuhn, and Schularick in their March 8, 2021 report, “The Racial Wealth Gap, 1860 - 2020,” the wealth gap between Blacks and Whites has never been abated, has only increased significantly; and if present trends in the data continue, the racial wealth gap is headed to a steady state with average White wealth at least five times greater than average Black wealth - even through 2260! http://www.tripoetry.com/BEING-BLACK/FACTS/RACIAL-WEALTH-GAP/RACIAL-WEALTH-GAP-1860-2020.pdf
c. The people who ultimately control and make all the rules, laws, etc. (White men), also ultimately control and make all exceptions to the rules; and there's no history of White men sharing power or control, just ask Native Americans about broken treaties and stolen lands; ask the Republic of Lakotah (https://youtu.be/8tEuaj4h8dw); and there's no realistic projection that White men are going to give-up power. http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-wealth.htm
Simply put, when all aspects of the "game" (government, business, education, etc.) are predetermined and you have absolutely no control over the game (government, business, education, etc.), expecting more to get more is ridiculous. Even poor White men and poor White women know this. Even poor White men and poor White women know Omaha Public Schools was intentionally designed by Omaha's political (http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-token.htm) and business (http://tripoetry.com/Letters/reynoldsrap-token2.htm) hierarchy to function as THE cesspool for the "educational incarceration" of students of color; and if White people weren't poor they'd move to West Omaha too!
Exposing OPS Racial Failure? On the contrary, OPS has been 100% successful in managing the cesspool of "educational incarceration" intentionally designed and sustained for students of color.
Hey Trip, thanks for commenting on my essay. Much of your post emulates this sentence “White men intentionally used, continue to use and benefit from their Doctrine of Discovery, colonialism, slavery, and genocide” which you use to uphold a racist ethnocentric viewpoint of the world, without having to deal with a vast array of inconvenient details, including monarchies, trade, and how Islam cut Europe off from Asia, and warring African tribes. In many ways, you scapegoat Whites as a whole instead of holding individuals accountable.
At the same time, you appear to hold the idea of Black (as well as Native Americans) people having a monopoly on being victims and can only be rightly viewed as victims. This is quite dysfunctional because of what it enables. First Black racists find support in their ideas that the world will only be good for Black people if the White race is wiped out and there should be no obstacle to obtaining such goal. Second, you convince White supremacists to “continue with the pogram”, and sit back and enjoy the show, if not outright promote it.
There are many lines of discussion and arguments we can have, but on this singular take, you provide an unconstuctive and dysfunctional line of argumentation.
On the contrary, I'm not blaming White men; I'm simply stating a fact specific to the United States of America. I'm not addressing the world, just U.S. history, current practices, and projected practices. The United States was founded on the statement, "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal," while continuing to commit genocide of Native American and enslavement of Black people. The impact of this blatant contradiction has NEVER been corrected. "Monarchies, trade, and how Islam cut Europe off from Asia, and warring African tribes," had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with "well-educated" White men knowingly, intentionally writing, "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal," while NEVER practicing the so-called "equality" they preach. Or do you believe these White men had ABSOLUTELY know idea of the actual meaning of what they wrote?? Wake up, Andrew.
Did White men intentionally commit genocide of Native Americans, steal their land, destroy their history, etc.? Have Native Americans been the oppressor or victim? Pick one.
Did White men intentionally enslave Black people, kill them, steal their history, etc.? Have Black people been the oppressor or victim? Pick one.
It's not racist to detail historical FACTS. Unfortunately, it's the practice of some White people to blame Africans for selling Africans, and to blame Native Americans for fighting against other Native Americans, etc. White men left England to be "free," and supposedly created a new nation with this commitment when "well-educated" White men knowingly, intentionally wrote, "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal," while NEVER practicing the so-called "equality" they preach.
As I stated in my earlier response, not all White people are bad, in fact, the overwhelming majority of White people are good. I'm very specific; the problem is "elite," politically powerful and affluent White people, typically White men ultimately control everything, all laws, businesses, education, etc., and ALWAYS HAVE. Contrary to your statement, the world would NOT be a better place if all White people were wiped out. Plus, White supremacist have ALWAYS been able to "continue with the program," a program that's ALWAYS been in existence since before, during, and after slavery. Here, Andrew, this graphic illlustrates the "program."
http://tripoetry.com/Letters/REYNOLDSRAP/RACISM/SYSTEMIC-RACISM-101LG.jpg
More "token" minorities (and women) have strategically been placed in the "public light," but ultimate control remains with "elite," politically powerful and affluent White people, typically White men.
It's an historical fact, Andrew, “White men intentionally used, continue to use and benefit from their Doctrine of Discovery, colonialism, slavery, and genocide” to sustain power and control. You do realize, don't you, Andrew, that China will NEVER trust the United States because of it's duplicity, it's hypocrisy in dealing with people of color, and even its oppression of poor White people.
You're in denial, Andrew.
Trip,
You engage in too much rhetoric. You quote, with inspiration, the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal” as if it was some manifesto being handed out on the streets.
You complain about how it did not apply to Black people and Native Americans. Well, it did not apply to Irish people, Spanish people, Portuguese people, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Iranians, Polish people, Norwegians or Swedes.
The Declaration was written by subjects of the British king, to the
British king, regarding British rights the king ignored. What resulted was over a decade-long war merely to be independent of British
monarch. Establishing a Republic would take more years to accomplish.
Rhetoric? Words have meaning; and if well-educated, "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men NEVER meant and don't mean what they say then the ENTIRE foundation of the United States of America is a lie! THAT'S THE POINT, ANDREW! The King of England was NOT the entire focus of the Declaration of Independence, because France, Germany, Spain, Italy, etc., were also notified about the "newly formed" nation in the Americas and played key roles in the process. Andrew, although "some" Irish people were indenture servants, but they along with Spanish, Portuguese, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Iranians, Polish, Norwegians, and Swedes were NEVER enslaved, sold, and murdered like Black people; and these White Europeans were not victims of planned genocide as were Native Americans. Your analogy is NOT a valid comparison, and doesn't hold water.
YOUR COMMENT: Establishing a Republic would take more years to accomplish.
RESPONSE: Hogwash. What about Israel and Japan after WWII? What about the hundreds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_republics) of "republics" created after the end of colonialism, like South Africa after apartheid? "Governance" comes with an immediacy; unless it's the United States of America where "elite," politically powerful and affluent White men ultimately make all the laws and rules, and define all exceptions to the laws and rules. Abortion? Only women can have babies, but White men ultimately dictate what 51% of the U.S. population can do with their body. Who ultimately made the laws and rules for "Redlining," which continue to exist throughout the U.S.? Who ultimately made the laws and rules for "Voting rights and redistricting?"
You engage in too much rhetoric by making excuses for the intentional and perpetual lily-White-maleness engineered into every aspect of the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence was a sham. The U.S. Constitution is a shame. Even Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the aforementioned "founding documents" should not be used as a model to create a republic. As originally broadcast on February 13, 2012 (https://www.npr.org/2012/07/04/156186033/should-u-s-constitution-be-an-international-model):
>> A new constitution is an essential step toward democracy for Egypt. During a recent visit to the country, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said she "would not look to the U.S. Constitution if I were drafting a constitution in the year 2012."
Most respectfully, Andrew, I do NOT quote with "inspiration," to be clear, I quote FACTS. You engage in too much rhetoric by making excuses for the intentional and perpetual lily-White-maleness engineered and sustained into every aspect of the United States of America.
Do you know who Israel and Japan modeled their government after?
This diatribe is sad and incredibly misinformed.
It conveniently ignores large swaths of history, such as the Moors invading Spain, Portugal, and southern France, and the Islamic conquests of the Middle East, Asia, and Eastern Europe which led to the Crusades.
The Mongols were particularly brutal and wiped out whole cities of hundreds of thousands of people. Last I checked, they were "people of color."
In South America, the Aztecs (also "people of color") made war on other tribes and people groups, taking them prisoner, and ripping their still-beating hearts out of their chests and offering them to their demonic gods.
In the Western U.S., there is ample evidence of violent warfare and cannibalism practiced by certain Native American tribes before Europeans ever arrived on the east coast.
OH, and in Africa, the genesis of the trans-Atlantic slave trade had its beginning in the violent warfare and civil strife pursued by several successive African kingdoms in Western Sub-Saharan Africa. Long before Europeans ever got involved, Africans were taking other Africans as slaves and selling them on to Arab slave traders.
There were also European and American fishermen, merchants, and travelers by ship who were attacked by North African pirates and enslaved. (Capturing and enslaving white people has long been a thing in North Africa even before the modern era). This vile trade led to the invasion of Tripoli by U.S. Marines in the early days of our Republic, and has been immortalized in a verse of the Marine's Hymn.
There is NO PEOPLE GROUP or civilization on the face of the planet that can with any justice claim to be innocent of harm to their neighbors or anyone else of every skin color. This is why we all need a Savior; why Jesus Christ came to earth to die on the cross for our sins in our place. We are ALL sinners--and we all need to repent of our own individual sins, and strive to be more like Christ.
If you don't even know your own history, if you continually see yourself an only a victim instead of as having the same rights and responsibilities as every other American, and the same duty to God, how will you ever be able to put anything into perspective, much less climb out of the hole of umbrage and resentment that you are digging for yourself?
You are living in a time that offers great blessing, but--because all you can do is dwell on past injuries, you are incapable of embracing those blessings or making them yours.
It's time to let the past go and to heal. It's time to forgive. We can choose to be people of peace if we have God's peace in our hearts no matter what is happening around us.
While I agree with your conclusion of expecting more to get more, Andrew, I had trouble following some of what you said here, and with chunks of it, I seriously wondered where you were going!
I wish that Substack wasn't making it impossible for me to post my own stuff on my own page. I'd have a bunch to say about this--and I don't entirely think that it's fair to be dumping it all on you.
I know a lot of people of all races who work hard to get ahead, and who light a fire under their kids to ensure that they do the same. It may be because of the community that I connected with via a small private Christian school here in Lincoln, NE (such as that community is) that caters to the blue collar community. The parents who sent their kids to that school were HIGHLY motivated to get their kids to succeed. Skin color wasn't a determining factor in that school.
There were also international students attending there from Asian countries, and some kids who were adopted (and ESL students) from African countries.
My daughter ended up being valedictorian of her class, but it wasn't because other kids weren't trying. They were--and they worked really hard at it.
If you are sending your kids to school somewhere that skin color is being used as a determining factor to decide who is and who isn't going to succeed, you don't have to settle for that. Pull them out and find another school to send them to where that isn't the case, or make the commitment and homeschool them yourself.
There are scholarships for private schools. You may still have to pay some of the bill, but it will most likely be affordable, and your child will get the instruction and access to opportunities and to people who are highly motivated to succeed to propel them in the right direction.
As far as technical school or apprenticeship vs. college/university and blue collar vs. white, some of the best paying jobs we have in our society are blue collar. As Mike Rowe points out on his shows, the men and women working many of these jobs are aging and there's a growing labor shortage for vital jobs that keep our society functioning.
Jobs that an active young man or young woman might want to get into because it can definitely pay their way through life: Heating and A/C repairman, plumber, electrician, internet/phone/cable/satellite maintenance, big equipment repair... There's quite a list.
Our kids do not have to go to college to make it financially (most our kids would be better NOT attending college at the present time, given the unreasonably high price tags and woke destruction of most college curriculums). Our kids might, however, have to be willing to work a "dirty" job.
It is not just a matter of money or education. Take a look at this link of just how big the Omaha Public School system (OPS) is and how the predominately Black areas are surrounded by it. This tends to create two cultures at odds. You may need to go to the first link above and read what is in the Central High Register article.. Here is the map of OPS https://www.ops.org/domain/119
Okay, so--I'm reading that--and trying to understand why they're making such a big deal. Yes, there's a public school system. YES, it's undoubtedly lousy. MY POINT IS that you don't have to feed your children to the public school wood chipper. There are no gods of public education that must inevitably be propitiated, and you DO have options and alternatives, regardless of your race, color, gender, ethnicity, income level, etc.
This paragraph in particular made me want to gnash my teeth:
“I was the only freshman in the class, but it was a very diverse class, and the teaching was terrible,” he said. “For me, it was one of those moments where I began to understand it’s not really honors because it’s harder, it’s honors because that’s where the relatively privileged kids go to get better experiences.”
That--is totally antithetical to our experience.
My daughter took college courses for credit while in high school (i.e., AP) from UNL and a local community college. She did this because she needed the challenge and we were trying to find ways to make college less expensive going in. Anyone could (and in our experience, DID) apply for and take AP courses as long as they had the GPA and the grades in that specific subject to support it. My daughter couldn't take AP courses in everything, because she needed the math instruction her high school teacher offered.
And I can't resist adding: if the teaching was terrible, why accept and put up with that? MAKE A STINK!!! We got a teacher fired for being a lousy teacher and not doing her job. My daughter went to the school superintendent on her own and complained, and--when I found out--I backed her up! I was very proud of her and only wish she'd complained sooner. If she had, the school might have been better placed to replace this teacher with one who would have done the job better.
If you're smart, if you're motivated, you do what you have to do and you make stuff happen. You don't blame your situation on racial inequity or on your income level.