Salvete omnes! (Greetings, all!) We are going to talk about racism, as that seems to be the hot topic of the day as of late. I am confident you all have heard, to varying degrees, the influx of illegal folks coming into the country. Mind you, I am not against immigration, as I am a Euro-mutt, myself, extracted from Ireland, Italy, and Sweden. All of my ancestors came to this country through the correct, legal, and proper means. They then worked their tails off to build a better life. There were no hand outs back then. No entitlements. Ora et labora (Pray and work) was the order of the day. But, now, it seems that folks who object to others coming to this country via the opposite of “correct, legal, and proper means”, are being labeled racist. Both a misapplication and an ad hominem, at best, but, really is a non sequitur just to obfuscate the actual issue. I wish to address this “housefull of victims & strife”. I have some experience in this area, as I have had to help friends combat racism a few times. My nephew is 1/2 Jamaican, as well, and is a good soul and a hard worker, just like the family bloodline, irrespective of his skin coloration. My personal experience disclosed, now, should satisfy your need for my credibility in this arena. Soooo, getting started, one must distinguish between racism and culturalism first and foremost. Racism is based on the color of a persons skin. Culturalism is based on behaviors from a certain group of people who share the same ethnic heritage. Skin color is apparent at first look: you can just see if someone is black, brown, white, red, or yellow. Culturalism is more of a behavior/stereotype, for example: “Irish drink all the time”, “The Germans always invade countries”, or “Italians do not use recipes when they cook”, “You Catholics have too many rules” (Laugh, now) or fill in yours here _________. The mistake in today’s culture is the lines between these two are blurred and often commingled or conflated. That is an ERROR, but effective for emotionally charging any situation amidst reactionary folks. A great example of this is the “N” word. Originally, the word “nigger” was applied to the uneducated Irish peasant by the English aristocracy. This goes back to the 800’s A.D. and was a social comment on someone’s lack of education, not color of skin. There is even an adjective, “niggardly”, meaning “not generous; stingy.” I have no idea how this concept of uneducated/cheap/stingy was morphed into a color of skin issue, either. The Church takes the position that racism is a sin. PERIOD. FULL STOP. The moral judgement on racism is grounded in fundamental scriptural beliefs: equal dignity of all people, created in God’s image; and Christ’s redemption of all. The Catechism of the Catholic Church spells this out: The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it: “Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God’s design.” [CCC 1935]. Moral judgments on racism, based on equality, are consistent: “any theory or form whatsoever of racism and racial discrimination is morally unacceptable”, as determined by the 2007 meeting of the U.S.C.C.B., #433. I could go on for pages and pages, but do not have the room in this forum. What we need to be in our own lives and what we need to emphasize is BEHAVIORALISM. Since we are all created in God’s likeness and image, we must look at what a person does rather than says. Words are meaningless unless they are backed up by actions. There must be consistency in what a person does and says. You must look at the actions of individuals to know truly what is going on with them as actions always speak louder than words. Using stereotypes, rumors, innuendo, or implied behavior as a result of one’s skin color is ineffective at best. (Moreover, it is irrelevant, as the “N” word was based on lack of education by the white aristocrats with regard to the white peasants… The human race seems to have a recurrent problem comprehending this as of the past 4 centuries, however…) Does this person behave in a Godly manner? Does this person’s “yes” and “no” mean exactly that? When it comes right down to it, to use racism to determine things about a person or group is really an exercise in sloth (one of the 7 deadly sins) as one uses not necessarily fact(s) in drawing conclusions about that person or group. Today’s groups causing riots are focused on a warped sense of justice without any of the other virtues involved. Don’t believe me? Look at the sham “Trump Trial”. (If THAT doesn’t piss you off as a miscarriage of justice, or, more correctly non-existence of justice, then your dedication to ignorance is most impressive. How did you find your way out of the birth canal? As an ‘aside’, wasn’t Christ subjected to a ‘sham trial’? Something to ponder, with regard to secular government…)This lack of virtue is a recipe for disaster and that is exactly what we are observing in the world today. Where is the prudence? Where is the charity? HELL, for that matter, where’s the chastity? The lie of “we are all the same” is a blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, who made us all individuals “each according to His gifts”… The next time you find yourself in a situation where some are making erroneous decisions due to racism, take a step back and really look at the circumstances. I am confident there are no shortage of these happenings where you are located, especially if you are in prison. What can you do to minimize and perhaps eliminate racism where you are? Be a beacon of light amidst the darkness and implement behavioralism within yourself and those around you and work on eliminating racism. You may find this hard at first, but, it will be of benefit the longer you practice it and teach others likewise. Be that dry morsel with joy, rather than one of the victims in the house with strife. Your actions will speak much louder, and you will find that you have a bit more peace than others as a result. We, as AMERICANS, must start remembering how this country was founded. We are a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC, just like Ben Franklin said in 1789, (not a “democracy”, no matter how many times that lie is repeated) and folks need to be reminded of that actual fact. With regard to the upcoming “election”, I beg you all to consider each and every issue you vote on from a moral perspective, on all jurisdictional levels. Do not let the injustices of this world steal the sanctity of your immortal soul. We are here for a limited time on Earth: Eternity is much longer. God gave us each FREE WILL. I implore you not to “Choose poorly” but, rather, “Choose, wisely!”
Quintus Publius
Support Independent Local Journalism — High Country Advocate was created as a real alternative to regional media that too often silences dissenting voices while taking sides in the political struggle. Producing in-depth, unflinching reporting like this series and others is expensive: servers, editing, research time, and legal review all add up quickly. If these articles have informed you or given you new perspective, please consider supporting HCA with a paid subscription — every subscriber helps keep this reporting strong and independent.
