The irony is compelling. A front page image in today’s Detroit News of several large black men carrying a coffin which ostensibly holds the N-word. Political leaders and activists followed the casket from Detroit’s Cobo Arena, where this year’s annual convention of the NAACP is being held, to Detroit’s Hart Plaza for a ceremonial burial of a racial epithet. The Detroit News described the event as ‘the centerpiece of the group’s national convention in Detroit.’ You’re kidding.
Michigan’s governor, Jennifer Granholm, noted that the N-word was being buried in the same soil that held the remains of civil rights icon Rosa Parks. What exactly does it say about the significance of the N-word or respect for Rosa Parks, that both are buried in the same soil? One has nothing to do with the other, does it? Detroit’s mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, eulogized the N-word by saying: “..today we aren’t just burying the N-word. We’re taking this out of our spirit, we’re taking it out of our being; we’re taking it out of our minds…” I think you are out of your minds.
Here’s the irony of a casket covered with black roses as the ‘centerpiece’ of the NAACP convention in Detroit:
1,452 African American children are terminated each day by abortion. US census reports that for the first time in US history African Americans are beneath the replacement rate. African American women make up 36% of all abortions but only account for 6% of the population.
That casket could just as easily represent the death of the next generation of African-Americans by choice. In the face of the very real threat that abortion is to African-Americans, the NAACP rejected a proposal brought by the niece of Martin Luther King, Jr., to oppose abortion and work to limit it in the African-American community. The NAACP chose instead to focus on stopping people from calling them names. Their people are actually being killed by abortion. They ignore that reality and take up arms against a word. “Sticks and stones may break my….” Abortion, however, really does kill.
While we are in the process of deleting some words from the common vocabulary how about if we get rid of the f-word, the JC-word, the GD-word, the s-word, for starters. How much more pleasant could some conversations be should these simple alterations be made. Then we could go a step further and implement into our conversations the Jesus word, Or the Lord word, or the God Almighty word.
Words mean something! We should all watch them.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, THINK ON THESE THINGS. Philippians 4:8
What a difference this single policy in our thought process could make.
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin”
“The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble: and he knoweth them that trust him.” Nahum 1:17
What a friend we have in Jesus!!! “…and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother!”
Ed,
To quote Dr John Rawlings when asked a similar question; “Not enough to hurt.”
Preach it Don! AMEN!
Paul is an ordained minister and a pastor. Are you also?
Ed in Eastpointe
God created the marital union of man and woman for a purpose. When this principle is violated, as in all groups, like in this one, the structure is doomed for collapse.
The need to recognize a clean up of terminology is obvious to most of us. However, will this cure the disease? I suggest not. The language is a symptom rather than the cause. Will stopping all abortions heal this or any community in itself. Again, I think not, albeit a worthy and righteous goal. The problem is not even the value we as a society put on life. The root cause of this issue is the value we put on God. I have witnessed personally in my life, the demise of the loftiness, the majesty, of the Most High God. We see it in the white community as well as in the black community. When, and only when, we begin to view our God as He is then we may expect different results.
The lines of demarcation between the people of God and the children of wrath have almost melted together. We curse like the world, we drink like the world, we pursue like the world, we entertain ourselves like the world, we sue like the world, we scrap like the world, and most of all, we take pride in ourselves like the world.
Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
These six things doth the Lord: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue,….
Examine the dialog on all the blogs today to see if this be true. A wise man once said ” when all is said and done, more will be said than done!”
Are we attacking a spiritual problem from an earthly perspective? When our God is high and lifted up, most all else falls into place as we seek His will, and His ways.
I hope that the Black community will grow to seek the Lord, and find the healing that we are are in need of.
For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he!