Beyond Selma And The Racial Divide

In an age of lighting fast media it is amazing, then maybe again it isn't how elected officials react to current events. Now, for the past year the United States continues to self destruct. On one hand we have allowed two of the most incomprehensible candidates compete for the office of President and a continued almost blatant assault by members of our Police forces to use lethal force upon our own citizens where too many of course are African American. The callous almost wonton disregard for the sanctity of life has occurred on a almost weekly basis and yet the carnage only continues. Least we remember another instance that occurred with this past 50th anniversary of Selma. This really could have been a focal point showing a unity of purpose for the whole nation. Yet the frustration has boiled over that could erupt at any moment with rebellious overtures.  But, with so much of the rhetoric from both political Presidential contenders and the rest of the political establishment lately it is quite obvious that there would never be that unity of purpose that would heal the wounds of this fractured nation. Ideologies aside there still is a prejudice that to this day remains a fixture of the mindset of too many, especially Republicans.

 

We have to remember that what should have occurred during that celebration in Selma never did happen. It is this unity of purpose that would have shown the racial divide that existed 50 years ago has closed. Yet, the blatant disregard for a celebration of progress this nation has achieved to close that racial divide has only proved time and time again that as a nation we are crumbling from within and the racial divide continues. A unity of purpose for this nation has not been realized since the early 1960's. What happened in Selma those 50 years ago was a turning point for this nation to rise above the racial turmoil that has long existed. But, since that day 5 decades ago there continues to be a persistent racial and economic impropriety festering like an open wound in our society.

 

When there continues to be individuals who harbor and openly engage in racial bias as we have seen on college campuses, when police officers openly target African Americans and when certain elected officials purposely show their true colors by not joining or sending a symbolic gesture for that unity of purpose all have a detrimental affect on our whole society. Combine all these with the continued assault on life as we are witnessing on a daily basis makes the United States look in the eyes of the world as most incompetent.

 

What our illustrious Republican led legislature continues to do through their self imposed righteous indignation has made the United States as perceived by much of the rest of the world as a nation who really can't get their own house in order. A nation divided against itself, sound familiar, it should because it was Abraham Lincoln who said it best. Will we be able to guarantee the future for our generations? It would seem in all probability that as a nation the hand writing is all ready on the wall.

 

The timing of all these concurrent incidents from the racial slurs coming from students at the University of Oklahoma, to that ill-fated letter to Iran from members of Congress, and least we forget not one Presidential hopefuls or any leading Republicans were in Selma. To an almost rampant assault by our law enforcement on members of our own society let alone home grown terrorists one has to wonder are they all orchestrated coincidences to further divide a nation?

 

Now in the aftermath from Republicans and Democrats alike not one presidential hopeful has cast off the slime of political expediency. This while to many of us are caught up in a false sense of identity like teenage groupies vying for the celebrity status we now have placed upon our politicians.

 

It really is a sad commentary that a great nation we once were has become immersed in a suicidal society spiral that is running out of control. If this spiral is not stopped the United States will have no future that is recognizable as the America we used to know. An unrecognizable future that in all likelihood will turn out devastating for all and prove once again that history does repeat. Remember Ancient Rome?