The Flag Has Come Down, What Now?

A friend posted that he was sad all the talk in South Caroline after the shootings seems to be about the flag, and not enough about the victims, or even the future. He wrote this:

"Conversations like this one are a good first step, but they're few and far between. The flag has come down over SC; what now?"

My take:

It's a good question. I don't even know how to approach this. Part of the problem, to me, is that we have to consider history. The current problems we have are a result of history. There is an imbalance of power and that still exists. It's the result of why things like woman's issues in the workforce are still an issue. It's not that there aren't ways for women to get promoted or move up, but that many people in power still maintain prejudices or views that cause issues.

I see similar things with affirmative action. While many strides have been made, there's still plenty of limitations and struggles that minorities face.

To me, ignore the white supremacist action. That will always be around, but it can be limited and driven underground with more open and common interactions. Police shouldn't view "blacks" (or hispanics, or anyone else) as likely or less than anyone else. There is still a problem there. Education needs to be more fair. My kid, your kid, none of our kids does a single thing to deserve more education than any kid in the ghetto. That's all on you or I, our success, but it has nothing to do with kids being deserving of more or less education.

We should be looking at any of the issues where we have severe imbalances in races. People are people. My travels across the world show me that people are people everywhere. They have the same faults and frailties. There are minorities of criminals in all races. There are issues that come about because of poverty no matter your color.

 

We need conversations that look to the future and making the world better. Not defending our position, not blaming others for their lack of progress, but a way to step forward. Together.