Timothy Birdnow

I can attest to that!

I worked with a man from Eritrea who thought exactly that. He once asked me why American blacks hated white people and the U.S. and I had to give a twenty minute lecture on the legacy of slavery, on the government's "War on Poverty" and a host of other socio-economic things that go into black anger. He couldn't grasp it.

As he said, in Africa white people are very welcome because they bring money. And we have what all of them only dream about in terms of freedom and wealth and a good life.

In fact, when the poor guy wanted to get married he didn't want to marry an African American because, well, he just didn't care for them much. His option was to either marry a white woman or go back to his homeland for a wife. He chose the latter and came home with a very lovely young lady.

Sadly, on his visit to the country of his birth he caught a parasite and it nearly killed him - that's what Africa has to offer. The poor man had to have no fewer than FIVE organ transplants as whatever this nasty bug was it ate up his insides. His doctors had to fly in a specialist from Eritrea to help them treat the infestation - they had no idea what to do about this.

It ended well for my friend (who was always happy and smiling and joking - a great guy) as his wife had a baby and the last I heard he was doing great. He had to move out of state to be close to his doctors though. He would have died in all likelihood had he not lived in the United States of America.

American blacks had traditional grievances, no question. But those times have changed yet they cling to their anger at this country. Why? Well, it's natural enough. They built a subculture where they could live as they chose and it was ultimately built on the predication that our society was unjust, and that thinking persists today. Giving up old grievances is tough. And admitting you won and the struggle that defined your existence is over can be even tougher.

I have no doubt Hell is full of people who wouldn't let go of their grievances. Purgatory too, if you believe in that (as do I). But I get it; it's very hard sometimes.

Black people had four hundred years of slavery that shaped their cultural traditions and beliefs. Times have changed but not the psychological trauma of it all.

But as the Apostle Paul said "when I was a child I thought like a child, reasoned like a child, but when I became a man I put away childish things". This was not just about children growing up but about all of us, every last one of us, growing past the angers and disappointments and sleights that inform our thinking. We have to forgive and forget. Move on - it's over.

That is what the black community desperately needs to do. They need to fix concrete problems - out of wedlock births, the gang culture, drugs, etc. and many if not all of this was wished on them by white liberals, it is true. But they have to grow past this stuff. As Obi Wan (or was it Yoda) said to Luke Skywalker "let go of your anger...don't give in to hate". Easier said than done, certainly, and I struggle with my own issues on that.

But we all need to grow. My Eritrean friend would have understood what I'm saying perfectly. He was lucky since he wasn't here in the old days and didn't endure the bad things. He sees this with eyes that are clear.

So should we all.

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