Cityguy, good response!
Taboo, I hear ya about the equating what the KKK did and what is going on now, the grudge that is seemingly on a never-ending long rope, are two different things! In that, the physical abuse and atrociousness that went on for years, even after slavery, well, how is that comparable especially since the hate goes on still, and now on both sides! But as I've said, two wrongs don't make a right. And while one keeps meteing out the hatred, the other will continue to feel persecuted!
While many of those in the congregation didn't go through slavery, I didn't either, there are still things happening today that continues to feed the hate (and yes, on both sides). I could sit and list some of them, but I won't bother.
So many of us like to think that we are not racist, but we all have something in us that we dislike about someone of another race, we don't hide it when we're with friends, we don't hide it when we're at home, so tell me, when and where will it end? It's always going to be there! It has to start with one of us, and only then will the difference be felt! Talking about it does nothing, action will! But for many of us, we're too scared to go out on a limb because we don't know how we will be perceived by our neighbors, even worse, our friends and family!
The constant reminder of blacks having receive education for free, and living off the system, the continuous pervasiveness of this type of talk is the very reason why there won't be any changes. Many years ago, after slavery, when the government realise what they did to the very people who were their citizens - slavery, they did the only thing they could do to make amends!
Unfortunately, what they did, and how they did it, was just a bandaid that cannot cover the gaping wound that still exists! If it was handled in a way, with much thought and vision (into what the future might be - we're all living it!) instead of a quick fix to make themselves feel better and give a big pat on the back, we wouldn't be in the situation we are in today!
Blacks, some blacks, wouldn't feel the entitlement, and wouldn't be so dependent on the very system that made their grandmothers that way, and while some might have the gumption to crawl out of it, so many don't have that stamina or goal, and so they sit and they wallow, and they grow resentful, even at their very own who try to shine and seek better for themselves! Who is to blame? I don't know? But no "whilte people" no, all blacks do not hate you , and all blacks do not think the same way. This is just something that is going to have to continue to play itself out, and somehow I think it is a good thing, because we do need to have these discussions. We do need to wake up and get over ourselves, all of us, and not be so damn kittish and pc about what we talk about in order to get this out of the way! Because only then will we make progress!