I REFUSE TO BE INTIMIDATED BY "THE RACE CARD"

To be fair, while there is no denying that there is real bigotry and malice, many people are not familiar with people of colour and many have been fed wrong information throughout their lives. There need not be malice, but an uneasiness resulting also from all the reports of crimes committed by African-American youth. Where there is good will, people can learn to judge the individual based on his actions and not the colour of his skin. The arrogance exhibited by many young people of colour can be intimidating and cause anxiety and anger. When young people try to force people to respect them, instead of learning to respect themselves, the road to trouble is paved.

One person  - apparently Caucasian by his photo - having read this on Facebook, accused me of saying something so heinous, that I should be removed from the Human Rights Watch group. (Not sure if I am connected in any way with the group, I am not a joiner. I like to think that, over the years, through a great deal of experience, I have become a leader.) But when you DARE to speak truth, you know there will be people who hate you for it. Bowing to criminals who hide behind "the race card" is as bad as attacking a person for the colour of his skin. Judge the person by what he or she does, not by the colour of his skin or his language or his religion. You can't hide behind your race, commit a crime, and then say people hate you because of the colour of your skin.

There is an old wisdom tale that I really love. A man murders his parents. Caught and brought before the judge, he begs for mercy - on the grounds that he is an orphan.

• 

  Phyllis Carter My darling husband, Cliff Carter, was a gentleman. He was never rich, but he was wise and talented and sweet and kind. The Cliff people saw on stage was the same man who cooked a great breakfast for us at home. He was real all the time. Cliff was respected everywhere we went. He had no tolerance for anyone playing the "race card". He had contempt for people of colour who lived their lives as boors and bums and drug addicts and sloths who bring shame on their families and their community. He couldn't abide people who were crude, vulgar, nasty, no matter what their race. I lived with a man of colour for 20 years and I loved him with all my heart and soul. He died 23 years ago and I still love him and miss him as if it was yesterday. No one can intimidate me by playing the race card. I am so not impressed. -http://cliffcartermrnostalgia.blogspot.com

  

  MR. NOSTALGIA, CLIFF CARTER

  CLIFFCARTERMRNOSTALGIA.BLOGSPOT.COM  |BY PHYLLIS CARTER