FORGIVENESS - and 12 Years A Slave

There is a dead-serious question that regularly crosses my mind regarding black/white racial harmony.  This question again raised its puzzled head regarding the much acclaimed movie 12 Years A Slave.  The question is this:  In the long run, is a society consisting of two sub-tribes – one of which (Tribe A) once cruelly mistreated the other (Tribe B) – is that society better off by having its citizens regularly reminded (via the media, and by race activists) about Tribe A's historic sins against Tribe B?  Or, is that society better served if Tribe B forgives and – while not forgetting – perhaps decides that it is ultimately psychologically carcinogenic to constantly remind both tribes of how horrible Tribe A used to be?  

Put another way, after X amount of time -- time in which A has come to deeply regret its mistreatment of B, and striven mightily to rectify its historic sins  -- are A's seemingly unforgivable sins at last forgivable?  

The ostensible goals of this “reminding” seem to be to (a) prevent such white-against-black behavior from ever reoccurring, and more broadly (b) to permanently stamp out white racism  Whether this reminding works is unclear.  The recent Furgeson, Missouri Cirque du Berserk certainly points -- glaringly -- to failure.  

In any case, this continual reminding certainly does accomplish one thing: it reinforces in Tribe B deep convictions that Tribe A was – and may still be – unscrupulous, hateful, and dangerous; that if it weren't for them . . .   

(Question:  What do Best Picture Oscar winners “Dances with Wolves” and “12 Years” have in common?  Answer:  Both are deeply concerned with white man’s inhumanity to minorities.  What is never made mention of – or ever “movie-fied” is the well-documented and equally squalid histories of African tribal wars and their cruelties and their practicing of slavery, Native-American tribal wars, cruelties and their practicing of slavery.  Same goes for Inca, Mayan, and Aztec history.  

By this intentional Hollywood-Leftist omission (Who would want to see those movies?  Why, they would be offensive to minorities!) it then becomes possible for race activists, ne’re-do-well do-gooders, and white self-flagellators to portray whites as being significantly more morally corrupt than other groups.   (Actually, looking at modern African and Latin American governments, one could argue that the opposite is true – but that’s another essay.)

 An Analogy?

Suppose our media elites began a decades-long campaign to lower the highly disproportionate rates of black crime by churning out movies, TV shows, books, etc. detailing the horrors of black violence.  As opposed to endlessly broadcasting “whites – don’t be racist”, this campaign would be endlessly preaching “blacks – don’t be criminals”. 

             “You blacks must stop committing crimes!”

My gut feeling is that such a several decades-long campaign would have little or no effect on black crime rates.  What it would certainly accomplish, however, would be to convince most whites that blacks are criminals.

So -- getting back to “12 Years a Slave”.  Upon leaving the theater, what attitudes/feelings towards whites do most blacks come away with?  It seems obvious that they would come away with reinforced negative attitudes and an increased sense of their victimization.  I also suggest that rather than breeding racial harmony, such continual reminding of historical white atrocities fosters hatred.  If this is “helping” race relations, I fail to see how.

It was the teachings of Christ via Christian churches in England and America that eventually brought an end to the many centuries of slavery in the West.  And, perhaps the fundamental precept of Christ’s gospel is forgiveness – “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”.

Alas, in our modern media-driven “let’s-stamp-out-white-racism” activism I see no interest in forgiveness whatsoever .  What I do see is something more akin to “never forget how you’ve been victimized by whites”. 

There was a brief period – a moment -- in the 1960s when it looked like blacks and whites were finally, and permanently, coming together; that we really were all “brothers under the skin”, to be judged only by “the content of our character”.

So much for “the dream”.  Poof – it was gone.  Today's businesses, colleges, private clubs, etc., run afoul of the law if they don’t judge by the color of skin.  So maybe “Love thy neighbor as thy self” has devolved into “Never forget how your neighbor's ancestors once mistreated your ancestors.”   In the meantime, amidst all this reminding, the disintegration of the black family is ever more apparent.  70+% of black children are now born out-of-wedlock -- fathered by men who take little or no responsibility for their children.  I believe this distressing self-defeating behavior is a direct result of black culture's reluctance to renounce victimization.

Sadly, my 21st century weary eyes see only widening gulfs; gulfs between blacks and whites, between Hispanics and whites, between Hispanics and blacks, and, amazingly, a chasm now opening up between men and women.  These gulfs are regularly and eagerly expanded by identity-politics activists. 

In fact, the only bias-progress I see at all is the gradual disappearance of bias emanating from straights towards gays – but I wouldn’t bet too heavily on that bias completely disappearing yet.  After all, there are lots of professional gay activists who know they will be out of a job if they can no longer furnish examples of such bias to their constituents.

(This is one reason why I think the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is going to be problematic.  The “Quotadians” will soon enough be telling us that the reason there aren’t more gay officers, pilots, etc., etc. – is homophobia.)

The Law of Activist Avoidance of Victory:  Activists heavily invested in a cause will tend to minimize or deny progress in the achievement of their goal, despite any and all evidence to the contrary.  

So, friends, that’s about all I have to say for now.  Time will, I suppose, eventually tell us whether forgiving our trespassers – or never forgiving them but instead using their sins against them – is the better way to go.

You proudly wear the mantle of a victim

And righteously you use it as a sword

You’re drawing my blood all the time

And then you justify your crime

By telling me it is my just reward