Racism, Alive and Well in 2011

We find it easier to believe that our differences are more important than what we have in common. ~~ Bill Clinton, State of the Union Address, 28 January 1998

I’ve mentioned before that I try to avoid posting here on the subjects of politics and religion, but have fallen to the temptation within these pages on a few occasions. I probably will fail again in the future.  They are after all controversial and important aspects of many people’s lives. Facebook, with all its social networking, is the place where I usually get my occasional fix… of the political kind.

This past Tuesday in response to a Facebook status update, in which I alerted my Facebook friends about my latest post, Root’s Kunte Kinte, Fact or Fiction?, the proverbial race card was played. It was not my intent, the posting be racial in any fashion. I would have written it even if Alex Haley were a white man, but that’s the way things go within the open medium of ideas and opinion like Facebook. It could happen here too. A long-time friend in a short but succinct message used the “N” word and added his racist opinion. After some deliberation on the subject I decided to not delete it. But I did write the following reply with emphasis added.  (The names have been removed.)

Smartphones Making Us Smarter?

Subtitled – Facing Off With Facebook or Tweeting My Life Away

Nowadays in this high-tech world of ours every Tom, Jane, Bob and Mary has a smartphone.  These handy little gadgets have effectively become the center of the technology industry.  The computer world as we once knew it is being reshaped and will affect how we use these various devices.  These handheld attachments to the wired world, and their built-in cameras, allow their owners to update their friends and family on every little facet of their existence.  Complete with illustrative photos it happens almost instantly through social media like Facebook and Twitter.

But alas, do we really need to know that Susie just checked in at Joe’s Pool Emporium with friend Margie, accompanied by a photo of the two sitting at one of Joe’s booths with smiling faces and beers in-hand?  Do we really need to know about the wonderful evening/weekend/afternoon/day Sally just had with her bff? Do we really need to see a photo of that yummy salad bar plate one is enjoying at this very minute at the local pizza joint?  Ding ding notifies my smartphone, this just in!  Please!  Is this what our society in this modern age has come to?  Do we really need to know this stuff and right-up-to-the-second?

What is it About Friends?

We’ve seen the cute posters and greeting cards and we’ve all heard those all-familiar quotes about friends and friendship. Here are a few:

– “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and sings it back to you when you have forgotten how it goes.” ~ Unknown

– “I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.” ~ Unknown

– “No man is a failure who has friends.” ~ From the movie It’s a Wonderful Life.

And finally there’s my favorite, tongue-in-cheek definition, which says; “Friends help friends move. Real friends help you move bodies!” (See more below photo!)