Here’s what I have not heard through the years in discussions of Racism: “What will it take to end it?” In this latest spate of racial discord, I’ve struggled desperately to unearth the answer to that question. I’m 66 years old, and I grew up in the South. I don’t remember ever hearing an answer to that from any leaders of any kind in the U.S. Why is that?
It seems logical to me that in the greatest and most prosperous country on Earth, there should be a groundswell of support to tackle Racism and to rid its existence in our country. Call me an optimist, call me a dreamer, call me a fool, but I think it can be done. But what would such a process look like? Who would have to be involved? Who would be in charge of identifying all of the things necessary to implement, how, and when they should be put in place, and who would determine all of the intricacies of that process?
Those questions are tough ones. I think the determination of those might individually be more robust than the process itself. But I’m going to take a stab at it.
Although I doubt any single person understands the totality of what such a daunting task will entail, I do feel there are collectively enough Americans who could together master a plan to eliminate this scourge of humanity. IF all the pieces were identified, debated, discussed, agreed to, and then put in place, it could be achieved.
Who?
At first thought, we would generally look to the government for guidance for a process this massive. The government has the resources of every type necessary for such big tasks. But I think this process is too big for the Government to manage. I think it should be attacked by the People. But who are the People that should drive this? In what timetable should we realistically expect to “get ‘er done?
I’ll answer those questions the only way I know how: “If not Me, then Who? If not now, then When?”
“Who” Requirements
Let’s face it: the government has, for a couple of centuries, been in charge of responding to the will of the American people to put the necessary infrastructure in place for the smooth operations of our country. Our forefathers structured that and then empowered through the U.S. Constitution for the People to control the “Who” in creating and operating our government. Sadly, however, much of the substance of the massive job of establishment and operation of the government has been relegated to a few. Sadder is the fact that the few have often been caught up in the power and control that comes with the job.
The government has ceased to be “Of the People, By the People, and For the People.” It’s at some point morphed into “Control of the People.”
At this point in our history, if we genuinely want to tackle the systemic problem of Racism, the government MUST be returned to the People. There are those who might argue that it is that today. However, if Americans carefully examine what that process is today, it is nothing as structured when the Constitution was penned.
Yes, the People elect Senators, Representatives, and the President and Vice President. Yes, Congress is the institution that, in representing us debates, revises, then sends to the President jointly approved measures to be signed into law. But that process has become so cluttered, so bloated, so unreasonable that most of the details of each law no longer come from the People but the legislators themselves. That must stop!
To that end, it seems reasonable to entrust the formation of this attack to the People rather than to Congress.
“How can that possibly be achieved? Constitutionally, Congress makes the laws. To change that would require at least one Constitutional amendment, and that is an almost insurmountable task.”
It will be a formidable task with formidable headaches, roadblocks, attacks, and specific revisions. But the American People have faced hard times, very tough foes, and egregious threats to our country. In each of these, the People have always prevailed. Why could the People not achieve that again?
The “Who” Structure
Let’s start with a concept today and build from there. That seems simple enough!
- We have 50 states full of U.S. citizens. No two states or the Americans living within are identical. Diversity is everywhere, and that’s a good thing! Let’s make this process a 50-state group of “citizen representatives.”
- Each of the states will select via an election ten citizens to represent their state in this battle against Racism.
- None of those from any state can be an elected official at any level of government, a known activist member of any political group formal or informal, and will agree to receive NO compensation of any kind other than necessary direct travel and direct expenses as approved by the “Representatives,” but NOT to exceed direct expenses.
- Each state group will meet and designate two of its elected members to serve on a national Racism Board. That Board will choose a group of five members to serve as the Executive team to initiate all actions approved by the Racism Board and the Citizen Representatives.
- Representatives will immediately begin discussions (format to be determined) of how during a period of no longer than one year prepare a template for all Representatives to use to systematically address measures necessary to identify, plan for, and eliminate each revealed element of Racism currently living in the U.S.
- For the purposes of time, the Racism Board will quarterly prepare and release to the general public a status report of the progress made in the development of this template.
The Template
What should be included in this template? Most will agree that it should be simple to identify the various areas in life in the U.S. in which racism exists. Those would certainly be included as well as others that will be identified through this entire process. What will certainly be a tougher task will be to determine the proper and realistic measures necessary to eliminate as many of these elements of racism once identified. To that end, it seems to be prudent to open this process up at this point to the total of each state’s representatives for discussion within their own group, followed by an electronic meeting (internet streaming seems realistic for that task) to update each state’s representatives’ findings with the entire Citizen Representative group.
In planning and the implementation of a timeline for this process, it seems prudent to pick a future target date for the completion of this entire process and work backward from there in the determination of each segment’s timing. However, the People of the United States will want to know the progress stage by stage, summaries of elements approved stage by stage and an expected completion date. Setting the date for the ultimate completion will be difficult. But in the nation’s glaring racial tensions we should all be aggressive at moving forward quickly. Two to three years will be a daunting task for completion. But if all involved will commit to that end AND all measures necessary to get there together, it CAN be achieved.
Summary
Before you scream at me about this, It CAN be achieved! It will take the incredible commitments of Americans of every race, every state, from every level of economic status and age group.
“Why not just let the government handle this? After all, they are already together with a complete structure conducive to the fulfillment of this task. Why complicate the process by starting from scratch?”
Why? The government has not done it! And Racism continues to expand and consume the bandwidth of freedom this nation needs to propel its citizens into a new and positive era of American history.
“What authority do YOU have to initiate such a process as this?” None. No one has asked me to do anything like this. I have not spoken to anyone about a process like this. I personally would love to initiate this process so that my grandchildren will face what if any of this enormous task remains when they take over my spot with a plan that has started the process, worked it into existence and revised as necessary to guarantee THEIR children that they will not be forced to face the evil of Racism because our generation did not act!
“If not Me, then Who? If not now, then When?”
This is just the beginning. I invite you to join me today from 9:00 AM until 10:00 AM Central for TNN Live streaming online from this site: www.TruthNewsNet.org. For one hour, we will discuss this process. And I will quieten, open up the phone lines and listen to YOU discuss your thoughts, your ideas, your questions, and your suggestions.
We will NOT resolve anything today! But what we WILL do is begin a conversation that is pointed at the accomplishment of one thing and one thing only: Destroy Racism in America.
How do you join in the conversation? At the top of the web page of the site, there’s a later blue banner that says “LIVE NOW: click to listen.” When you click that link, it will take you right to our show. You will be able to call toll-free at any time: 866-378-7884, or 866-37TRUTH.
We’ll probably have a busy phone. When you call if it keeps ringing, we’re talking live. Please call back in a minute or two. If it rings busy, the same is true.
To make this work, we MUST get started. To get started, we MUST hear from you.
We have tens of thousands of partners with us and join our daily broadcast. However, this is the time we ALL need to engage in the conversation. Do we have the answers? Nope. But we DO have suggestions just as you should. Engage with us during this process. We hope it will be a process in which thousands join. What will it look like at the end of the day? It will look just like what you, me, and other Americans want it to look like: hopefully to create a successful banishment of Racism.
Share this and join this conversation today!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
