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PROPOSAL FOR THE ERADICATION OF |
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TIME FOR QUID PRO QUO With a few thoroughly discredited and repudiated exceptions that still exist due to the same complications of the human brain that impede the total elimination of crime, Whites have long abjured racial confrontation. Indeed, after abolishing slavery (which had been considered legitimate by practically every society including African and Arabic, and every religion including Islam and Christianity), during the last four decades they have bent over backwards (true, not always willingly) to reverse the racial injustices which previous generations instituted, legislating desegregation, voting rights, anti-discrimination laws and so-called affirmative action. The job is not yet complete nor perfect, of course, but now it's time for quid pro quo, not status quo. It's time for Black reciprocity. Up to now, to every extended White hand, Blacks have responded with a clenched fist. It has to be only a matter of time (probably short) before Whites begin to feel pusillanimous and ridiculous with outstretched hands...and clench them. Consequently, either we understand that in this day and age, in this country (with all its faults, the longest-lasting democracy) racial violence and invective are utterly counterproductive and therefore childishly egocentric and primitive, or we decay into moral leprosy. Either we renounce conflict and confrontation NOW, or we continue on an insane collision course with social tragedy. Once more, with feeling: Quo vadis Farrakhan?  THE ANTIBODY SYNDROME "You can't block the sun with a finger" (Spanish saying). Racism cannot be blocked by crying "racist!" every time it comes up. Racism is a biological fact of life. It's in our genes. It could be called the Antibody Syndrome. Antibodies will blindly attack anything that is non-self, as a perceived threat. They will attack a heart transplant even though it can save the whole body. It will not go away by itself, nor by decree, demand, aggression or surrender. And, like herpes, it will never go away completely. It can only be controlled - not eradicated - by vaccines of common sense and good will. It will remain a latent force that unscrupulous demagogues can manipulate in national, religious, racial and political conflicts, in gang wars, family feuds and even athletic competition, by neutralizing the vaccines with self-serving rhetoric. In fact, it is not even desirable that the antibody syndrome be totally eradicated. Because it also accounts for feelings of self-worth, pride and belonging. It accounts for family ties, community responsibility, patriotism and even team spirit in sports. Only when it is deprived of the common-sense-and-good-will vaccine by megalomaniacal people-movers does it harm the body that it is meant to defend. Not eradicated then, just controlled; just excised of its mean streak: the BLIND PERCEPTION OF THREAT that is so easily whipped up into hate-driven group conflict and confrontation. The inevitable conflicts of opinion and interest between individuals must remain at the individual level, not extrapolated to GROUP ANTAGONISM. 
FINAL SOLUTION There seems to be only one intelligent, civilized, honest and socially responsible solution to race relations in America: the ERADICATION OF RACIAL CONFLICT and CONFRONTATION. This means eradication of racial conflict and confrontation, not eradication of HEALTHY RACISM. A distinction between HEALTHY RACISM and SICK RACISM must be established. It is very probable that were black Americans en masse to publicly unclench their fists, renouncing their understandable atavistic perception of threat from Whites, close to 90% of white Americans would joyfully and sincerely extend not just their hands but even their arms to their black counterparts, 90% of whom would probably reciprocate. Then, all Americans could get on with battling the real problems of nature and human relations, leaving the violent ten-percenters, the demagogues, the Farrakhans, to eliminate themselves by attrition for lack of support. Other antagonistic groups, not fused in the dramatic origins of the relation between Whites and Blacks, but faced with such an example of collective common sense, civic responsibility and good will, would be driven to share the euphoria. THE ALTERNATIVES The alternatives are unacceptable. Not unthinkable nor unspeakable, but unacceptable. And, though it may require courage and integrity, they must be thought and spoken. Objectively, not subjectively. From the point of view of the body that needs a heart transplant, not from that of the antibodies. There seem to be only six alternatives: 1) Status quo
Those who refuse to consider neutralizing the antibody syndrome for the benefit of the whole body are intellectually immature and cannot be trusted as leaders. It should be evident to any conscientious observer that one-on-one relations between members of even the bitterest of antagonistic groups can be - and actually are, in millions of cases - not only possible, but sincerely and spontaneously successful, especially when begun in childhood. This, despite normal differences of opinion and interests that inevitably occur whenever two or more people interact. But such differences need not, indeed, MUST not - be blown out of proportion to the level of primitive tribalism. 
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