"My" people

[GMDino]

(04-12-2018, 05:17 PM)PhilHos Wrote: So, I recently downloaded (illegally I'll admit) all the comics associated with DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis miniseries. I'm still in the "prologue" comics, the ones that just have the Monitor making appearances and there's a comic based on a super hero group call the "All Star Squadron". In this particular issue (written and published in 1984), there is a race riot and the villain is inspiring hatred in whites. One of the heroes is a black man (called Amazing Man) who defeats the racist villain.

At the end, after he's vanquished the villain, Amazing Man says something about helping "his people." One of the other heroes (a white woman) responds something like "I wish you would recognize ALL Americans as your people" but she says she understands what he's saying.

It got me thinking: how much closer could we come towards true racial reconciliation if people stopped seeing themselves as part of group based on their race? A friend of mine (who's black) and I have had some discussions on race and one of the things I found surprising is that he sees himself as a black man. The thing is, I don't see myself as a white man. Yes, i know I'm white, but that's not part of how I identify myself, yet, that's part of how he identifies himself.

In any event, gotta give it to the writers of a 3rd tier Justice League-type comic to get me thinking 30+ years later.

It would be great...but we will probably always recognize each other's differences.

I think accepting those differences is key to ending our strife.

It's such a gray area for me:  If you want to have an all white club or an all black club I think it'dumb but go ahead.  If those clubs are spreading messages about how the other club is wrong/evil/bad for America I have a problem with it.

Nu I also understand a woman wanting to belong to a male only golf course if it happens to be the best course.  

So I'd "prefer" we all ignore our differences and let everyone be equal, but I'd "settle" for just getting along despite our differences.

If that makes sense.  Harder to write it out than to explain it.