REGARDING BIAS, BIGOTRY, PREJUDICE AND RACISM

Hilbert Morales, EL OBSERVADOR           
The reality is that bias, bigotry, prejudice and racism exist in our society and always will because each of us, as individuals, have the right to dislike, disapprove, decide not to have a relationship with, and be negative about another. The societal challenges begin when these issues are projected beyond the circle of associates into the workplace or into public policy. If each of us is really honest with our conscious self and uncouscious self, we each will admit that bias, bigotry, prejudice and racism exist within our being. These come into conflict eventually with the “Golden Rule” which states ‘do unto others as you woud have them do unto you.”  Our personal projections and expectations are a product of our practices about what is right or wrong.
Recently, what happened to an African American woman who had an outstanding professional record brings all of this, and more, into focus. That woman is Ms. Shirley Sherrod who resigned from her posiion in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) based on a video which grossly misrepresented statements made to an audience as the spokesperson of USDA Rural Development Program. A very conservatve video blogger had produced a video clip about Ms. Sherrod that Herman Goebel, the Nazi propaganda chief, would have been very proud of. Andrew Breithart was the blogger who first posted a misleading and highly edited video which was in turn picked up by Fox News Channel hosts Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity, and the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). This version of the news ended up in the USDA’s office and the White House, where the buck stops with our first African American President, Barrack Hussein Obama. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack ordered Ms. Sherrod dismissal without verification of the facts and truth. Shame on all of you! Because your actions revealed your bias, bigotry, prejudice and racism.
      It turns out that after Ms. Sherrod resigned, a full examination occurred of the video of her consciousness raising presentation to the NAACP in Douglas, Georgia. Sherrod revealed that her father had been murdered by white men who were never indicted. In response Shirley decided to stay in the South as a social change agent. She married Rev. Charles Sherrod, a civil rights leader and cofounder of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).  Later in her career, as Director of a Farmer’s Co-Op organized to assist Black farmers, she received a request for assistance from a White farmer named Roger Spooner. That request caused Shirley Sherrod to confront her own feelings about what had happened to her father. The White Spooners stepped up to her defense. Ms. Sherrod had not acted in a racist manner. On the contrary, Ms. Sherrod had done her job as a professional. The Spooners attested to the fact that Sherrod had gone out of her way to help them save their farm. If she had not helped them, they would have lost everything according to Eloise Spooner, Age 82.
      When the full facts of this matter became available, President Obama apologized, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and the NAACP apologized, etc. Shirley Sherrod was even offered her job back. This story has several learning points which need to be stated clearly.
      First, The White House needs a staff member, who is professionally trained and is allowed to practice ‘old fashioned journalism reporting’ where the facts and truth of any matter are verified before any official action is taken. Second, many in our nation felt that  the election of the first “Black President” was an indication of improved race relations in this nation. This is not true because, as a result of the current economy, many, especially those with limited resources and skills, are very anxious about their personal economic survival. This is especially true of  small ethnic business owners who are systematically denied access to capital and credit needed by their businesses. The third point is that personally held bias, bigotry, prejudice and racism are elements within all of us. The challenge is to live up to the high standards of our religious beliefs, the  Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution as the law of the land. Each of us has inalienable rights, privileges and responsibilities. Each of us must not project the negativity of our own personal bias, bigotry, prejudice and racism upon our neighbor, especially in areas of competitive business and job relationships. Each of us is a unique individual whose humanity is established and supported by living in accordance with the Golden Rule: Do unto others what you would have them do unto you’. The challenge to live together in peace and tranquility is always before us. May God bless America.