It's Complicated

The objective is easy and for the most part we all desire the same thing; a country unified, without discrimination or mistreatment by authorities based on skin color or how someone looks. And while we can get consensus on that, we are a long way from being unified on how we get there and the reason that is, is because quite frankly, "it's complicated."

Of course it's not complicated for those who have learned to love all people without prejudice or fear, but the objective is not just for those isolated few, but instead to take millions upon millions of people who all have varied histories and traumas and get them all to see others in a way that contradicts everything that they have learned via America's stained history. Inside of that we all have our personal stories/histories and those stories/histories, play a huge role in how we see others as neighbors, friends or enemies. The historical angle is one thing that makes this quite complicated.

Additionally because we created a "racial" caste system without saying it, those who have been at the top of that system may not understand that they are. It is therefore not simple to explain that to a group when so many in that group have not been treated as though they were at the top and don't have anything to show for being at "the top." Likewise the exact opposite is true for those at the bottom of the "racial" caste system. While many may feel disenfranchised by their bottom rung status, many could also cite their particular accomplishments as proof that they are not at the bottom. Which "facts" are true? This gets really complicated.

Another thing that makes this difficult is the disproportionate outcomes of the "defined people groups." It is not simple is to take a diverse population and tell them that they are all equal when that is not reflected in the prison or college populations. Understanding why we have such disproportionate numbers across academic and corrective institutions and making sense out of the numbers/statistics is another thing that makes this complicated.

And finally, it's really not simple to tell everyone that "we should all just get along" when the primary institution with a vested interest and responsibility for unity, the church, not only can't get along across color lines but even host denominations that often "go to war" with each other. And it's not just the church but most every institution in our country that has been infected by this disease of prejudice and discrimination. The breadth of this problem across our country definitely makes this very very complicated.

So you need a knowledge of local and world history, personal experience among varied people groups and within various institutions, and access to trends and data to correlate progress or to identify when we are headed in the wrong direction to determine from there, what are viable solutions for solving our "race" problem and that, my friends, is not an easy thing to do. This problem is indeed COMPLICATED!

So while it is nice to say "change" is coming because some people stand in the streets and protest, it is much more complicated than that. However, if all of the present consternation gives people the will to accept that to achieve change it is going to take work on the behalf of us all, then we can definitely reach what I think should be the ultimate objective, that of becoming ONE country ONE people ONE RACE! As I like to say, "roll up your sleeves and lets go to work." While it is complicated, it can be done if we're willing to put in the work to do it.