The Browning of America

  I was prodded into writing this, as it took a jolt to the system to get my attention. This jolt was provided by Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas' speech at the University of Texas, Auston. A quick explanation is due. I have this rule of three, whenever someone or something comes to mind three times, I always follow up on it in some manner. Anyway, listening to that speech reminded me that knowingly, three times I was going to write on the title at hand, and three times I blew it off. I heard clearly that, you've run out reasons for why not to do it, now there is just One saying, Do not break the rule of three, write it. 

  I remember the Jim Crowe south. Our family drove from Jersey to Florida, back and forth about three times. My dad's mom had moved down there, so my parents, my brother and I made the trip together. There was no Interstate then, (early to mid 1950s), and so the route was a series of connected highways and county roads. I remember the Jim Crowe south vividly. The back roads all had run down houses with rusted tin roofs. My mother did her best to explain to us boys what we were seeing, my dad said little unless we had stopped for gas or wanted cold cokes or something like that. White and black water fountains and bathrooms of course, it made us kids feel confused. 

  But the point was not to talk about Jim Crowe, but rather to speak about the titled article I read so long ago. The writer's point was not a pleasant one. He predicted that eventually America would be more brown than white. I'd say we certainly are headed that way, but our 21st century reality is far from what the author predicted. It appears that white people could eventually become the minority, and in many ways is well on it's way. Interestingly, Justice Thomas is a rare black man, as most who claim the designation of black are more of a biege, or soft brown. So much for the writers assertion that white people would surely become violent, particularly over mixed marriages. He compared white men's reaction to be klu klux clan in nature, but instead, as we go about our day to day lives we see no such violence, nor the ignorance that fuels it. Just the opposite is true amongst the people. Racism is profitable for some reason, so unfortunately race baiters still peddle the lie until it gets no press. But people, don't prefix your name with a label other than that of being a legal citizen of the greatest country in the world. Happy 250th birthday America!