BY JON FERGUSON
The mainstream belief among scientists is that race is a social construct without biological meaning.
Megan Gannon, Live Science, February 5, 2016
Cats are different colors. Dogs are different colors. Butterflies are different colors. Human beings are different colors. It seems that only human beings are stupid enough to make a big deal out of what color they are. Cats are one race (felis catus). Dogs are one race (canis lupus familiaris). Butterflies are one race (lepidoptera). Human beings are one race (homo sapiens) Only human beings are stupid enough to think they are made up of more than one race. Only human beings accuse each other of “racism” and being “racist”. Only human beings separate themselves by color….and “race”.
Who is responsible for this idiocy? Who started it? Who prolongs it?
My guess is that historically people used words like “caucasian”, “white”, “negroid”, or “black” in order to dominate each other. My guess is that all systems of “slavery” or “castes” in the world were originally based on this kind of racial separation. This, of course, is barbarism pas excellence. So why, in the year 2023 is anybody on earth still talking about “race”?
The answer is simple: Because we are a primitive simplistic blockheaded species. Put differently, in some ways we are an inferior “race”. And one thing is certain: As long as we human beings continue to talk about “race”, we will live in an uncivilized barbarous world.
Look at the last few years, starting with what happened in Ferguson, Missouri. A big strong young so-called “black” man (Michael Brown was his name) stole things from a store and violently pushed the owner away when he tried to stop him. A few minutes later the same big strong young man was walking down the middle of the street. A so-called “white” policeman (Darren Wilson was his name) drove up in his patrol car, and through the window asked the man to walk on the sidewalk.
The man hit the policeman in the face, unsuccessfully tried to steal his gun, and then started walking away. The policeman got out of his car, took out his gun and told the man to stop and come back toward him with his hands up in the air. The man turned, refused to put up his hands, and walked menacingly toward the policeman. The “white”policeman eventually shot the “blackman when he kept coming toward him. Within a day or two, horrendous “race” riots erupted all over the United States. The policeman was accused of “racism”….
I didn’t hear one single politician, including the President of the United States (who interestingly had a so-called “white” mother and a “black” father), say that this incident probably – most surely – had nothing to do with “race” but everything to do with uncivilized behavior on the part of Mr. Brown that is unacceptable in any civilized society.The ensuing riots caused millions and millions of dollars in damage all across the country and many people were injured, even killed.
Then came the death of George Floyd. We all saw what happened to Mr. Floyd. Again, the policeman was referred to as “white” and Mr. Floyd as “black”. There were huge riots again and “white” policemen” in general were being accused of being “racist”. And again, I didn’t hear any politician say that perhaps this event had nothing to do with “race”. To the contrary, across America it had everything to do with “race”.
Then came Tyre Nichols. He was seen on camera being tragically beaten to death by five policemen after resisting arrest and trying to flee. This time, all five policemen were…“black”. Hmmm. What happens now? Instead of explaining to the world that all three of these three incidents very likely had nothing to do with “race”, Tyre Nichols’s funeral is on national television and the speeches from I heard from Al Sharpton and Kamala Harris were all about “RACE”. Instead of using Nichols’ death to explain that “racism” was absolutely not the cause of Nichols’s death, that racism was perhaps not the cause of George Floyd’s death, and that very likely racism was not the cause of Michael Brown’s death, and instead of trying to get people across America (and the world) to begin thinking about the absurdity of the idea of “race” and pushing humanity to finally go beyond “race” and simplistic thinking…what happened? What did the Reverend and Vice-President do? They exacerbated the great American “racial divide” by blaming America’s woes on…“racism”. They didn’t educate people to the fact that police in America also kill many “white” people (in fact far more than “black” people) and that their deaths are equally tragic. No, they had the same worn-out narrative about “racism” and “black” people being the principal victims.
No one said a word about how, in the case of Tyre Nichols (given that all five of the policemen were “black”), the discussion should be…must be…about why the police of any skin color become violent. And what might be the likely answer to that? Not because they are racist! But because police themselves get constantly disrespected, spit on, insulted, threatened, i.e. generally treated like shit, and hence get to a point where they too “break” and “crack” and become violent. And where of course do police get treated the worst? In the ghettoes of America. And why? Why is there so much violence in the ghettoes of America? The answer is so obvious it is ridiculous! Every two-bit sociologist or psychologist in the world can tell us! Because since slavery began millions of people have been treated have been treated like shit! Because schools in the ghettoes are horrible! Because unemployment is rampant in the ghettoes! Because single-parent homes are rampant in the ghettoes! And why? For the exact same reason that the police can become brutal…or anyone can become brutal! Because they feel like they have been treated like shit. Because they feel they are getting screwed. When people get treated like shit, shit happens. So what Al Sharpton and Kamala Harris should have talked about is that police brutality and the violence in the ghettoes are part of the exact same problem, i.e. people getting treated like shit! All over the world people have treated each other like shit. People of different colors, nationalities, religions, and political persuasions have caused tons of shit to happen throughout the glorious history of the world! What I heard politicians saying after the deaths of Michael Brown, George Floyd, and Tyre Nichols did absolutely nothing to help the cause of intelligence and goodness in the world. Talking about “race” and “racism” only perpetuates and prolongs simplistic thinking and simplistic dichotomies. It keeps people divided and creates stereotypes about who is and who isn’t a “victim” in this world. Screaming “racism” creates massive victimhood. And the more people who feel they are victims in a society, the worse the society is.
My plea to the world: World, it is time to move beyond the idea of race. It time to understand that here is no such thing as a “pure” race. We are all the result of millions and millions of copulations going back millions and millions of years. Dividing people by color is patently absurd. Talking about “race” as the cause of police brutality is like talking about “the devil” as the cause a plague in the Middle Ages. As long as human beings believe in things like race and the devil, the world will be a backward place. Tyre Nichols’s death should make people everywhere understand that the “causes” of the police brutality not simple. The causes of all the violence in the ghetto and in the world are not simple. Crying “racism” is not helpful when it comes to making the world a better place. Blaming the devil for the ills of the world is the same.
There are many wonderful people everywhere on this planet who are kind and trying to solve problems by digging deeply to get at the root causes of the difficulties and horrors of the world. We should listen to them and not to demagogues who throw out simplistic slogans about “race” and good and evil.
The Color of Stupidity
By Jon Ferguson
Cats are different colors. Dogs are different colors. Butterflies are different colors. Human beings are different colors. It seems that only human beings are stupid enough to make a big deal out of what color they are. Cats are one race (felis catus). Dogs are one race (canis lupus familiaris). Butterflies are one race (lepidoptera). Human beings are one race (homo sapiens) Only human beings are stupid enough to think they are made up of more than one race. Only human beings accuse each other of “racism” and being “racist”. Only human beings separate themselves by color….and “race”.
Who is responsible for this idiocy? Who started it? Who prolongs it?
My guess is that historically people used words like “caucasian”, “white”, “negroid”, or “black” in order to dominate each other. My guess is that all systems of “slavery” or “castes” in the world were originally based on this kind of racial separation. This, of course, is barbarism pas excellence. So why, in the year 2023 is anybody on earth still talking about “race”?
The answer is simple: Because we are a primitive simplistic blockheaded species. Put differently, in some ways we are an inferior “race”. And one thing is certain: As long as we human beings continue to talk about “race”, we will live in an uncivilized barbarous world.
Look at the last few years, starting with what happened in Ferguson, Missouri. A big strong young so-called “black” man (Michael Brown was his name) stole things from a store and violently pushed the owner away when he tried to stop him. A few minutes later the same big strong young man was walking down the middle of the street. A so-called “white” policeman (Darren Wilson was his name) drove up in his patrol car, and through the window asked the man to walk on the sidewalk.
The man hit the policeman in the face, unsuccessfully tried to steal his gun, and then started walking away. The policeman got out of his car, took out his gun and told the man to stop and come back toward him with his hands up in the air. The man turned, refused to put up his hands, and walked menacingly toward the policeman. The “white”policeman eventually shot the “blackman when he kept coming toward him. Within a day or two, horrendous “race” riots erupted all over the United States. The policeman was accused of “racism”….
I didn’t hear one single politician, including the President of the United States (who interestingly had a so-called “white” mother and a “black” father), say that this incident probably – most surely – had nothing to do with “race” but everything to do with uncivilized behavior on the part of Mr. Brown that is unacceptable in any civilized society.The ensuing riots caused millions and millions of dollars in damage all across the country and many people were injured, even killed.
Then came the death of George Floyd. We all saw what happened to Mr. Floyd. Again, the policeman was referred to as “white” and Mr. Floyd as “black”. There were huge riots again and “white” policemen” in general were being accused of being “racist”. And again, I didn’t hear any politician say that perhaps this event had nothing to do with “race”. To the contrary, across America it had everything to do with “race”.
Then came Tyre Nichols. He was seen on camera being tragically beaten to death by five policemen after resisting arrest and trying to flee. This time, all five policemen were…“black”. Hmmm. What happens now? Instead of explaining to the world that all three of these three incidents very likely had nothing to do with “race”, Tyre Nichols’s funeral is on national television and the speeches from I heard from Al Sharpton and Kamala Harris were all about “RACE”. Instead of using Nichols’ death to explain that “racism” was absolutely not the cause of Nichols’s death, that racism was perhaps not the cause of George Floyd’s death, and that very likely racism was not the cause of Michael Brown’s death, and instead of trying to get people across America (and the world) to begin thinking about the absurdity of the idea of “race” and pushing humanity to finally go beyond “race” and simplistic thinking…what happened? What did the Reverend and Vice-President do? They exacerbated the great American “racial divide” by blaming America’s woes on…“racism”. They didn’t educate people to the fact that police in America also kill many “white” people (in fact far more than “black” people) and that their deaths are equally tragic. No, they had the same worn-out narrative about “racism” and “black” people being the principal victims.
No one said a word about how, in the case of Tyre Nichols (given that all five of the policemen were “black”), the discussion should be…must be…about why the police of any skin color become violent. And what might be the likely answer to that? Not because they are racist! But because police themselves get constantly disrespected, spit on, insulted, threatened, i.e. generally treated like shit, and hence get to a point where they too “break” and “crack” and become violent. And where of course do police get treated the worst? In the ghettoes of America. And why? Why is there so much violence in the ghettoes of America? The answer is so obvious it is ridiculous! Every two-bit sociologist or psychologist in the world can tell us! Because since slavery began millions of people have been treated have been treated like shit! Because schools in the ghettoes are horrible! Because unemployment is rampant in the ghettoes! Because single-parent homes are rampant in the ghettoes! And why? For the exact same reason that the police can become brutal…or anyone can become brutal! Because they feel like they have been treated like shit. Because they feel they are getting screwed. When people get treated like shit, shit happens. So what Al Sharpton and Kamala Harris should have talked about is that police brutality and the violence in the ghettoes are part of the exact same problem, i.e. people getting treated like shit! All over the world people have treated each other like shit. People of different colors, nationalities, religions, and political persuasions have caused tons of shit to happen throughout the glorious history of the world! What I heard politicians saying after the deaths of Michael Brown, George Floyd, and Tyre Nichols did absolutely nothing to help the cause of intelligence and goodness in the world. Talking about “race” and “racism” only perpetuates and prolongs simplistic thinking and simplistic dichotomies. It keeps people divided and creates stereotypes about who is and who isn’t a “victim” in this world. Screaming “racism” creates massive victimhood. And the more people who feel they are victims in a society, the worse the society is.
My plea to the world: World, it is time to move beyond the idea of race. It time to understand that here is no such thing as a “pure” race. We are all the result of millions and millions of copulations going back millions and millions of years. Dividing people by color is patently absurd. Talking about “race” as the cause of police brutality is like talking about “the devil” as the cause a plague in the Middle Ages. As long as human beings believe in things like race and the devil, the world will be a backward place. Tyre Nichols’s death should make people everywhere understand that the “causes” of the police brutality not simple. The causes of all the violence in the ghetto and in the world are not simple. Crying “racism” is not helpful when it comes to making the world a better place. Blaming the devil for the ills of the world is the same.
There are many wonderful people everywhere on this planet who are kind and trying to solve problems by digging deeply to get at the root causes of the difficulties and horrors of the world. We should listen to them and not to demagogues who throw out simplistic slogans about “race” and good and evil.