White (and Male) Christian Innocence is Bringing Us Down

It's hard to know the relationship, but a prominent Christian noted that while the pandemic was going on U. S. politics turned to focus more than ever on the rightness of white Christian males. White males, conventional wisdom decrees, are fair, they treated native Americans and slaves well and are wiser than any other demographic in the world. That white people are quite below 50% of the population matters not. White males are to decide what is good for women, people of color and enemies in the world. The link notes people of color do not suffer from being told at a young age their group is superior to all others. It might give them an edge in wise perspectives.     

Black Lives Matter must not be covered in schools, the white view is, because white people might be found guilty of slavery and segregation. Surely, it those things ever happened they need to be written out of history. We all know Putin made up some history by claiming Ukraine is part of Russia but the white religious right would have us believe we never leave out historical facts to make white people look better than they are.

That the U.S. is a superior country with better values, brawn and brains than anyone else is a myth held dearly be former President Trump and his gang of brethren. It reflects insecurity and doubt instead of strength. 

One of the healthiest human experiences I recall in my lifetime was the way Nelson Mandella reacted when he and black South Africans came into power. He did not take revenge for the terrible history of apartheid. Instead white and nonwhite together expressed and listened to confessions of guilt. This is happening today in isolated venues across the U. S. I am reading a book about such an experience on the Great Plains, specifically Nebraska. The eye witness atrocities of white armies massacring peaceful women and children of the plains Indians is painful to read about. Besides the murders massive amounts of land was stolen by white people. Only honest acknowledgement can lead to some level of justice. Going forward as equals may lead to good things for all races. 

In spite of this good work that is going on, what is probably a majority of U.S. adults lives on in false belief white people have made this a great country. Chinese people built much of the first railroad across the U.S. Black people made the South the cotton king. Black live matter can help us all go forward.