In a few days the disaster of Hurricane Harvey will be old
news and the media will move on. Before they do I challenge you to watch
closely what’s been happening down here in Tx.
Soon the media will go back to trying to convince you that
all white people are racist, white supremacist, and all black people are
criminals and thugs. They will have you believe that all Hispanics are illegal, and all Christians are hate-filled homophobes. Do not buy it.
We may have differing opinions on things, even very important things, but when
the waters rise we’re all in the same boat. I think I can say with some
certainty that no one was asked for proof of citizenship or political affiliation
before they were allowed in the rescue boat. I’m pretty sure that no one was
denied access to a rescue chopper because they were black. Statistics would
suggest that there were probably some members of the KKK rescued by black
people. How awesome is that? That’s got to change your way of thinking.
I saw a video of a group of young black men pushing an older
while lady’s car back up out of the flood waters, the caption stating something
like “Young Black Men in Hoodies Coming to the Rescue.”
It is my belief that this is the norm. This is what happens
every day on every street corner and in every grocery store and school and
church. The media does not see it because they’re too busy filming the extremists.
They would have us believe that the extreme hate-filled are everywhere and we
should look with suspension at anyone
who looks differently than we do or believes differently than we do. Do not buy it.
My America, my every day, is young black men in hoodies
coming to the rescue of the older white lady. My every day is a Hispanic man smiling
and talking with two silly little black girl who’d been too long in the grocery
cart, so their mom could check out. My every day is white men holding the door
for a Hispanic family. This is so much the norm that you don’t even notice it.
It’s just how we live.
My every day is sitting at the car wash with several people
who all look different than me, watching CNN while we wait and knowing by their
conversation they’re about as far from me politically as one can get, and yet
we smile at each other and pass the time talking about our children and the
weather.
My America is Houston. My America is the stereotyped ‘southern good ol’ boys’ rescuing a group of ‘black thugs’ and watching them hug and thank each other and smile and cry together. My America is a giant black man wading out into the water like the current didn’t even touch him, to rescue two smaller white men who were clinging to a street sign. My America is every color and ethnicity and political affiliation and gender and sexual orientation working together to rescue the elderly from a flooded nursing home.
The media would have you believe that Charlottesville is the norm. Charlottesville
is not the norm. Houston is. So when life goes back to normal and the talking
heads once again show photos of hate and division, do not buy it. We are
Houston. Turn off the TV and go outside. Hold the door open for the Hispanic lady
behind you and smile. That’s the real America.
