Thus begins the Declaration of Independence that we Americans celebrate on July 4th. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.- Thomas Jefferson When Jefferson penned these words … Read more
I’m at St. Mary Parish in Arcade, NY for Eucharistic Adoration and I’m facing a statue of St. Joseph. I’ve come here many times but today I’m struck by the flesh tones of the statue. I grew up in this parish. I served Mass here on this altar many times and I never really appreciated … Read more
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi My rating: 5 of 5 stars Excellent! A must read for anyone who’s serious about understanding America’s original sin. The author pulls no punches regardless of which side of the color line you are on. He exposes the problem … Read more
The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone My rating: 5 of 5 stars Absolutely incredible book about the crime of racism in America. The book is scholarly and full of references. This is one of the most compelling narratives of the spiritual significance of the sin of racism in America. I highly … Read more
I’ve been reading James Cone’s, The Cross and the Lynching Tree.” It’s a powerful book and one that everyone in the United States ought to read. I thought I knew how much black folks had suffered but I really had a very shallow understanding of the depth and the length of their oppression. I’m not … Read more
Last night a man in Buffalo New York was brutalized by the police. He’s a man with a long history of peacemaking and peaceful protest. He was standing on a sidewalk attempting to peacefully engage police officers when one of them brutally shoved him causing him to lose his balance and fall. As he fell … Read more
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah My rating: 5 of 5 stars An incredible book about an exceptional young man who overcame tremendous adversity to become a comedian without peer. This is a powerful story of faith too. It’s a story about racism too and its devastating effects on … Read more
If you’re an American and you’re not sick of racism and bigotry in this country then perhaps you’re part of the problem. I grew up with a racist who threw one of my high school friends out of our house and called him a black bastard. My friend’s fault was that he had beat my … Read more
The following brief article came in today’s mail from a friend. What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review? What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class? What if McCain were still married to the first woman he said “I do” to? What if Obama … Read more
When you grow up white in middle America you have a much different perspective from a guy or gal who grew up black or brown in the ghetto. Rev. Wright is correct in saying America is a racist country. There is no doubt about it. America is also an ethnically diverse country in which most … Read more
