Confederacy: A Heritage of Hate

After I heard that the Governor of the State of Mississippi, Phil Bryant, declared April as Confederate Heritage Month I was prepared to get my flag, block and delete button ready because I knew those who claim it is heritage not hate were going to have a hoot nanny about this announcement. Then I thought about it and realized that they are entitled to their beliefs. I've been blogging for quiet some time and I know people will easily believe a lie before they believe the truth. We live in the age where information is not researched but shared at the click of a button without vetting any of the information contained in the link that was shared. If Bryant thought his declaration was such a grand accomplishment for the State of Mississippi why did he opt to announce the pseudo-celebration via the Sons of the Confederacy website instead of the Official State of Mississippi website or the Governor's website? I guess it's the same logic that have legislators fighting against annexation while using their super-majority clout to redraw district lines in order to secure their positions. There's hypocrisy on every level of government but it reign supreme in the State of Mississippi.

I know there are some that have already formulated their robo-response. Well, they have Black History Month, the BET Awards and Beyonce paid tribute to the Black Panthers during the Superbowl. Ask yourself why does celebrating the accomplishments of black people, many we would never hear about or recognize otherwise, offend you? The idea that people equate the Black Panther Party with the KKK is ridiculous. If people actually read information instead of believing every blurb that was shared on social media there wouldn't be any need to argue over such non-sense but then again, we have turned into a social media-driven society that shares false, hateful and inflammatory information with the click of a button. Again, we don't bother researching, fact-checking anything that proves our point. For the record, I've studied the Black Panther Party and they were not a terrorist group like the KKK. As a matter of fact, their primary goals were feeding programs and literacy programs. There were times they had to arm themselves to protect their neighborhoods against racist police officers and their supporters but I guess the second amendment wasn't intended for those with melanin in their skin.

Keep in mind that segregation ended 60 years ago but we want to act like we've come so far. We are still arguing about who was worse — the KKK or the Black Panthers, as if we don't know what and who the KKK is. They are still here marching boldly and stabbing people in Anaheim, California. Where are the Black Panthers? Why are they still brought into any conversation when there's no REAL response or answers? I was going to delete those posting foolishness on my timeline during Confederate Heritage Month but instead, I decided to use that month to post the facts about the heritage that was fueled by hate. Rachel James Terry said it best.

"But who are we....who are we becoming? Or, am I just now seeing what we’ve always been? History shows us what happens to those who are stagnant, complacent and terrified of change. Go ahead and celebrate the Confederate heritage, and when you're done, you'll still be in a world that is moving forward without you."