The Negro Motorist Green Book

Last week, I watched a series I found on Netflix streaming called ‘Billy Connolly’s Route 66′. Actor/comedian Billy Connolly takes a very entertaining ride on one of America’s most beloved roadways and introduces us to colorful people and places he meets on the way. He also teaches us important history about the country that many not know or remember. There are a many shows out there with this same format but Connolly manages to make this travelogue fresh and humorous and also emotional and thought provoking. I highly recommend a viewing.

Connolly begins his trek in Chicago and talks with an African-American artist who lived during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. They talk about the different levels of racial discrimination and the policies of segregation that existed back then and what it was like for African-Americans to travel. Many hotels, restaurants and other public establishments did not allow “people of color” and the artist mentions a book called The Negro Motorist Green Book. Its publisher, Victor H. Green, “wanted to save the travelers of his race as many difficulties and embarrassments as possible.” The book contained a list of hotels, restaurants, boarding houses, hair salons, barber shops and other establishments that were “safe” for African-Americans to patronize during their road travels.

The Green Book was published from the late 1930s until 1964. I was born in 1964 and it still boggles my mind that that level of racial unjust took place during my lifetime. Racism, of course, still exists in many forms but we have come so far since 1964. However one feels about his performance as President, the election of Barack Obama in 2008 was an incredible and historic stride in overcoming our ugly racial discriminatory actions and policies of the past. This country was founded and has flourished from revolutionary concepts of freedom and government. The Declaration of Independence and The Bill of Rights are monumental documents detailing the rights and freedoms of all individuals. But this is also a nation that produced the Indian Removal Act, The Klu Klux Klan, The Chinese Exclusion Act, Japanese American internment, The Jim Crow Laws and many other forms of sanctioned racial segregation and discrimination.

During the recent presidential election cycle, there was talk (as is in most election cycles) that America needs to return to its Christian roots and values. I have always had a problem with the belief is that this country was founded on the principles of Christianity. I do not have a problem with Christianity — I am a Christian — I believe in the teachings of the Bible (Old and New Testaments) and I believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ. I try to live my life by His teachings and His example (sometimes successful, sometimes not). What I have a problem with is the belief that the United States was established as a primarily Christian nation. Maybe that sounds strange coming from a Christian, but I believe it’s important to take a realistic look back to our past and acknowledge that we were never the Christian utopia that some think we were.

The first group of pilgrims that came to this country in 1630 left England because of religious persecution and wanted a place to worship freely. As the years went by, it became clear that this new nation could and should not be a theocracy because there were already several different Christian sects/denominations that each had their own rules and ways of worship. Most of the founding fathers did believe in Judeo-Christians ethics — that is a fact. But there were some like Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine who did not adhere to the principles of Christianity and made it very clear that the government of the United States should not be grafted to a particular religious belief. Freedom of Religion and the Separation of Church and State were integral parts of this country’s creation.

History shows us that there were many Godly people in our past and it is true that the Judeo-Christian Ethic has been deeply rooted in our government and society. But this country was also created with the hope that all could come here without fear and worship as they please. Check out these excerpts from an excellent and detailed article about America and its religious past by Kenneth C. Davis (link to full article below):

…the U.S. Constitution clearly stated in Article VI that federal elective and appointed officials “shall be bound by  Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution, but no religious Test shall  ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the  United States.” This passage—along with the facts that the Constitution does not mention God  or a deity (except for a pro forma “year of our Lord” date) and that its very  first amendment forbids Congress from making laws that would infringe of the  free exercise of religion—attests to the founders’ resolve that America be a  secular republic. The men who fought the Revolution may have thanked Providence  and attended church regularly—or not. But they also fought a war against a country in which the head of state was the head of the church. Knowing well the history of religious warfare that led to America’s settlement, they clearly  understood both the dangers of that system and of sectarian conflict.

In 1786, the Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom, modified somewhat  from Jefferson’s original draft, became law. The act is one of three  accomplishments Jefferson included on his tombstone, along with writing the  Declaration and founding the University of Virginia. (He omitted his presidency  of the United States.) After the bill was passed, Jefferson proudly wrote that  the law “meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew, the  Gentile, the Christian and the Mahometan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every  denomination.”

Even if none of the preceding statements were true, one major contradiction remains: slavery. How could a nation based on the principles of Christianity coexist with the evils of slavery? Since developing a love for history in my youth, I always wrestled with that question. In my school textbooks, I was told of a new nation with great promise that eventually made decisions that were contrary to the ideas of freedom and justice that they were declaring to the world. The gradual removal of virtually all of the original inhabitants of the “New World” and the decision to engage in the slave trade were direct contradictions of the information I would read in other books (some with an obvious Christian influence). I read about how this country was the apple of God’s eye and established as a City Upon The Hill for other nations to emulate and admire. But how could this be when that same country had no difficulty using another race of people as personal property?

Granted, there were some God-fearing (and not God-fearing) individuals who spoke out against slavery as the United States was in its infancy but they were few and far between and it wasn’t until 1865 that slavery was officially abolished under the 13th Amendment. That’s almost 90 years after the Declaration of Independence stated that “all men are created equal” and over 200 years since the first Africans were enslaved and sent to the Jamestown colony.

Unfortunately, this country has always had an ugly past regarding racial discrimination and that type of hatred does not jibe with the true teachings of Christianity. It upsets me to hear the ignorance of others as they wish we all could go back to the glory days of our once perfect Christian society. That society never existed. But do not take my word for it – look it up — read about our history — read letters and diaries written by the founding fathers themselves — read the text of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 — read about the concept and actions of Manifest Destiny — read the Jim Crow Laws — do not rely on hateful email forwards and factless photo internet memes. It’s so easy in this day and age with so many ways of accessing information to educate yourself. Take the responsibility of knowing this country’s past — that is the only way we can strive to make it a better place. This country has accomplished so many great things and without the cloud of racism hanging over us, we could accomplish even more greatness.

Unfortunately we have a long way to go. As I write this, I see that a new Tumblr called ‘Hello There, Racists!’ is making its way around the internet (foremost on Facebook) –  according to MSN.com, “the site tracks racist comments on Twitter and Facebook, then posts the author’s full name, hometown, and even their school or workplace to shame them for their bigoted comments.” I’m no so sure what my stance is on that type of cyber-vigilantism, but it is very stupid to think only your closest friends will see what you post on the internet. The really sad thing is that most of these people saying these vile statements are young…very young. And some do call themselves Christians.

The story that America was created as a Christian theocracy and ordained by God, I believe, is a myth. I do believe that, as a new nation, we were given great opportunity and ability to create a land of freedom for all. It’s just taking a little bit longer than expected to get there.

Hack Check

It still amazes me how grown adult human beings can see something stated on the internet and automatically assume it is the truth. That’s too simplistic a statement — what I’m referring to is the myriads of photo memes and forwarded emails floating around the internet that people take for the truth without doing any double checking whatsoever. If it fits within their “want-to-believe” category, they believe it unconditionally. They could be totally benign and unintentionally wrong or seriously untrue with intent to hurt or demoralize but, c’mon, this is 2013 — we’re living in The Future. There are no flying cars but there is information at every turn — literally information access everywhere. A simple search engine check can usually tell you within seconds if something is real or not — but most don’t want to take the time to do that…maybe because they want to believe it so much or they’re just too lazy…but I just do not understand how, in this day and age, untrue statements are still being passed around like those annoying chain letters of the past.

Passing around something that is untrue is a terrible way to support your cause or belief — sharing a quote that is actually a misquote or a bogus quote in order to advance your particular way of thinking can only discredit your point. To me, that action shows that most people really don’t want to have a civil, intelligent discussion — they just want to be right and at any cost. If you are passionate about something, educate yourself fully — use the truth to project your beliefs — do your homework. If you only rely on undocumented statements and quotes and stories floating around the internet, you may want to rethink how passionate you really are for the truth. I really believe this is a very damaging phenomenon and it saddens me to see it grow. We’re much smarter than that…aren’t we..?

So, like Sergeant Esterhaus from Hill Street Blues always said, “Let’s be careful out there.” Don’t be part of the mindless mass that passes along whatever comes down the information superhighway — use your grey cells for good — think before ‘Liking’ and ‘Sharing’ — if something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. I guess that’s a good rule of thumb for life in general. Did you know that the phrase “rule of thumb” is related to the belief that future British kings and queens never sucked their thumbs? It’s true…or is it…?

Beacons

The Waiting Station wasn’t exactly a station — it was more of a cleared area in the middle of the woods. He guessed the clearing was about the size of an average helipad. Enough space for a helicopter to safely land and take off. Surrounding the area were enormous pine trees that gently swayed in the wind causing snow to fall off their branches giving the illusion that it was still snowing. It had been snowing for three days straight but stopped a few hours before he had to venture to the clearing. He was thankful for that. Waiting outside during a snow storm was a task no one really enjoyed. The heavy padded suits they wore were heated as were their helmets but it was much better to wait on a storm-less night when you could see more clearly.

He stood in the very center of the Waiting Station right in the middle of the huge red X. He held his helmet under his arm, gazed above the swaying trees and took deep breaths of the crisp cold air. It felt good. He had been inside too long. Although it was pitch dark, the white snow on the ground made it seem lighter. He could hear the copters in the distance and could see their slowly moving searchlights but it had been a while since they were in his area. He decided to put his helmet back on and see if he had received any communications. Snapping tightly in place over his head the helmet began searching for messages — lights flickered and a short series of beeps illuminated the inside of his helmet for a few seconds. ‘No Response’ was the message that came up in bold black letters. Using the controls on the forearm of his suit, he kept communications open and sent another beacon.

This was the 5th beacon he sent and he began to wonder if something was wrong. There had been stories that some were never heleported until their 10th beacon…but he felt that hard to believe. Then there were the stories that some are never heard and will never get a response. He quickly dismissed that thought. The control screen in his helmet visor told him everything was functioning normally. ‘No Response’ still flashed in black letters.

Their suits were meticulously designed for maximum comfort and protection. Nourishment tubes provided water and substance for even the longest wait. Sitting was not allowed during the wait but each suit had specially crafted braces that enabled each person to relieve pressure and weight from their legs and back. The weight of each suit depended upon the build of its wearer, but on average they weighed 100-200 lbs. Nano hydraulics made it very easy to walk and run in the suit and its armored outside material protected from severe cold and the occasional aggressive animal.

His mind began to drift as he saw 3 copters in the distance rotating their bright yellow searchlights. They’re not even close to me, he thought. This isn’t right…is it? He really should have learned more about the personal stories of the ones who were heleported and the feelings they experienced before they were found. He knew the facts of the waiting precedural process backwards and forwards but, being his analytic nature, he chose not to focus on the emotional aspects about dealing with the waiting. That was a mistake, he now realized.

Hours went by and he noticed that the red X he was standing on was being slowly covered by snow. He hadn’t noticed that it started snowing again. Using his left boot, he brushed the snow off the platform to make the X more visible for a landing. The bright spotlight on the top of his helmet illuminated the surrounding trees and for a brief second he thought he had seen a face peering out through the woods. It was unclear if it was animal or human but it startled him so much that his vital sign readout flashed the number of his rapid heartbeat on the visor screen. Any sudden change in his vitals was automatically sent to The Center and logged in his records. Maybe that change would speed up his pick-up, he thought. He gazed around the entire clearing and saw no face staring back at him. The darkness was notorious for playing tricks on people as they waited. There was a real danger of animal attack but 9 times out of 10, something seen in a flash while waiting was just a figment of the imagination.

More hours went by and he hadn’t seen or heard any copters in the distance for quite some time. Deciding to send a 6th beacon, he went through the waiting process in his head. After the proper training was completed, a Waiting Station location was assigned and an initial beacon was sent. It was left up to the individual on how many beacons were sent afterwards and, as he was slowly realizing, the number of beacons sent depended on how patient or at peace the person was. He was growing impatient and as his vitals continued to show, he was not at peace.

To be lifted out of the dark and out of the cold was all he wanted. There were stories of course, but no one actually knew where everyone was being heleported to. But the promise was of a brighter and warmer place and that was really all anyone needed to know. He refreshed his screen with a slightly shaking hand and the bold black message ‘No Response’ again appeared. Leaning back on the support of his suit braces, he removed his helmet and took 3 large breaths of the cold air. The falling snow covered his face quickly as he closed his eyes. He heard nothing but the swaying of the trees as his helmet slipped from his hands and fell at his feet.