Rising From the Ashes

Rising From the Ashes

All across this barren land
burned and battered by the sun,
drenched with sweat and tears in battle,
stained by rivers of our blood,

lives and families have shattered,
no one spared the scars of war,
no one free from all the suff’ring
or the pain that’s gone before.

And yet we’re rising from the ashes,
from being trampled in the dust.
Even though we’ve been held down,
you can never count us out
because we’re never giving up.
Nobody’s riding to our rescue,
we’re not expecting charity,
but with a faith that is divine,
we will stand and we will fight
‘til every one of us is free.

Turn your eyes up to the sky,
watch the morning as it dawns,
see the promise of tomorrow
in the future as it’s born.

Because we’re rising from the ashes,
from being trampled in the dust.
Even though we’ve been held down,
you can never count us out
because we’re never giving up.
Nobody’s riding to our rescue,
we’re not expecting charity,
but with a faith that is divine,
we will stand and we will fight
‘til every one of us is free.

With a faith that is divine,
we will stand and we will fight
‘til every one of us is free.

Ever since the Don Imus Situation (heretofore referred to as The DIS) was resolved (in a manner of speaking), I have wanted to post this entry. You may ask yourself why I haven't done so. Well, I don't know, but here it is.

I can't tell you how happy I am that we (by "we" I mean everyone, regardless of race, gender, etc.) have shown yet again that when we "lift every voice and sing," we can accomplish something. Having said that, I don't know that we accomplished as much as we could have. Bear with me here - I'm certain quite a few people will disagree. But, this is my blog, so I can say what I want to.

When I say that I'm not sure we accomplished as much as we could have, what I mean to say is that we should not have been so shortsighted in our efforts. The uproar that followed The DIS caused sponsors of the show to pull their support, which led CBS and MSNBC to terminate Mr. Imus's employment. That may seem like he received his due. As a matter of fact, I hear very little talk of the situation now, so everything must be okay, right?

Well, in my opinion, losing his job so that he can obtain an even more lucrative one elsewhere is not going to curb his or anyone else's tongue. It is not going to change the way anyone views the "nappy-headed h_s" he referred to, nor will it help minority and disadvantaged children conquer the mentality that tells them it's okay for someone (ANYONE) to make such derogatory comments about them or anyone else as long as big business doesn't disagree.

The problem here isn't Don Imus or his producer or MSNBC or CBS or the corporate sponsors who waited for this latest infraction to take a stand. The problem we face is not that Michael Richards used "the n-word" in ways that even the imperialists who thought it up in the 1600s could not have imagined possible. And, surprise, surprise, the problem has not been solved by people like Howard Cosell, Jimmy the Greek, Don Imus or his producer losing their jobs.

The problem is that minority and underprivileged children - the ones who are growing up as the targets of vile diatribes, crass jokes, low expectations and an educational system that was designed to "keep them in their place" - never actually benefit from the resolutions we reach when these situations come to light (I won't say when they occur because they occur behind closed doors all the time).

Here's my point: When The DIS occurs again (and it will, just by some other name), the perpetrator should be made to keep his or her high-paying job. The perpetrator should then be persuaded by public opinion, sponsors, etc. to adopt several inner city elementary schools (you know, the ones in which many of his "nappy-headed h_s" often begin their education) and contribute to providing the equal opportunity in education that is the only thing that will put those children in the position to compete in the marketplace. Until enough of those children grow up to run these multi-billion dollar companies and make policy decisions that regulate what is or is not acceptable, it's always going to be somebody else's daughter being insulted, somebody else's son dying at war.

I am not saying that Don Imus is any more of a racist than any other human being. I'm definitely not saying that it's okay for "some people" to use certain words and not others. I am saying that if someone is in the public eye and people listen to that person, he or she is able to influence others to do the right or the wrong thing. I understand that Don Imus has used his considerable influence to raise money for "the children" and I applaud him for that. I would have liked to have seen his repentance in this instance reflect that dedication to children. I am certain a man who has raised that much money for kids would have welcomed the opportunity.