April 27, 2009
Concerns about racism once again receive attention in my hometown – Thunder Bay, Ontario. Local radio, newspapers and television are covering this problem as well as some of its politically inspired solutions.
Its as if I was in a time warp that brings me back to my childhood only this time there is blood being spilled. Racism was rampant then – but we did not talk about it because there was not any blood being spilled. You see, you need blood before anybody accepts that they have a serious social problem.
Racism is not unique to Thunder Bay
Substitute your town's name as I proceed to identify the problem's roots, and offer solutions. I had more than 50 years to work on this solution so I hope you don't take it lightly. This is my first time sharing it.
Until now, no one was interested because they didn't have a problem.
Most people have an immediate negative reaction to my solution – but I realize they have only superficially thought about this problem so I don't pay any attention to their knee jerk reaction. I also don't take their criticism personally. They are simply protecting one of their delusions. Most people have many.
Racism is THE vital factor in our world
When you scrutinize racism; you find that it is the fabric from which our world fashions its causes, symbols and beliefs, mobilizes armies, and controls its tribes.
It represents power.
It inspires and motivates populations.
History has proven that in its various forms, racism represents politics most potent and successful tool.
If racism is a problem looking for a solution, I would like to remind everyone that in the 20 million year history of man no one has solved this one – yet . The yet is my contribution because I am still an optimist. Believe me, being an optimist has been difficult – especially when the topic is racism and prejudice.
As a behind-the-scenes project man for a good portion of my life, I can attest that if a solution is not politically advantageous, it won't happen. (I was hired for numerous projects for several governments, the UN, international corporations, and political parties so I have some direct experience in these matters .)
I advocate truth-based solutions. If given a chance, they work. The source for most problems can be traced to an absence of truth. However, I do not believe that “the truth will set you free!” It will only set you free if others share the same truths untainted by prejudice. That is rare.
In my professional life, my first step was to perform an honest analysis of the problem – without the help of the file provided. I have done the same thing regarding Thunder Bay's racial problem.
By itself, doing an honest analysis is quite difficult. No one really wants you to expose the truth of any matter if the truth means that they, or their organization, bears some of the guilt. They do not wish to suffer any inconvenience, loss, or sacrifice implementing the recommended solution.
If your analysis targets the problem “as they are willing to see it”, the chiefs contract you to go the next stage. I think that because of this, I seldom got to see a project through to its completion.
I should also point out an important fact. Never – not ever – was I the first one contracted to solve a problem! Others had failed to please the chiefs before I arrived on the scene. Often I had only been contracted so that the chiefs could say they had someone working on a solution. Few of them really wanted solutions.
Recently, blood was spilled in Thunder Bay
Society gets concerned when blood gets spilled. Usually, its solution is simple – call in their troops. Let uniforms take care of the problem. If troops cannot take care of the problem, politicians – societies appointed custodians – are pressed into an undesirable service. Somehow they have to solve the problem –politically.
Until blood is spilled, no politician – or population – sees a problem requiring attention. Society is functioning quite well with its delusion as it insists there is no racism in their town, or at least, they have racism under control. Hogwash!
You cannot critize until you have a solution
My grandfather insisted that I could not criticize or complain about anything until I had thought examined the problem thoroughly enough that I could create a solution. Since prejudice is our world's only major source of conflict, a solution was not easy to create – until I got to the root of the problem. After that, the rest was simple.
My solution requires four distinct stages. Today I will address the deepest root – and the most difficult to eliminate. The other stages are only possible if Stage One is accomplished first.
Stage One
Eliminate racism's deepest root
All parents have to jointly confess to their offspring and to each other, their part in supporting, promoting and participating in prejudicial racial activities.
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Senior citizens and younger parents must become good examples for their children and their children's children to do the same. If they claim innocence they may need prodding. If they claim innocence they are part of the problem. Treat them as such. Being labelled as a racist, especially by family and friends, usually works. Examples of their past misdeeds may help jog their memories. They don't think anybody noticed, or cared, about their racism.
If senior citizens have no children then they need to find another human to hear their confessions.
And, speaking of confessions, priests will need to confess to their congregations. Non-Catholic clergymen are not exempt from confessing. All congregations should get the message loud and clear. Remember, a sin of omission is just as bad as a sin of commission. If you stood by as members of your group practiced some form of racism or prejudice, you are just as guilty as them.
Why single out the parents?
They lead by example. On our father and mother's knees we learn how to distinguish their good guys from their bad guys. They may not say things against the bad guys but even children pick up vibrations resulting from prejudice.
Colour, of course, is the most obvious.
Then comes nationality followed closely by religion.
These are usually followed by the subject's choice of food, clothing, shelter, dwelling, transportation, garden, habits, employment, beliefs, education and even their choice of food.
“Anybody who eats ______ is crazy.”
“Only bushwhackers hold their forks that way!”
“Are you learning your manners from DPs?”
“Where were you born, in a barn? Shut the door!”
If you have the boldness to remind them that Jesus Christ was supposed to have been born in a barn, they remind you that you are not Jesus Christ. I think you know what I mean.
Prejudice is everywhere – that is – if society really wants to look for it. I have not witnessed society looking for the roots. I easily find it!
As a four-year old I got the message from my parents that when I did not do the right thing, I was a “Jew”. If I entered the house with my hat on, they said, “Only Jews wear their hat in the house.” That was their mildest racist rebuke. There were others. By the time I was six I had been conditioned to perform as a racist. Thank goodness my grandfather took over. He was not a racist. Other members of the Finnish community did not appreciate this fact. He even sold some of his writing to Swedish magazines!
After WWII, they had prejudices against almost everyone since Finland had to defend itself against Germans, Russians and the Allies. Their differences with Sweden were already several centuries old.
During the 1940s and 1950s, Finlanders hid their prejudices behind their language. They could smile at targets of their prejudice and at the same time they would curse them in Finn. I am certain that other nationalities employ similar practices.
The only prejudice my Grandfather displayed was his dislike of the belligerently ignorant. He avoided them like the plague. Thunder Bay had its fare share of this type. It still does – especially when they complain about racism.
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Can you be as honest about your upbringing? Is your ability to identify your prejudices clouded by your loyalty to your family, your nationality, or your church? Do you really want to abandon your racial prejudices?
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Its hard to identify and separate the tribes
When there is an easily identifiable source for racial prejudice, the other groups tend to gang up in a joint effort to “put the niggers in their place”. They may be allies against a particular race, colour or creed, but when that original element is removed, they each go back to exercising their own prejudices — on each other.
As I said earlier, it has been this way for 20 million years.
And Thunder Bay wants to hear suggestions for a solution! Do they know what they are talking about? Time will tell if they are truly serious or if this is just another political gesture.
If you can handle Stage One, here is what I have in store for you in the next three postings of Without Gods!
Stage Two – Identify everything that divides us.
Stage Three – Eliminate what divides us, or at least make it very expensive for divisive factions or inequalities to exist.
Stage Four – Bring our society together with healthy replacements for those divisive and/or inequitable conditions.
I hope you return for future installments. In the meantime, I feel good about myself because I have lived without exercizing racial prejudice for more than 65 years.
I also enjoy a life . . . without gods!
Anton Kozlik
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