Racism, Free Speech, and Christianity

Racism is not dead. Not by a long shot. I recently attended a lecture by one Professor Chris Crowe of the BYU English department. He is the author of Mississippi Trial, 1955 and Getting Away with Murder, two books on the murder of Emmett Till. The thing that struck me the most about his lecture was during the Q&A. One student asked what the state or racism was in Mississippi. His answer (which will make sense to all you Mormons out there) was he ran into the missionaries and they told him they were teaching an investigator who wanted to be baptized. They told the Bishop, and he would not allow it because she was Black. This sent me for a loop. I expected people to be long over the racism issue, especially Mormons. Blacks have always been allowed to be Mormon and have been allowed to recieve the Priesthood since 1971, so what this Bishop did is 100% wrong. But on to more important matters.

There is a post on the Agitator that tells the story of Cory Maye. One day in southern Mississippi, the SWAT team got a warrant to break into a house without knocking and arrest a man known to deal drugs. When the SWAT team arrived at the house, they saw that it was a duplex. They picked one door (the wrong one) and broke in. The man who lived there did not realize it was the SWAT team, so he did what ever good father would do, he protected his family. If a bunch of guys run into your house at 3am shooting, wouldn’t you shoot back? Well he did and he got a lucky shot off that killed one of the officers. Unfortunately, he was Black. He was arrested and sentenced by an all white juroy. His sentance: death by lethal injection. Why such a harsh sentence? First, he was Black and there are obviously still plenty of racist people in Mississippi. Second, the officer he killed was the son of the police cheif. And third, Mississippi has some very racist residents. Right now, Cory Maye is sitting on death row because he was trying to defend his family from intruders, who just happened to be police officers breaking into the wrong house.

I am utterly disgusted by racism of all kinds. Growing up in metro Detroit opened my eyes to Blacks, Whites, Arabs, Indians, American Indians, Europeans, South Americans, and basically all types of people. I was lucky enough to be raised in an environment where everyone is equal no matter what their accent is, how broken their english is, where they are from, how much money they have, and what they drive and wear. I then moved to Orange County, CA where I picked up a slight resentment to the ultrarich, not because I am not rich (I have no doubt I could be if I wanted to) but because of their attitudes and the way they treat other people. Now about the Cory Maye case, I think he should be let free and whichever officer made the call to storm into his house should be reprimanded. We should leave it at that. I think those racist Mississippians (and racists everywhere) should grow up and learn to deal with their problems in ways that do not hurt others.

Now on to free speech. Recently a Danish newspaper published 12 political cartoons which are very disrepsectful to the Islamic Prophet and Founder Mohammed. Traditionally, Mohammed should not be depicted at all, especially doing things that are against the Islamic religion. One hopes that in this world of ours people would have enough deceny to understand and accept the beliefs of others. Unfortunately that is not true. Yes, we believe in free speech, but we also believe that people should be responsible and print things that will benefit at least someone. In response to these cartoons, Danish products have been boycottted all over the Middle East and Africa, many Europeans and European businesses have lost a lot of business, face, and trust in Islamic areas, and multiple Danish embassies have been burned down. How’s that for free speech? I believe these reactions are uncalled for, but I believe the cartoons were also uncalled for.

Now on to Christianity (remember, I am Christian myself). This concept also applies to other things, like being a white male in America. Because Christianity is so common place and a majority in the western world, it accepts a great deal of stupidity similar to the aforemetioned cartoons. Cartoons making fun of Jesus and Christians are quite common and exected, especially in Europe (compared to America). But because Christians are the majority and those types of cartoons are common, nobody cares about them. This shows the state of Christianity in the world today. I am glad Christians do not burn things down because of the derogatory use of free speech. Unfortunately it is because they don’t care rather than they are striving to live a Christlike life. It is like affermative action. Affermative Action gives minorities more chances, but that could also be seen as it gives majorities fewer chances. If we truly thought we are all equal, there would be no need to differentiate between minorities and majorities. The world shouldn’t be colorblind, it should just accept the rainbow how it is and move on to things in life that are actually important and meaningful. It is amazing how much time is wasted over completely ridiculous things that do not matter at all.

Role of Analysis in US Foriegn Policy – Bradford J. Bruton, CIA Analyst

Global Awareness Lecture, 1.25.06

Venue: BYU Kennedy Center for International Studies

Mr. Bruton has been around the block when it comes to international relations. His lecture ideftified the main goal of US Foriegn Policy: to support the vitality of Democratic Institutions. He listed a number of areas used to record and analyze this including: Free Speech, Free Press, Free and Independent Judiciary System, Free and Open Elections, Transparency, Free Trade, Good Educational System, and Rights for Minorities and Women.

The US embassy in foriegn countries attempts to influence these topics in a pro-Democratic manner. If a speech is going to take place that the host government does not support, embassy officials will notify host government that one if it’s members will be attending. Although the lectures are pointless and boring and threatening to the host government, the presence of an embassy official will ensure that no tear gas or batons will be used to break up the crowd.

Most countries have many newspapers. Many of them are run by the state or by other large organizations, such as trade unions. There is always the Democratic paper that does not have great support, but on the national day of the host country, the Ambassador will allow an interview with only that newspaper and will pay for ads in that paper. This has a very powerful message. To the people and the government of the host nation.

The US will also bring foreign judges here to lecture and to tour our judicial facilities. To facilitate open and free elections the US will send technical assistance to other governments. Transparency is only defined as what it is not. It is not corruption, not a one party state, not dishonesty, not a lot of bad things. America supports transparency. Free trade (more aptly, free investment) and other capitalist economic plans are supported by the USA.

Bruton proceeded to explain the National Intelligence Estimate, published by the National Intelligence Council ever year. Every country has an entry which estimates the progress made in each of the above categories. It also includes economic issues and biographical assessments. Biographies are done on many participants in politics of all levels in other countries to the United States will have information when the small people hit it big and get elected Prime Minister. They do not want to be left out in the cold and know nothing about the new leader of a foriegn power. The NIC also prepares the drug blacklist. It is an assesment of drug trafficking and the governments attempt to stop it. If a government is doing a lot, we will give them assistance. If a government is not, they are blacklisted and recieve much less support (financially and otherwise) from the American government.

Finally, Bruton closed by discussing the differences between Analysts and Policy/Decision Makers. Basically analysts simply analyze. Policy and decision makers were elected or appointed by elected officials and therefore have the power to make policy and decisions. Analysts do have a great deal of influence on the decision and policy makers. Decision and policy makers often ask for the opinions of analysts when they do not know what to do or have not studied the information.

It was a very informative lecture. Bruton added at the end that if you want to join the State Department, good luck. International Relations is a difficult field and he praised those who are undertaking it. While there are plenty of analytical positions in Washington, the State Department is extremely selective and you have to work your way up and into it.

James V. Burke – BYU Forum Address

Venue: BYU Devotionals and Forums, Marriott Center

Date: 24 January 2006

Dr. Burke has worked his whole life for various communications technology and broadcasting companies. He thinks along the lines of Nibley and Einstein. He spoke on innovation and change. Innovation is surprising and unforseeable. Change results from things coming together in ways they have not come together before. Institutions have only purpose, to perpetuate themselves and the things they create. They are slow to accept change and adopt innovation so they they try to make us confident by what they have done in the past, not the future. On modern higher education, Descartes suggested we apply methodical doubt, but we have progressed to learn more and more about less and less. The current academia attitude is to specialize so much that you’re the only one who knows what you specialized in. Explain yourself in gobledigoop so nobody else can make their way up to you. Then you are at the top of the world, in your little area.

Technology is developing faster and faster and institutions are not keeping up so they attempt to censor and limit technology. Modern global communciations have changed that and there is nothing institutions can do anymore to stop the progression.

Einstein once said, “public education destroys our brains.” The fundamental process of the brain is to make new connections. Burke offered the example of jokes. When we make the connection, we laugh and we like it because we are making connections. Information should trigger reactions, unfortunately we aren’t learning much information in school these days.

We are growing out of our democracy and intermediaries. Our Democracy is based on the idea that we need representatives. We don’t anymore. We can communicate for ourselves now. The top down systems are no longer applying. The culture of scarcity is coming to an end. We are not prepared for what lies ahead. Intelligence will not longer be a rarity. There are 4.9 billion people who will soon be added to the global community and some of them will be smarter, faster, and better than us. We’re going to need to learn how to deal with that. Technology and globalization of technology is bringing the previously nobodies the opportunity to equalize themselves with the somebodies of the western world. We should attempt to think out of the box Descartes put us in.

Faith versus Religion in War – Father Mark Sargent

Global Awareness Lecture, 18.1.06

Venue: BYU Kennedy Center

Father Mark Sargent is a Canadian who started out his career in the Army reserve, worked his way up to Major, joined the Catholic Church, and now works for the US government on a religion/ethics/war committee. He spoke on war and the role religion and faith play in it. At the very beginning of his lecture he explained the difference between faith and religion. Faith is our personal relationship with God, while Religion is the actions of our religious group. Faith frowns upon nearly every war. Religion is a very common excuse for war. People do not fight because of different faiths, for everyone (non-fanatic Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc.) shares a similar faith, including being good. Religion should not be used as an excuse for war. Every person of faith knows war is wrong and should do everything in their power to promote peace. He defined peace as, not a lack of war but, justice. Justice and human rights are very important and we can kill people through starvation just as easily as with guns. We need to do something to stop the death of God’s children. I think the thing I gleaned the most was a confirmation of my belief (which was indescribably strengthened by Nibley) that truth comes from everyone, not just from your religion.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Walk of Life Memorial Program

Venue: BYU Ballroom

Date: Monday, January 16th 2006 5:30PM

Unfortunately I could not attend the whole program, but I had the opportunity of hearing parts of it. I saw my old AROTC buddies on flag duty, the Star Spangled Banner was, as always, a very moving song and I could feel the chills going up and down my back. The three girls who sang it have beautiful voices but they changed a few parts of the song (repeated “land of the free and home of the brave”, among other things) and I did not like that as much. Then 8 students got up in their black robes and sang one of those southern Baptist spiritual songs where everyone claps. Marguerite Driessen, a law professor, then got up and spoke of King and Parks and the amazing things they did. She said, “heros are people who do the little things at the moment of decision.” When Rosa Parks did not get up and move to the back of the bus, she didn’t think she was a hero, yet thousands upon thousands of people attended her funeral. I thought to myself the many thousands upon thousands of people who stand up for what they believe in and never become as famous as Rosa Parks. There is a hero in all of it, we just need to let it out. Usually we will not become famous, we are blessed and kept humble. She also said “we aren’t free until we can say ‘i am proud of who i am and proud of you who are’” no matter what color we are. Overall I thought it was really good, but she used the term proud a few too many times.