A BETTER APPROACH TO DEALING WITH THE PAST
“Runaway Slave” – A Movie Review
What would it be like to watch a movie that is so gripping you don’t even want to move for fear of missing something? I rarely give a 5-star rating, but for “Runaway Slave,” I just wish I could add another star. The film follows Rev. C. L. Bryant as he travels the country trying to understand how Blacks—leaders and regular people—feel about the country right now. He also talks to them about proposed solutions. In the course of the movie, he interviews leaders such as Allen West, Thomas Sowell, Herman Cain, Star Parker, Glenn Back, Armstrong Williams, K. Carl Smith, Marvin Rogers, Matt Kibbe, Kevin Jackson, Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson and Dr. Alveda King.
Conclusions Reached
1. That Blacks were in many ways better off during the ‘50’s and ‘60’s before the Great Society hobbled too many of them, offering them a “free lunch,” if they would abandon the family. I noticed this in Detroit when I was doing genetic counseling. There were no men around; the women said they got more welfare if they were single mothers. Black women before LBJ were more likely to keep their babies (and the baby’s father) than they are now. As Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson notes, “Anger comes from broken homes.” At roughly 13% of the population, Blacks are the patients in almost 40% of abortions. Go back into history—Margaret Sanger specifically targeted Blacks and people she considered less valuable for her “pregnancy services.” I had no idea and was for years a pregnancy counselor at Planned Parenthood.
2. That the Government Plantation replaced the old slave plantations, enslaving the mind, instead of the body. That’s far more insidious. By seeing Blacks as a tribe of similarly minded folk, instead of individuals of all different types, thoughts, values, and beliefs, the Left focused on offering Blacks comfort at the cost of freedom. The more you make that bargain, the more you are controlled by the ones providing the largesse. While it looks far more harmless than enslaving people, it is simply slavery in new clothes.
3. Africans coming here don’t associate all that much with American Blacks. They came here for freedom having proven themselves where they struggled for survival: “Strength in the face of adversity with freedom at our core.” Does this sound familiar? “Live free or die.” Freedom sometimes comes at a great price, but it is at the core of the American spirit and draws people from the rest of the world.
4. Some Black speakers referred to themselves as warriors. A particular quote caught my attention. “How do we regard the scars of the past? They are the scars every warrior carries into victory.” One speaker sad that right now, too many Blacks are using their anger against themselves. Instead, they recommended that forgiveness is the answer, the only way to move forward and reclaim their futures and their lives.
5. The existence of the Frederick Douglass Republicans. A tee-shirt caught my eye; K. Carl Smith was wearing one that said “FDR,” but in small letters, it said, it’s not who you think. The image in the “D” was Douglass. This group follows Douglass’ recommendations which include believing in life and limited government. He boldly said, “Leave us alone.” He was comfortable with Blacks rising or falling based on their own self-determination, without the white man putting the thumb on the scale. He understood that achievements brokered by others don’t leave you stronger. The ones in power who made them happen own you. And as an example, if you knew that the Black doctor was helped all through school and allowed to graduate with less than sterling grades and achievements, would you want him as your physician? Who does all this help really help? Douglass hated the idea of being treated as a “special” class of citizen and as such, dependent. Slaves were dependent—that wasn’t such a great idea. His values were: self-reliance, self-determination and personal responsibility.
6. Locals in poor areas said they would prefer the government to help improve policies regarding the creation of small business. They wanted “pocketbook politics,” not the policies the Democrats offer now. In fact, grass roots efforts have begun to start in this area, trying to eliminate ridiculous licensing requirements that impede success. Home chefs don’t need commercial kitchens to turn out small batches of cookies. Hair braiders don’t need a 2-year cosmetology license, as an example. There are many more ways the government holds these small businesses back; it can be readily fixed.
Check this movie out – it’s available on Netflix and probably other venues as well. It’s a good investment of time and perhaps will allow all of us to see solutions, not problems, the value of individuals instead of their weaknesses and the commonalities we all share in wanting the best for ourselves and our families, a reasonable chance of making it through hard work and respect.
