1. What's The Problem?

RESPECT FOR ALL AudioGuide

“White racism not only exploits humans
but also the earth itself.”
—Prof. James H. Cone

PEOPLE HATE WHAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND
Heinous crimes have been committed against people of color in our country: slavery, lynchings, police brutality and the excessive incarceration of young black and brown men. These atrocities are born of a hate-filled racism unfortunately at work in our country today. In 2019, the greatest danger to our social order is the millions of white people who hate a pluralistic, diverse democracy that promotes equal rights for all.
RACISM MUST END
Since 2017, the dishonest and racist behavior of President Trump has severely harmed America’s reputation around the world. Time magazine’s July 17, 2019 article, “Republicans Want a White Republic. They’ll Destroy America to Get It,” states that “because Trump promises Republicans a return to white dominance, he is more important to the GOP and its base than the country those in power took an oath to support and defend.” Republican leadership and Trump supporters are destroying America! There is no need to be a racist in the 21st century. Showing other people dignity, kindness and respect is essential to being a good human being. It is a critical part of maintaining important personal relationships. Learning to respect people's efforts, abilities, opinions, even their quirks, will help keep you happy and successful in your interpersonal life. Respecting yourself can help you move forward with the confidence to develop the habit of respect and share it with the people around you.
STOP RACISM. RESPECT ALL LIFE.
In his essay, “Whose Earth Is It Anyway?,” the late James H. Cone, eminent professor at Union Theological Seminary and founder of Black Liberation Theology, argues that the logic behind the racism that strips black Americans of their humanity is the same logic that strips nature of its dignity. He writes, “White racism leads directly to the degradation of the earth” and “…white racism not only exploits humans but also the earth itself. The fight for justice cannot be segregated but must be integrated with the fight for life in all its forms.” Professor Cone devoted his life and teaching to a justice that extends to all of God’s creatures, human and otherwise. He did not shrink from telling the truth. Yes, he wanted justice, not in the form of punishment but by the realization that justice requires a transformative change of heart by white people. “No threat has been more deadly and persistent for black and Indigenous peoples than the rule of white supremacy in the modern world. For over five hundred years, through the wedding of science and technology, white people have been exploiting nature and killing people of color in every nook and cranny of the planet in the name of God and democracy... The tentacles of white supremacy have stretched around the globe. No people of color have been able to escape its cultural, political and economic domination.” This is the problem: millions of white people do not respect diversity and do not respect our Earth.