This book is on the New York Times bestseller list. I thought this must be a good read. I was wrong. It consists of 151 pages of subliminal and overt messages blaming America and bad cops for the black man’s woes.
Coates says that the United States totes that we are a “God Given Country” and contradicts that claim by saying that the country was built on the backs of slaves. He doesn’t mention the American Revolution and doesn’t give credit to President Lincoln and President Johnson: freeing the slaves and abolishing segregation. America was built by establishing factories and using hard working men and women.
He talks about Trevon Martin and the Ferguson incident that the court rulings were wrong. He wanted to see retaliation for a “choir boy” who had first robbed a store, assaulted the owner and then lunged at a police officer, going after his gun. The poor kid didn’t do anything wrong. Oh really!
There are elements of the black and white population that don’t have respect for the law. When a policeman gives a directive, you better adhere to it – white or black. That’s not to say that there are some policemen who are just bad apples and need to be weeded out. That is true.
Not to acknowledge that the black man’s plight is based on his home environment is disingenuous. That is the beginning of the problem. I know elementary school teachers who have to feed and clothe children before they can start to teach them each day. Whose fault is it that the children go to school hungry and are not properly clothed?
Every race has been discriminated against. When my parents came to this country, everyone who wasn’t a WASP was discriminated against. But the difference was that their children had the love of their parents and they saw that their parents loved each other. They learned by example.
The whole world is looking the tear you down, but you persevere and overcome because you have a firm foundation from your family. That is what is missing in the black communities. Healing has to start from the home. Don’t blame slavery. Others have had it much worse, coming from countries where slaughter is the norm.
In his book he says how much he loved France. That’s a nice place to live. I would suggest if he doesn’t like the U.S.A., he could always live there. We are not perfect and never will be. But, he can do his part to help his people by getting involved in the poor communities and not look for whom to blame.
Gloria Pitchell 2/19/2016
Author of: “The Dark and the Light Side of the Moon”
The Connecticut Writers' Circle 