Recent Republican efforts to discredit Kamala Harris due to "questions" about her "citizenship" not only makes them look petty, it also raises a troubling legal issue that has always concerned me.
Rohn, unfortunately, you aren’t missing anything. Anyone who can’t view the obvious racism is worse than blind. What defines a person? Requirements of any kind are inappropriate and racist, as is anything beyond showing up.
I am also a reader, not matching your depth, but I learned everything of value in my life from reading and first-hand experience. As a not great school student and no university, I’ve learned to build homes, build cabinets, build and operate computers and networks, run government programs, write books and publish them by reading and just jumping in despite obstacles. But my most serious education clearly began when I found your Substack, another significant contribution to my education that I sincerely appreciate and value. Learning doesn’t have to stop even at 85.
Your words on Liberty made me think of a special situation. I’m blessed with an extraordinarily intelligent and honest wife. So, besides my morning reading, I have the unique opportunity to discuss things with someone who will quickly point out any bullshit I may run into. Many years ago, I was describing my arrogant feelings about independence, and she quickly educated me on the difference between independence and freedom by writing it out for me.
Independence is Hard and Cold
Freedom is Warm and Loving
Freedom is Soaring With Eagles
Dancing Naked In The Rain
Laughing Over Death and
Crying Over A Flower
It touched me so deeply that I carved a large mahogany plaque with a soaring eagle and gave it to her for her birthday. It still hangs on our bedroom wall, and I wanted to share it with you. Thanks for all the invaluable lessons.
"I’m blessed with an extraordinarily intelligent and honest wife. So, besides my morning reading, I have the unique opportunity to discuss things with someone who will quickly point out any bullshit I may run into."
How exquisitely beautiful, even when mitigated by my envy.
I've known for decades that I "enjoy" white privilege. Through your writings, I am finally seeing what that really means, and it's a hell of a lot more than I ever imagined. Thank you for helping me understand.
Whether I have two subscribers, or two million, I make it my business to get acquainted with them;. Provided I might "discriminate" the humans, perhaps even "persons," from everything from bots to nuts. As in coo-coo hut, not the edible nuts.
Since I am well aware you are an actual "person," let me be frank in informing you that IF, in my life, I have changed the mind of a single soul through my presence, my presence has been warranted.
quite correct. while I equate indentured with slavery, and much laboring for others; this were "contracts." Slavery and contracts can be historically related.
But as far as all of my research into slavery, labor, contracts, et. al, only black Americans were "property."
Contracts can temporarily own a person by the contract and do much physical and mental damage to the contractee in terms of abuse; but they were never property. Only black Americans were ever slaves who were property. Serfs belonged to the property, but were not themselves property.
Does this perhaps black Americans were not ever slaves, only property, not even distinguished from the cotton or whatever they were used to cultivate. The amendments allowed people to remain "slaves" in prison, but they are not the property of the prison.
Slavery does not equate to property. It is certainly true one may become enslaved by their property, the own their car, but to a certain extent the car may own the person's mobility. But beyond that probable psychological faction we do not consider property as enslaved to us.
How, therefore, could human beings, even enslaved ones, be more property, and I do say mere lightly. There is a long history between humanity and slavery, or owning other humans. Even the concept of citizenship is a declaration of ownership by the state over the citizen. But the citizens are only the slaves of the state, the property of the state is the territory and resources it entails.
And so, Mr. Kenyatta, your article brought me to this question. Were black Americans really slaves or merely Property? And could that be an answer to their continuing degradation in America as not fully being {recognized as} human?
"If one considers what I am presenting in this disquisition, my query does explain quite a bit. It explains why day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year there are incessant police killings of BPITUS. A fact made even more stark considering that policing in the United States originated from “slave patrols.” It explains why the amendment preceding the fourteenth one (the Thirteenth Amendment) legalizes slavery of incarcerated individuals and disproportionately those individuals look just like the original slaves. Slavery is quite legal, still, in the United States.
It explains why Jim Crow laws required separate facilities for BPITUS. No separate facilities for Asians, Original Americans, Latinos, Arabs, or Eskimos. It explains why even other “people of color” will refer to a BPITUS as a “nigger” in a heartbeat. It explains why we rank lowest in literacy, familial wealth, home ownership and governmental representation. It explains why even though European-American/white women have the highest breast cancer incidence rate in the United States, Black women have a higher death rate from breast cancer than European/white women even though they have a lower incidence rate. It explains why Black Men in the United States have the shortest life expectancy of any other demographic in the United States. It explains why we rank number one in heart disease and hypertension.
It also explains why the United States has never formally “apologized” for slavery. After all, why apologize to your refrigerator? Or your garage? Or your clothing? One would likely apologize to one’s dog first, for even a dog knows the difference between being stumbled over and being kicked."
and yes. I saw you responded in an earlier post to a white reader that if you opened even one white person's eyes, your goal has been reached. You've certainly widened my eyes in almost all of your posts. But after fifty years of arguing that people become owned by owning the resources, this post stretched my thoughts into the outer limits. I have always argued the above and suddenly I'm bombarded that people (American--blacks only) were not just being owned by others owning the resources, but were considered to be exactly the same as the resources; or just The resources. It is overwhelming, and much more than eye-opening it is a boring a drill right through my eyes into "seeing" one of the most profound thoughts I have ever encountered
Rohn, unfortunately, you aren’t missing anything. Anyone who can’t view the obvious racism is worse than blind. What defines a person? Requirements of any kind are inappropriate and racist, as is anything beyond showing up.
I am also a reader, not matching your depth, but I learned everything of value in my life from reading and first-hand experience. As a not great school student and no university, I’ve learned to build homes, build cabinets, build and operate computers and networks, run government programs, write books and publish them by reading and just jumping in despite obstacles. But my most serious education clearly began when I found your Substack, another significant contribution to my education that I sincerely appreciate and value. Learning doesn’t have to stop even at 85.
Your words on Liberty made me think of a special situation. I’m blessed with an extraordinarily intelligent and honest wife. So, besides my morning reading, I have the unique opportunity to discuss things with someone who will quickly point out any bullshit I may run into. Many years ago, I was describing my arrogant feelings about independence, and she quickly educated me on the difference between independence and freedom by writing it out for me.
Independence is Hard and Cold
Freedom is Warm and Loving
Freedom is Soaring With Eagles
Dancing Naked In The Rain
Laughing Over Death and
Crying Over A Flower
It touched me so deeply that I carved a large mahogany plaque with a soaring eagle and gave it to her for her birthday. It still hangs on our bedroom wall, and I wanted to share it with you. Thanks for all the invaluable lessons.
"I’m blessed with an extraordinarily intelligent and honest wife. So, besides my morning reading, I have the unique opportunity to discuss things with someone who will quickly point out any bullshit I may run into."
How exquisitely beautiful, even when mitigated by my envy.
I trust you "count your blessings."
You'd best, mate.
Oh yes! Going on 35 years and I'll keep counting. As it turns out, the second time around sometimes works. Thanks.
I've known for decades that I "enjoy" white privilege. Through your writings, I am finally seeing what that really means, and it's a hell of a lot more than I ever imagined. Thank you for helping me understand.
Whether I have two subscribers, or two million, I make it my business to get acquainted with them;. Provided I might "discriminate" the humans, perhaps even "persons," from everything from bots to nuts. As in coo-coo hut, not the edible nuts.
Since I am well aware you are an actual "person," let me be frank in informing you that IF, in my life, I have changed the mind of a single soul through my presence, my presence has been warranted.
I sure hope so.
quite correct. while I equate indentured with slavery, and much laboring for others; this were "contracts." Slavery and contracts can be historically related.
But as far as all of my research into slavery, labor, contracts, et. al, only black Americans were "property."
Contracts can temporarily own a person by the contract and do much physical and mental damage to the contractee in terms of abuse; but they were never property. Only black Americans were ever slaves who were property. Serfs belonged to the property, but were not themselves property.
Does this perhaps black Americans were not ever slaves, only property, not even distinguished from the cotton or whatever they were used to cultivate. The amendments allowed people to remain "slaves" in prison, but they are not the property of the prison.
Slavery does not equate to property. It is certainly true one may become enslaved by their property, the own their car, but to a certain extent the car may own the person's mobility. But beyond that probable psychological faction we do not consider property as enslaved to us.
How, therefore, could human beings, even enslaved ones, be more property, and I do say mere lightly. There is a long history between humanity and slavery, or owning other humans. Even the concept of citizenship is a declaration of ownership by the state over the citizen. But the citizens are only the slaves of the state, the property of the state is the territory and resources it entails.
And so, Mr. Kenyatta, your article brought me to this question. Were black Americans really slaves or merely Property? And could that be an answer to their continuing degradation in America as not fully being {recognized as} human?
You are a smart man, I think you know the answer.
"If one considers what I am presenting in this disquisition, my query does explain quite a bit. It explains why day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year there are incessant police killings of BPITUS. A fact made even more stark considering that policing in the United States originated from “slave patrols.” It explains why the amendment preceding the fourteenth one (the Thirteenth Amendment) legalizes slavery of incarcerated individuals and disproportionately those individuals look just like the original slaves. Slavery is quite legal, still, in the United States.
It explains why Jim Crow laws required separate facilities for BPITUS. No separate facilities for Asians, Original Americans, Latinos, Arabs, or Eskimos. It explains why even other “people of color” will refer to a BPITUS as a “nigger” in a heartbeat. It explains why we rank lowest in literacy, familial wealth, home ownership and governmental representation. It explains why even though European-American/white women have the highest breast cancer incidence rate in the United States, Black women have a higher death rate from breast cancer than European/white women even though they have a lower incidence rate. It explains why Black Men in the United States have the shortest life expectancy of any other demographic in the United States. It explains why we rank number one in heart disease and hypertension.
It also explains why the United States has never formally “apologized” for slavery. After all, why apologize to your refrigerator? Or your garage? Or your clothing? One would likely apologize to one’s dog first, for even a dog knows the difference between being stumbled over and being kicked."
and yes. I saw you responded in an earlier post to a white reader that if you opened even one white person's eyes, your goal has been reached. You've certainly widened my eyes in almost all of your posts. But after fifty years of arguing that people become owned by owning the resources, this post stretched my thoughts into the outer limits. I have always argued the above and suddenly I'm bombarded that people (American--blacks only) were not just being owned by others owning the resources, but were considered to be exactly the same as the resources; or just The resources. It is overwhelming, and much more than eye-opening it is a boring a drill right through my eyes into "seeing" one of the most profound thoughts I have ever encountered
I will consider that the high praise that it is.