Systematic Racism In America
A Memoir By Angela Harrelson And How George Floyd’s Murder Changed The World
Photo by Gary Anthony Albrecht
To Angela Harrelson’s everlasting credit, she reports the good encounters she’s had with white people, as well as strongly pointing out the ingrained racism that exists in America. She had a message, she delivered it. Her account of George Floyd’s criminal activity, his lack of support (deceased mother, no father figure), and God-fearing people making bad decisions makes this non-fictional memoir a must read for all Americans. Citizens from other countries, with their own assorted kind of inequality and racism, will find this book a compelling read, too. Angela Harrelson worked in the tabaco fields when she was a little girl, in North Carolina, pushed through many set-backs, went to college, enlisted in the military, and became a professional nurse. She gives an excellent account of what Black-Americans have had to go through--and still go through, from slaves being not allowed to speak their own language, peonage (somebody paying off a debt by working at something against their will), to POLICE BRUTALITY. I couldn’t believe it when I read in this book: "Under qualified immunity, a police officer who grievously injures or even kills a suspect doesn’t face prosecution..." What! Derek Chauvin getting 22.5 years in jail is a major breakthrough for all Americans.
Angela Harrelson is calling for everyone to lift their voice against systematic racism. Time to lift my voice and offer some thoughts:
Natural Law: Dr. Bernard Mauser writes, “Natural law says there is a moral law that is a standard of good (or right) and evil (or wrong) that it reaches to every person. A person’s genetics, culture, and education does not determine good and evil. The natural moral law is the standard by which every culture and person can be judged." He goes on to say... "When humans act in accordance with reason, their actions are good and right. When they act against reason, their actions are evil and wrong.” The heart and soul of 'Lift Your Voice' is, really, about the law that resides in every human heart.
Mr. Mauser goes on to write, “Nazi Germany, THE STATE GOVERNMENT, determined what was right and what was wrong. Those opposing the Nazis, during the Nuremberg trials, LEVERAGED their prosecution using natural law as their basis for 'crimes against humanity' ... This higher natural law judges the law of a nation.”
Does America recognize Natural Law?
Where does this 'natural law' come from? God. The 'founding fathers' must have understood this and so penned in the Declaration of Independence, nature’s-God (specifically not naming a deity), and penned in the freedoms in Article 1 of the Constitution, thus saving the people from STATE CONTROLLED religion, a theocracy, and a STATE CONTROLLED country.
As a non American, for Angela Harrelson and for the fight against systematic racism, here’s my penny’s worth opinion: I would think the 'founding fathers' would have not got America free from Great Britain, nor had the support of Americans if they had opposed slavery. Is that good? No. But did they have enough power at that time to eradicate slavery and systematic racism? No, I don’t think so. You could argue till the cows come home whether the founding fathers intended for Black-Americans to be free or not, and I’m not going to try to change anyone’s belief or opinion. But moving to the present day, do Americans have the power now to destroy America’s systematic racism? Yes, Angela Harrelson! I believe they do: you’ve got the momentum.
NATURAL LAW is the key to changing draconian laws like the police coming under qualified immunity, and amending laws that treat human-beings cruelly, specifically Black-Americans. In America, who decides what is right and what is wrong? And if America allows their systematic racism to continue... will America become like Nazi Germany was?
