Zimmerman, God, and Whitey

I have tried to stay pretty much out of the whole Zimmerman business.  I kept my peace when I was basically told any black death is an unjustified murder, anything done to blacks is because white America is evil, and if a black does anything to a white person, it is karmic payback.

But you know something?  I just read an article that draws the line for me.

Associate Professor at the U of Pennsylvania Anthea Butler posted a story on her blog called The Zimmerman Acquittal:  America's Racist God.  If you have nothing better to do, you can read it here.  If not, let me hit the "high points" for them.

Let us start with the semi-ridiculous beginning of her claim:

God ain’t good all of the time. In fact, sometimes, God is not for us. As a black woman in a nation that has taken too many pains to remind me that I am not a white man, and am not capable of taking care of my reproductive rights, or my voting rights, I know that this American god ain’t my god. As a matter of fact, I think he’s a white racist god with a problem. More importantly, he is carrying a gun and stalking young black men.


So, once again, we have man blaming his failures on God.  Much like our Rabbi a couple days ago, there has to be a way to escape the blame for our own problems.  Lady, you have a problem with the political system.  Maybe you have a reason- but seeings as you have all those degrees and a nice Ivy League job, I kinda wonder.  Either way, there's no such thing as an "American god."


When George Zimmerman told Sean Hannity that it was God’s will that he shot and killed Trayvon Martin, he was diving right into what most good conservative Christians in America think right now. Whatever makes them protected, safe, and secure, is worth it at the expense of the black and brown people they fear.
Their god is the god that wants to erase race, make everyone act “properly” and respect, as the president said, “a nation of laws”; laws that they made to crush those they consider inferior.


Point #1 here- I don't recall God making George Zimmerman His spokesman.  There is a lot of people out there talking about God's will- especially when it involves something happening that they don't like.  Point #2- I would like to posit that Anthea Butler doesn't speak for "most good conservative Christians" and what they want, either.  The things that make me feel safe, protected, and secure have nothing to do with the color of anybody.  And they do not cost black America- or her- one red cent.  Point #3- "Laws made to crush those they consider inferior"... Which laws would that be?  The ones that allow me to defend myself if a black "man" wants to steal what I worked for?  The laws that put you in jail for robbery, rape, murder?  Ms. Butler, right now the only thing I consider inferior on you is your intellect.

The lamentation of the African-American community at yet another injustice, the surprise and disgust of others who understand, stand against this pseudo-god of capitalisms and incarceration that threaten to take over our nation.

Ah, the communist sheds her skin.  Why are your people incarcerated?  They commit crimes.  Why do they commit crimes?  To get money.  Why do they want money?  Because it makes the "world turn".  Why don't they have money?  Why not?  You have money, Professor Butler.  How did you get it?  You WORKED for it.  Thus, they have as good as shot as you did to get a job and make something of themselves.  Why do they commit crimes?  BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO WORK. 

Is this ALL blacks?  Of course not.  After all, you, Professor Butler are evidence of that.  Was Trayvon Martin working?  I don't know.  It certainly seems that drugs and sex were higher up the list for him... as well as class envy.  Why else be somewhere that something like this could happen?

Professor Butler, you come into this with a large chip/chips on your shoulder.  You won't be happy till all your people have what white people do... I have no problem with that.  You have it, and you worked for it; but you'd rather yell at whitey to give "your people" what you worked for for free than yell at them to get up and work for it like you did.  Where along the line did you strip your hard work of all its positives, in order to manufacture a poison that you spread to your readers and-presumably- your students?

When the laws were never made for people who were considered, constitutionally, to be three-fifths of a person, I have to ask: Is this just? Is it right?


When the good Christians of America are some of its biggest racists, one has to consider our moral responsibility to call out those who clearly are not for human flourishing, no matter what ethnicity a person is.


And how GOOD of you to forget that it was those good white racist Christians that risked life and limb to help slaves escape their masters, who fought in the public square to repeal fugitive slave laws, who fought to win freedom for the mutineers on the Amistad.  John Brown gave his life trying to win black freedom with force- and failed when none of the blacks he was fighting for got off their asses to HELP.  HOW DARE YOU criticize Christians when they were doing the job for you when you couldn't?  Oh, well that was then, this is now right?  Well let me add from your blog's comment session something which. while you didn't say it, was woven through your entire post:

 How can you not expect these kinds of feelings when we as white people, OWNED black people not 160 years ago.

It works both ways, Professor.  You are wrong about Christians, and you are wrong about God, and you are wrong about me.  You are so blinded by hatred over a racism that you should have overcome that you cannot see objectively, and so confused by your liberal training that you have know idea about faith or God, both of which have nothing to do with religion.