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First of all, I want to apologize for not using the lj-cut tag earlier on this entry. I felt that it was important for people to read all the way through and be informed that this sort of thing is going on, even in some of the most liberal places.
As the title says, I feel nauseated. Not because I'm physically sick, but because I cannot believe the filth that is still being circulated in the world today.
On Tuesday, when I was cleaning the store, I found a pamphlet on the floor next to the front door. Curious, I picked it up and glanced at it. The title was: Truth Tract No.7, Interracial Dating Interracial Marriage--Right or Wrong? by Dr. E.R. Fields. This pamphlet changed my life--it made me want to hurl. I glanced through it, thinking it was an old pamphlet, hoping it was well-researched and documented. No such luck.
I'm not sure when this pamphlet was published, but it has Montel Williams and his wife on the front of it, along with their baby (possibly the cutest little thing I've ever seen, despite the unflattering photo). They're all smiling and looking happy. Mr. Williams, if you ever read this LJ, I think you should find these people and sue their pants off. You could probably get them for libel and slander. *nodnods* The pamphelt is published by a "newspaper" called The Truth At Last. Their website is here, if you want to go and be absolutely sickened by the continued hatred of people just because they happen to not be white: http://www.stormfront.org/truth_at_last/index2.htm.
And, if you like, you can go here to find out WHY they feel that they need to spread this hatred around: http://www.stormfront.org/truth_at_last/about.htm. You can't get there from the main page, because their link is messed up. Apparently, they can't design a webpage properly.
I was absolutely shocked, and I continue to be shocked, as I read through this pamphlet. For a doctor, Mr. E.R. Fields has pretty shoddy and biased research methods. He makes a lot of statements like "Interracial Breeding Threatens All" and "Interbreeding of the Races Destroys Civilization," and then he doesn't back them up with anything other than his own biases and a few actual facts THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE. For instance, Dr. Fields claims that civilizations like ancient Egypt, India, Brazil, and ancient Carthage were "destroyed" because of "interbreeding" with dark-skinned people. He uses the words "breeding" and "interbreeding" a lot. 'Scuse me, Doctor, but we aren't showdogs. A dog show is the only place I can think of where "breeding" really counts. Also, that "breeding" that makes a showdog win prizes can also cause a lot of problems. Inbreeding causes more health problems than this "interbreeding" could ever cause. Many of the royal families of Europe (no offense, your Majesties, if you should deign to read this) often suffered from hemophilia, minor and major insanities, and various other problems because they were only allowed to marry people of their rank--and those people tended to be first or second cousins. Anyway...
The Doctor also claims that dark-skinned people are of "inferior racial stock" and so therefore should not be allowed to mix with whites. He also says that the pre-civil rights South had segregation laws because "[t]hey did not want their civilization to decay and fall due to interbreeding with inferior racial stock." EXCUSE ME?!?! In the Human race (and, IMHO, there is only ONE race on this planet, and that is HUMAN), there is no such thing as "inferior racial stock." We are all human beings, we all have the same basic needs and desires, we all have feelings, and we all have cultural differences, even among "races," that must be dealt with and overcome in order to communicate effectively.
I can't go over everything in this pamphlet here--maybe I'll write a researched essay about it sometime and post it on my webpage when I get it up. I did, however, want to touch on one last section that made me particularly angry: "What THE HOLY BIBLE Says About Race Mixing".
Okay, now I'm bringing religion into this, but even if you're not religious, I think you can appreciate my outrage. As a Christian, I am absolutely furious, as well as saddened, by the fact that this person should write a pamphlet broadcasting hatred, and then use the Bible to back him up. Admittedly, he only cites a few verses, and he totally misinterprets them, but someone who reads this pamphlet might believe him and think that God hates dark-skinned people. He doesn't. So hah. Allow me to refute a few of the Doctor's claims:
1. The Doctor claims that "Acts 17:24-28 says that God made man 'and hath determined the bounds of their habitation.'" What does this have to do with race? He doesn't explain. Next!
2. The doctor claims that "Genesis 28:1, says that the Canaanites (blacks) were the 'servants of servants' and Isaac called Jacob and said unto him, "Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan." Okay, so I looked this up. First of all, who says that the Canaanites were black? And ALL of these people were living in a desert, Middle-Eastern area, right? So wouldn't they ALL be dark-skinned? Also, when Isaac called Jacob to him and told him not to marry a Canaanite, that was because the Canaanites were of a different religion. (I have no opinion on this at this point, them's the facts if you take the Bible literally, as these people seem to.) Isaac was also saving Jacob from his brother, Esau, whom Jacob had tricked and who was going to kill Jacob as soon as he could. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CANAANITE'S SKIN COLOR! HELLO?!?!
3. Last quote: "Jeremiah 13:23 stresses the fact that we can not make white people out of the Negroes in these words: 'Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?' This could be interpreted as a warning that Negroes could breed Whites down into mongrels but that we can never breed them up to Whites." And...why would we want to make Black people into White people? Black people (or African-American, or whatever you want to be called, I'm fine) are just great the way they are! Everybody is fine, just the way they are! And this verse simply says that we can't be other than we are! Also, to finish that quote: "Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." Jeremiah wasn't talking about race, he was talking about the Jewish people of his time--HIS people--turning away from God and needing to repent. THIS, AGAIN, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE!
To finish this rant: All of these Biblical quotes, excepting the one from Paul, which has nothing to do with race, are from the Old Testament. The Doctor, who is taking quotes from the Bible, totally ignores the New Testament and Jesus's admonitions to "Do not judge, or you too will be judged"(Matthew 7:1, NIV). This seems a bit hypocritical to me.
Thank you for reading. Let's make sure that this poorly-researched, just plain stupid stuff doesn't go any further. Be informed. Do your homework. Stop racism and stupid people who claim to be doctors. Thank you!
And now, a quiz.
Which Sluggy Freelance Character Are You?
Are we surprised? Nope.
As the title says, I feel nauseated. Not because I'm physically sick, but because I cannot believe the filth that is still being circulated in the world today.
On Tuesday, when I was cleaning the store, I found a pamphlet on the floor next to the front door. Curious, I picked it up and glanced at it. The title was: Truth Tract No.7, Interracial Dating Interracial Marriage--Right or Wrong? by Dr. E.R. Fields. This pamphlet changed my life--it made me want to hurl. I glanced through it, thinking it was an old pamphlet, hoping it was well-researched and documented. No such luck.
I'm not sure when this pamphlet was published, but it has Montel Williams and his wife on the front of it, along with their baby (possibly the cutest little thing I've ever seen, despite the unflattering photo). They're all smiling and looking happy. Mr. Williams, if you ever read this LJ, I think you should find these people and sue their pants off. You could probably get them for libel and slander. *nodnods* The pamphelt is published by a "newspaper" called The Truth At Last. Their website is here, if you want to go and be absolutely sickened by the continued hatred of people just because they happen to not be white: http://www.stormfront.org/truth_at_last/index2.htm.
And, if you like, you can go here to find out WHY they feel that they need to spread this hatred around: http://www.stormfront.org/truth_at_last/about.htm. You can't get there from the main page, because their link is messed up. Apparently, they can't design a webpage properly.
I was absolutely shocked, and I continue to be shocked, as I read through this pamphlet. For a doctor, Mr. E.R. Fields has pretty shoddy and biased research methods. He makes a lot of statements like "Interracial Breeding Threatens All" and "Interbreeding of the Races Destroys Civilization," and then he doesn't back them up with anything other than his own biases and a few actual facts THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE. For instance, Dr. Fields claims that civilizations like ancient Egypt, India, Brazil, and ancient Carthage were "destroyed" because of "interbreeding" with dark-skinned people. He uses the words "breeding" and "interbreeding" a lot. 'Scuse me, Doctor, but we aren't showdogs. A dog show is the only place I can think of where "breeding" really counts. Also, that "breeding" that makes a showdog win prizes can also cause a lot of problems. Inbreeding causes more health problems than this "interbreeding" could ever cause. Many of the royal families of Europe (no offense, your Majesties, if you should deign to read this) often suffered from hemophilia, minor and major insanities, and various other problems because they were only allowed to marry people of their rank--and those people tended to be first or second cousins. Anyway...
The Doctor also claims that dark-skinned people are of "inferior racial stock" and so therefore should not be allowed to mix with whites. He also says that the pre-civil rights South had segregation laws because "[t]hey did not want their civilization to decay and fall due to interbreeding with inferior racial stock." EXCUSE ME?!?! In the Human race (and, IMHO, there is only ONE race on this planet, and that is HUMAN), there is no such thing as "inferior racial stock." We are all human beings, we all have the same basic needs and desires, we all have feelings, and we all have cultural differences, even among "races," that must be dealt with and overcome in order to communicate effectively.
I can't go over everything in this pamphlet here--maybe I'll write a researched essay about it sometime and post it on my webpage when I get it up. I did, however, want to touch on one last section that made me particularly angry: "What THE HOLY BIBLE Says About Race Mixing".
Okay, now I'm bringing religion into this, but even if you're not religious, I think you can appreciate my outrage. As a Christian, I am absolutely furious, as well as saddened, by the fact that this person should write a pamphlet broadcasting hatred, and then use the Bible to back him up. Admittedly, he only cites a few verses, and he totally misinterprets them, but someone who reads this pamphlet might believe him and think that God hates dark-skinned people. He doesn't. So hah. Allow me to refute a few of the Doctor's claims:
1. The Doctor claims that "Acts 17:24-28 says that God made man 'and hath determined the bounds of their habitation.'" What does this have to do with race? He doesn't explain. Next!
2. The doctor claims that "Genesis 28:1, says that the Canaanites (blacks) were the 'servants of servants' and Isaac called Jacob and said unto him, "Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan." Okay, so I looked this up. First of all, who says that the Canaanites were black? And ALL of these people were living in a desert, Middle-Eastern area, right? So wouldn't they ALL be dark-skinned? Also, when Isaac called Jacob to him and told him not to marry a Canaanite, that was because the Canaanites were of a different religion. (I have no opinion on this at this point, them's the facts if you take the Bible literally, as these people seem to.) Isaac was also saving Jacob from his brother, Esau, whom Jacob had tricked and who was going to kill Jacob as soon as he could. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CANAANITE'S SKIN COLOR! HELLO?!?!
3. Last quote: "Jeremiah 13:23 stresses the fact that we can not make white people out of the Negroes in these words: 'Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?' This could be interpreted as a warning that Negroes could breed Whites down into mongrels but that we can never breed them up to Whites." And...why would we want to make Black people into White people? Black people (or African-American, or whatever you want to be called, I'm fine) are just great the way they are! Everybody is fine, just the way they are! And this verse simply says that we can't be other than we are! Also, to finish that quote: "Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." Jeremiah wasn't talking about race, he was talking about the Jewish people of his time--HIS people--turning away from God and needing to repent. THIS, AGAIN, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE!
To finish this rant: All of these Biblical quotes, excepting the one from Paul, which has nothing to do with race, are from the Old Testament. The Doctor, who is taking quotes from the Bible, totally ignores the New Testament and Jesus's admonitions to "Do not judge, or you too will be judged"(Matthew 7:1, NIV). This seems a bit hypocritical to me.
Thank you for reading. Let's make sure that this poorly-researched, just plain stupid stuff doesn't go any further. Be informed. Do your homework. Stop racism and stupid people who claim to be doctors. Thank you!
And now, a quiz.
Which Sluggy Freelance Character Are You?
Are we surprised? Nope.
