Time warp

I’m a big fan of science fiction. I grew up on a daily diet of the original Star Trek series. I watched mesmerized, with my Major Matt Mason action figure in my hand as I watched the moon landing in 1969. One of my favorite science fiction storylines involve time travel. I found just the concept of going back into the past riveting.

So, when I heard of the racist comments from a Houston area school administrator criticizing Houston Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson, I thought it was 1918, not 2018. Believing that his comments would not be seen by the public, even though he took the time to post his racist rhetoric online. Interesting.

Watson’s last minute performance was not the only reason the Texans lost on that particular Sunday. But we all know that while the quarterback gets all the glory for the win, he also gets all the blame for the loss. They’re grown men who make millions, so I expect them to understand whatever criticisms that come their way. But this particular school administrator not only criticized Watson’s game performance, he further demeaned all black quarterbacks by saying, “When you need precision decision making you can’t count on a black quarterback.”

Everyone has an opinion. Even stupid ones. But for a moment I thought I was in 1918 when white supremacists believed blacks were not evolved enough to be considered equal to whites. Stay in your own schools. Stay in your own neighborhoods. Marry your own kind. Yep, white supremacists thought they knew it all. Blacks were just too stupid to intellectually compete with whites. Its ok if blacks play football, after all they can run and jump better than others. Remember, thirty years ago Jimmy the Greek said blacks were bred to be athletically better. He was summarily fired after his comments were published in the newspapers. But had he told the truth?

Now, Jimmy was probably tipsy when he made those comments and probably never thought they would cost him his job. So I really don’t understand why everyone got in an uproar when this school administrator made his observation. Had he told the truth? Unlikely. Scientists proved a long time ago that there was no difference in cognitive ability between races. So, in that case, he did not tell the truth.

However, like Jimmy the Greek, this school administrator lost his job. Within days of his comments he resigned his six-figure income job. In 1918, such comments would have probably been applauded. Not so today. But while I should have felt a sense of outrage, I remember shrugging my shoulders and thinking that I was not surprised. In the Age of Trump, such opinions seem to be appearing in public spaces with more and more frequency.

The crew of the Starship Enterprise often traveled back in time for myriad reasons. Likewise, the black community is often forced to time travel back to the “good ‘ole days” when “us darkies” knew our place.

Yep, I love science fiction. But I know those stories are not real. Sadly, the black community live in a world that is all too real. One where some out there still believe in black inferiority.

Talk to you soon.

PS: Anyone seen the President’s taxes? Still waiting.