Today's Devotional

 

 July 15, 2009

           

Subject:  The New Color Of Racism

Job 8:3 "Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?"

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You may have heard of this case if you've been keeping track of the hearings for Supreme Court Justice nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.  The case, Ricci v. DeStefano, which the justice-designate had joined, was recently reversed by the high court, ruling that the city of New Haven, Connecticut could not set aside the results of a test taken by firefighters merely because those who earned promotion to lieutenant were all white.  The city believed that a result so at odds with the demographic population which is 60% Hispanic and African American, must somehow be flawed and so they attempted to throw the test out and try another one.   I guess they would try until they could get results they liked.  Ridiculous! 

The argument against racism was always about equal opportunity and having a level "playing field" on which to compete.  If everyone had an equal opportunity to study and prepare for the test, then the results are what they are.  Do we now have to make provision for a group who decided that they didn't have to study as hard because, "if 'we' don't get in, they can throw out the test?"  Absurd!

This was the logical next step after hearing the argument for many years that black people "can't be racist."  I thought then that there were some real misunderstandings of racism and so here we are.

Lady justice, the symbol that we use to personify the moral force in our judicial systems, seems to be peaking through the blindfold.  In the process, she is creating a new color of racism.  This is a perversion of justice and since the scripture asks, I'll answer.  God didn't do it, we did.  

Carlen