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THE DOCTOR IS IN - There's no question that there is right-wing racism that plagues this nation, but with the exception of those who are OK with whistling past the graveyard of American culture and race relations, the left-wing racism and those who make a living exploiting interracial race conflict have trashed MLK's message of racial equality.
Martin Luther King's messages of judging people of character rather than the color of their skin, and that we should all focus on love and courage rather than those who promote hate, are now lost amidst a sea of corporate, cultural, economic, and political opportunists who love to divide us...all while gaslighting us to death with their claims of wanting "racial justice" and "unity".
1) We used to care about police giving their lives for the protection of us all, including brown/black police officers and for brown/black civilians...but no more. We tend to shrug our shoulders when police officers die in the line of duty, and these stories just don't make the high point of the news.
2) Murder and mayhem in our cities, including that of Chicago with its tone-deaf and mean-spirited Mayor Lori Lightfoot, really doesn't make the news cycle (except perhaps on Fox News). We've really gotten "OK" with brown/black murders in our cities and nation, haven't we?
3) George Floyd's death at the hands of one of the most unprofessional and merciless police officers we've ever seen does NOT excuse the death and mayhem that occurred in neighborhoods (mostly black, and with predominantly black victims), and the fact that L.A. Police Chief Moore had to apologize for decrying those who looted in the riots following Floyd's death is about as obscene as Floyd's death itself.
4) Police Chief Moore's banning the Thin Blue Line flag because it represents racist and bigoted views is just as sick as the aforementioned apology.
The claim that “extremist" groups are supposedly adopting the Blue Lives Matter as their own cause/flag is itself a false flag, and it's also gaslighting at its worst. Shall we start banning the 1619 Project because of those who've abused Black Lives Matter?
Let's call it what it is: anti-police sentiment, and it's going to lead to more deaths of urban black/brown Americans. Moore ought to have his mouth washed out with soap, and clearly wants to pander to those who hate what he is supposed to stand for: law, order, safety, and a quality of life for law-abiding Angelenos.
5) Racial reparations? Really? For WHO?
This Jewish white American didn't kill Christ, and his ancestors arrived here a century ago. We didn't own slaves, were the victims of discrimination, and yours truly didn't get into a Californian medical school despite graduating summa cum laude because I was a "white male". This was told to my face by more than one advisor professional.
And Lord help Asian applicants to medical school.
I still pushed for minority recruitment in medical school in Galveston, TX, and I still pushed HARD for the Exposition Light Rail Line to help bring neighborhoods and races together. And I am not alone. Reparations for WHOM? Paid for by WHOM?
We're all the same under the skin, and as a dermatologist who takes care of skin disorders of all types, and who taught "ethnic dermatology" 20 years ago, and long before it became a popular "thing", this whole typecasting of people by skin color or gender is just sickening.
MLK is certainly rolling in his grave if he can hear and know what's being propagated by those claiming to unite us when any sane and logical person can conclude that the "uniters" are "dividers" and opportunists by nature.
I adore and worship the message of MLK...and I won't stand by idly or "shut up" now or in the future.
Civil rights must be taken back by Joe/Jane Americans of all colors and should no longer be "owned" by the dividers and the racists among us.
(Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D, is a dermatologist who has served in clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, and is a proud husband and father to his wonderful wife and two cherished children. He was termed out of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) twice after two stints as a Board member for 9, years and is also a Board member of the Westside Village Homeowners Association. He previously co-chaired the MVCC Outreach, Planning, and Transportation/Infrastructure Committees for 10 years. He was previously co-chair of the CD11 Transportation Advisory Committee, the grassroots Friends of the Green Line (which focused on a Green Line/LAX connection), and the nonprofit Transit Coalition His latest project is his fictional online book entitled The Unforgotten Tales of Middle-Earth and can be reached at [email protected]. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Dr. Alpern.)
