Racism

Chivalry-Now would not be complete without confronting the topic of racism.
     Why?
     Because the essence of Chivalry-Now gives us the strength, courage and conviction to face all our problems head on—and there is no stain more pernicious to our culture than racism, despite all attempts to eradicate or deny it.
     Racism is one of those large-scale sins that cannot be easily discarded or tucked away. It produces shame so deep that it is difficult to admit to, much less confront it with strong-willed commitment. The very hint of being a "racist" draws the ire of most people who embrace racist ideas. The introduction of the word often ends any meaningful dialog.
     It is important to understand, then, that shame, and the inability to face it, forms an impediment to healing.
     But heal we must. Racism, in its many forms, has held all of us back too long. Whether we are the victims or the perpetrators, it wounds us all.
     The first barrier we must overcome is our tendency to point to someone else's guilt, as if that somehow ameliorates our own. ("Why pick on us? They do it too.")
     It is true that racism is not solely a Western phenomenon. We see it in other cultures, historically and even today. To use such a misleading excuse as a dodge shows how serious our problem is. That others might propagate racism as well means nothing to our own culpability. Confessing the sins of others is merely a sordid attempt to downplay our own. It is the coward's path, and incompatible with Chivalry-Now.
     The manly thing to do is to admit our wrongs and do our best to fix them.
     Consider this for a moment: As soon as you accept this corrective role, your culpability changes. You become a defender of what is right and true, no longer a reluctant, shame-driven champion for past wrongs. Your whole outlook changes.
     If you look at racism for what it is, you will see how it betrays our finest ideals as Americans. Each race is comprised of individuals — no two people exactly alike. To lump entire populations into caricatures of race is ridiculous from the very start.
     Some people feel the need to believe they are superior because of the group they belong to. It may be a particular race, or religion or profession. But what does that mean? Doesn't this stem from an insecurity that contradicts its very premise? Taking pride from someone else's achievements says nothing about you as a person? You can only take authentic pride from who you are and what you do-and looking down on other people is nothing to be proud of. Being part of a particular race does not somehow expiate your sins, or make you inherently more intelligent, kind or courteous. You have to do these things yourself, no matter who you are or where your ancestors came from.
     The second thing we have to do on our way to absolution is admit past sins. And they are many, more than can be listed here.
     Suffice it to say, we tarnished our highest ideals with hypocrisy. We were ready to bend any law of human decency in the name of profit, whether it was procuring cheap labor or grabbing someone else's resources.

1. We spoke of freedom for all while enslaving Africans.
   
2. We spoke of human rights while decimating our native population.
   
3. As an aside, but nonetheless related, we spoke of democracy while denying women the right to vote.

These three great offenses have been somewhat rectified over the centuries, but not completely. Tough scars of resistance remain, along with scars of denial and a lack of conscience.
     We need the courage to face these hypocrisies, and see them for what they are. There is no other way to purge them from our lives.
     Historically, western colonialism was based on a form of racism, claiming lands and resources that belonged to other people. Today, we have the exploitation of impoverished workers, both domestically and in foreign lands. The assumption that the poor of other lands are not worthy of the same rights and protections as our own, makes clear our mindset of putting aside our fundamental beliefs for the lure of profit. Greed propagates racism as much as fear and ignorance.
     What does all this have to do with Chivalry-Now? It strikes the very heart of our ideals. Bigotry is a disease of the heart and soul. Like a cancer, it migrates into other areas in one's life until it destroys it altogether.
     Hatred and bigotry fundamentally corrupt the foundation of personal honor and integrity. How could the dichotomy of belief be otherwise? Honor and integrity are nothing but a pernicious façade without the fire of inner conscience to bring them to life.
     How can we speak of justice if it does not include everyone? How do we defend what is right by ignoring what is wrong, no matter how well hidden? If courtesy is not genuine, if we extend it only to those "like us," it becomes a ritual that smacks of hypocrisy.
     There is no humility in racial discrimination. Quite the opposite. Nothing more amply illustrates the sin of baseless, self-serving and degenerative pride.
     If we love our culture, and there is so much that deserves our love, we need to rescue it from every trace of racism and sexism. We only start to do that when we rescue ourselves first. This quest is as much internal as it is social.
     The greatness of our ideals provides us the fortitude to openly face our collective shame and correct it. Our own scruples push us to make things right, despite hundreds of years of our own resistance.
     And when people tell you that they, themselves, never owned slaves, or their ancestors were not here at the time of slavery, or that they just ignore minorities with a "live and let live" attitude, know in your heart of hearts that such quips provide no answer. The fact is that the problem of racism exists. It is our duty to challenge it as the last great dragon of our mutual quest. The wrongness of an act does not depend on our initiating it, but on our subtle support, our denial, our lack of speaking up for what is right.
     Do not hate the racist. He or she is as much as victim of it as anyone else, a victim of blindness and shame. It is our duty, when opportunity calls, to eliminate that blindness and shame with firm understanding and concern. Outright contention may sometimes be necessary, but be aware, contention usually provokes resistance.
     We want to promote open minds, not closed ones.