It’s truly American to speak your mind

I don’t know what’s going on. Have we stopped being Americans or forgotten what being an American means?

I don’t know what’s going on these days. Have we stopped being Americans or forgotten what being an American means?

In a country where freedom of speech is one of the pillars that anchor our society, Americans have curiously zipped their lips — except through anonymous social media handles where they unload on all the issues they are afraid to take a stand on in person.

Right now, it seems we’re not talking about important issues that are affecting us personally and our day-to-day quality of life.

Many seem wrapped in a tightly wound ball, afraid to say anything, but I am not sure why: We’re Americans; why is everyone so afraid to say what’s on their minds?

This crap about “I’m afraid of retaliation” is ridiculous. What’s the sense in being an American if you’re afraid to speak up? That option lies in other countries and, as a veteran who has been to a number of them, believe me, you want to live in America. But that doesn’t mean we should be blind to what’s going on. Sorry, I am just not built that way.

I am opinionated. So what? There is no malice in my writing and I do not wish anyone ill will.

But asking me to cower under a cloud of political correctness doesn’t work for me. I have no problem writing about what I see as a problem with police — just like I won’t have a problem writing about what I see as problems in the black community in an upcoming column. I see no reason not to challenge what I see as wrong. If that’s the case, I may as well get on a plane and head to North Korea where I can spend the rest of my life kowtowing.

I knew I would get a lot of ugly comments on my column about police. I knew I would be accused of fanning the flames. But that’s the problem; we see anyone who doesn’t fit into our cozy little closets as troublemakers.

Just curious: Does the name Daniel Shaver from Arizona ring a bell? How about James Scott from North Dakota? They are just two of 732 white men shot and killed by police last year through July. Both were unarmed. But nobody is talking about that or them either — and I guess anyone who does is a racist or cop-hater — because that’s what it has come down to.

If you criticize police, you hate them; if you criticize blacks, you’re a racist; if you criticize whites, you’re piling on the guilt; if you criticize Hispanics, you’re against immigration.

But why? Have we really become that sensitive? This habit we have adopted of being politically correct and tip-toeing around important issues instead of tackling them head-on is only creating a deeper divide between people.

Too many of us have decided that political rhetoric, TV sound bites and pundits will be our voice. So what’s the answer? As Americans, we shouldn’t remain quiet on issues we are passionate about — that doesn’t work.

Just ask the folks here at the Register.

Contrary to popular belief, not all newsrooms are filled with flaming liberals. We have some pretty die-hard conservatives here and we all have opinions on race, police, poverty and other ills affecting society — and some lively conversations during our story meetings, where we have learned a lot about each other and some of our cultural differences: some of it hilarious, some of it somber, some of it thought-provoking. What we don’t do is hurl accusations, call each other names or dismiss what is important to the person who may have an alternative opinion.

We always manage to leave the conference room laughing and I, along with probably the most rightwing, opinionated conservative guy here, make our way outside where we smoke and continue the conversation. He jokingly tells me I am a black Republican who doesn’t realize it; I tell him I am probably like most Democrats. I love working with him.

Everybody seems to have an agenda these days, but what’s not listed on some of them is peace, love and harmony. We can jump, scream, pound our fists against the wall and damn everything and everybody to hell, but there is one inescapable reality: when all is said and done, none of us are going anywhere. Whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans as well as every other race will always be here — and not all of us will ever be on the same page.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t coexist. Once again, racism has sent out its attack dogs with teeth gnashing at the bonds blacks and whites and other cultures have spent decades molding into a cohesive unit that, for the most part, has allowed for a peaceful existence.

We have a problem with race relations, police and poverty and a whole host of other issues we need to talk about.

And based on my conversations with people I talk to every day during my daily commute, everybody has something to say about the problems America is facing.

So why aren’t we talking to each other?

That’s part of being an American. Try it; you’ll like it.