Have you heard there’s a major beverage company asking people to act less white?

This could be a touchy subject for a lot of folks. And doing so could actually get some folks in trouble. Whoever came up with this idea didn’t think it through.

Suppose I, being a white person, tried to do that. Who am I going to try to emulate? Will they be offended? Judging from past performances, I’d probably over do it and get myself in hot water.

I was raised in the Deep South. The only other people I was exposed to were my black neighbors. As children, we played together, hunted and fished together. I felt like we were friends. I hope they felt the same way.

Most of us have drifted apart over the years, just like a lot of my white friends. However, I have other black friends now that I am an adult and living in a borderline state.

How would my black friends feel if I emulated them? I think they’d find it odd if I acted like anything other than myself. On the other hand, I would find it strange if they were asked to act like someone other than who they are.

I believe what that company should have asked was for all people to be more empathetic with each other. It doesn’t matter if we are Black, White, Hispanic, Italian, Irish, Republican or Democrat. We can all do better at being empathetic towards our fellow man.

We don’t have to to act less anything. We need to act more something.

I think Jesus nailed it when he was asked what the most important commandment was. He said to love God with all our heart, with all our soul and all our mind. And love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Just a little something for that major beverage company to contemplate.

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Rick Algood
February 25, 2021