Those were the days
Abraham Lincoln and his wife were crossing the land so vast that in any direction one could only see where the sky touched the horizon. Their horse drawn carriage passed a white man herding six n.. male children all crying as the heat from the sun pelted their dehydrated bodies and the whip forced their little steps another mile. Just bought from the slave markets. Those were the days.
Billie Holiday sang “Strange Fruit” of n..s hanging from trees. Such events happen when a bored white man decided on an impromptu picnic or pick a n.. for hanging. Those were the days.
N.. families covering generations from toddlers to those near the grave have watched as each limb of the biggest n.. (no need to mention brother, father, grandpa, cousin, etc – why personalize him – ‘n’ generates more hatred) in the plantation, gets tied to each of four horses then pulled apart. Those were the days.
Since then, America has grown up. Although a part of us still wants to hate, the Lincoln in us sees the human despite the derogatory name. And like Lincoln, more of our actions contribute toward a better America, otherwise, hostility would have already destroyed America. That's the job of the terrorists.
‘N’ is meant to disregard the man and summon the hatred of the past: A U-turn back to a past for stirring up old wounds and where some of us dreamily relive the old days. But, clearly, The larger part of America has grown beyond those deep hostilities that would return us to barbarism. We ARE Americans. We will not self destruct.