A senior State Department official said that the United States will not attend the World Conference Against Racism next month in Durban, South Africa if two issues are on the agenda. The Bush administration does not want to discuss Zionism as racism and reparations for slavery and colonialism. This convention will be one of the most important international discussions of race ever held. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, NAACP, National Urban League, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights are urging the President to send a delegation to this conference. This conference is being organized by Mary Robinson, the U.N. high comissioner for human rights. She believes that the conference could result in a plan to deal with racism in the future. She also said " We have never addressed together the darker side of our society: racism, anti-Semitism, the mistreatment of immigrants, the riots in London by Asian youth and problems in Germany. It is a difficult issue." Will someone please explain why the US is not even willing to join in with the rest of the world community at this most important event?

JazzMan

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2001

Answers

Jazzman,

Please send/post a link on this issue. I would like to study it more.

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2001

I agree with President Bush's position. It is about time the the US stopped allowing the United Nations to dictate policy in the US. He is also not allowing Europe, NATO, Russia or any other nation to put its agenda ahead of our agenda. Racism is a problem in the US. It must be addressed on an individual basis. We have sufficient laws in place that if enforced will make racism unprofitable in the US. The NAACP and those other organizations have agendas that they are pursuing under the umbrella of racism.

Blessings,

Pastor Paris

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2001

Jazzman:

You opine, "Will someone please explain why the US is not even willing to join in with the rest of the world community at this most important event?" The answer is embedded in the State Department's opposition. While they [Zionist as Racism language & Reparations] are presented as proposals the effect will only be prolonged finger-pointing, name calling and accusatory rhetoric about "why" less-developed countries are being denied its fair share of global resources. The feeding frenzy on Western nations make for terrific journalism but disguises the central economic problems 2nd and 3rd tier nations face - private property, markets and political freedoms. The anti-Semitic faction within the UN is only interested in demonizing Israel and this is counter-productive for regional stability. QED

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2001

Dear Brenda,

For more details on this issue, you can try the

following sites: http://wire.ap.org

www.timesdispatch.com

It is listed under the title of US Opposes Zionism

JazzMan

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2001

Could you expect more? Look at who is represented in the Administration. I was never so deceived as to think I was or ever will be resented by it. My vote never counted and I, along with countless others, was totally disenfranchised by some method we still don't and may never understand.

Thus, in my opinion, neither Africa nor African Americans or even human rights are a propriety here. It is, therefore, easy to find some cop out such as Zionism but the bottom line is one untruthful act or deed perpetrates another. So, the cycle continues.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

Brother Matthews,

I have read your posts and you ra far to intelligent to believe that your vote did not count. Your candidate did not win but that is no reason to say silly stuff like that. Please stop repeating the line of the professional naysayers and live up to your true potential.

Blessings

Pastor Paris

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

Brothers and Sister in the Resurrected Christ,

Reparations, remember that, is acknowledgement of the wrong committed before and it is restoration of the victimised. In fact, it is bliblical in its nature.

Not only is the US refusing to do that but the UK also. These and other nations, today known as the Group of seven countries, know too well what they have done to the countries of the South, especially Africa, and want it to be pushed under the carpet. They have raped the economies and the eco-system of the poor countries, and enslaved the people therein. In the case of the US, when the thought of slavery hits the mind of the politicians (thinking about what is already a growing movement for reparations), they would rather not go to be embarassed in South Africa.

Unfortunately, delaying to discuss this issue of reparation does not deny the victims of their right to demand it nor stop them realising reparations.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

I must take issue with Rev. Paris's remarks about Bro. Matthews assertion that his vote was uncounted and worthless. I don't know what area of the country Bro. Matthews resides, but there is documented proof that votes went uncounted in this last elevtion cycle. Whether a person votes Republican or Democrat is immaterial. Whether their candidat won or lost is immaterial. We should feel confident in knowing that whether our candidate won or lost, our position was heard and our vote counted. Knowing that there are instances where this was not done shakes the electorate's faith in the whole system, a faith that, for Black Americans, is tenuous at best.

There is a great majority of people, myself included, that has accepted the events of last November, and despite the fact that the resolution was questionable and that my candidate didn't even run, let alone win, we are indeed moving forward. All victorious conservatives and bitter liberals should remember that. Don't paint everyone with the same brush.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

Let me simply reaffirm that I don't need to rely on naysayers for my information. Just examine the issues. At this point I don't even care who wins or loses an election or to what party he or she belongs. I simply want to know that ALL the people in fact elected them. The major papers have determined that votes in excess of sixty to one hundred thousand people were not counted and that truly scares and shakes my faith in the ability of those who govern.

In my state the votes probably were all counted but as a member of the Church of God, the Church of Richard Allen, and an African American any disregard or disrespect of my people also disrespects who I am and therefore disrespects me.

The US Senate, rather than the House of Representatives, is a more accurate reflection of who we are. This is true because in the Senate we are equally represented and the Senate also reflects our true makeup as a people. When one person in the Senate can change the entire structure of the Congress and another, who is a Democrat, cannot decide what side of the fence he is on, it says to me we are a house divided and Jesus said, a house divided cannot stand.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

In every stae in the union, only enough votes are counted to determine a winner. For example, the absentee ballots are not counted unless there is enough ballots to determine the outcome. A ballot that is flawed is not counted. The machines used have a predictable error rate, so some ballots are not counted. Tha should not cause one to lose faith is the system, however. What happens when you lose faith? Do you stop voting? If so, you are no longer represented. In any election, indeed in any contest, the purpose is to determine a winner. Once the winner is declared, it is time to come together and move on until the next election of contest. Reprations For Slavery - Was your ancestor a slave or slave owner. More than 90% of black folk have slave-owner ancestors in our past. White slave owners routinely had children by black women to put what they called some "human" blood in their slaves so that they would be eaiser to control. So if you are not 100% black, you owe somebody some money. And even if you are 100% black, you might owe someone some money because there were black folk who owned black slaves! Don't allow your past to mess up your future. Too fill your mind and and time trying to get current white folk to apologize for their slave-holding ancestors is insane. Get over it and get on with it. God brought you and me here to America on a slave ship. So what? He also brought us out of slavery. God has a purpose for bringing black folk to this nation. I can't tell yet what it is but God never does anything aimlessly. And if you don't accept that, "All things (including slavery) work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to his purposes. If you believe in God, you can get over it and get on with it. Now if you want me to cite the scriptures, I will. Anyone who truly has faith in God does not dwell on past wrongs.

Blessings Pastor Paris

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

There is a big difference between a margin of error and a blatant disregard for protocol.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001

WASHINGTON -- By threatening to boycott a U.N. conference on racism, the Bush administration is protesting efforts to equate Zionism with racism and to demand reparations for slavery. But critics say the tactic could backfire, isolating the United States from an international forum that will take place regardless.

Although most human rights advocates agree with the administration's objections to the agenda, they are split on the wisdom of a boycott, with some urging the U.S. delegation to fight for its principles on the floor of the conference, scheduled to begin Aug. 31 in Durban, South Africa.

http://latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-080101racism.story

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2001