Sometimes I just shake my head

December 12, 2007 by RevLurch.

I read this from Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press and just shook my head.  When will we ever learn to deal with the important issues and not sweat the little stuff.

Many demanded an apology from Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank over comments he made on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”

When asked if the imprisoned Michael Vick might return to the Falcons upon his release, Blank said it depended on Vick’s personal discipline over the next two years.

If he filled up on “fried chicken and fries” while in prison and packed on weight, it would certainly hurt his chances.

If Blank had mentioned fried catfish and fries or fried pork chops and fries or any other deep-fried and highly fattening Southern culinary combinations, it wouldn’t have registered a blip on the radar.

But it was a white guy innocuously talking about fried chicken, long considered a demeaning stereotype of black culture.

That set off the sirens.

And it became an issue, prompting a statement from the Falcons on Tuesday clarifying the owner’s comments when you would think that plain common sense would have provided ample clarification.

The incident sadly shifted attention away from Vick, an arrogantly selfish man who is solely responsible for the mess he is in, and it gave rise to the misguided notion that Vick’s fall from grace was primarily the result of a racially tinged conspiracy.

He goes on to talk about other situations including a personal experience of his wife.  I just sit here and wonder if we can ever talk about loving our neighbor.  It seems there’s a tendency in US culture to try to make excuses or cloud the issue with extraneous stuff and we just can’t get at the heart of the matter.  I pray that Jesus will show us the way again to mutual understanding and respect.  Not just because it is “politically correct” but because it is the right thing to do.

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