Opinion: Are We Not The Same?

By: Isaiah Robinson

HOUSTON—Are we not the same, you and I? We seem to share the same flesh, but the only thing that separates us is the color of our skin that sits in between our eyes. Throughout time, we’ve had to fight for our humanity, freedom, equality; and now, we’re currently fighting for our right to be alive.

As I look at you in this four-cornered room staring at candles, all I can ask you is; what do you see in this black man that you can’t handle? Is it that you see a black king striving to be the best he can be? Or is it because you still believe I should  be property that deserves vile treatment; unlike your German Shepherd whose treated like a perfect human being and sits on the same leash as me?

Tell me, if I blindfolded you right now, put four bodies in the room, then unfolded the cloth on your face for you to see four bodies of pure flesh standing in front of you; would you be able to tell me who was African-American, Hispanic, Asian, or White?

If not, then who are you to tell me who I am, the way I should be treated and my rights? 

I’m still young and striving to be the best that I can be with a lot to lose. Even though I did fall, took a handful of bullets, and dug a few holes I got myself into, I still had to stand back up and bounce back so I can turn a lesson into a blessing. However, the promise land flowing with milk and honey that I’ve been reaching for can all shatter in just 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

Is my life that worthless to where you couldn’t lift your knee off my neck? Are you that fearful?

I mean, come on, you’re the one with the gun while my face is a waterfall of sweat and my hands are “10 and 2” on the steering wheel. What are you scared of?

Am I just open season to you when I’m jogging in my neighborhood? I just prayed to the Father that hopefully there would be no deaths from COVID-19 and that my job as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) would be of ease the day before you took my life while I was asleep.

I just want to live a meaningful life and have kids just like your German Shepherd, is that too much to ask? You can hardly understand what a dog is saying, but it gets to sit at the table with the higher elites eating lobster; while my people sit outside eating pig intestines and discarded parts from animals, but I digress. 

Some of my people sold us out for a bank account swarming with money, a seat at the table and to seek approval from you; only to stay half silent on black issues and then thrown to the trash used and abused.

While another section flaunts about how their diamonds and pearls on their bodies flash in the light but, can’t fully express the hurt, trauma, stress, anger and confliction that they hold in their hearts but flashes spiritually in the light. 

To try to simply put it, my people are divided; we’re fighting battles amongst each other as a people while fighting those who oppressed us. But we’re doing our best to navigate back to unity and one day we’ll wake up and come together in love; as they do say, love covers over a multitude of sin. 

We’ve endured a mountain of pain, abuse, and suffering for so long that it’s our next of kin. To say, “we’re tired,” is a joke; to say, “we’re angry,” is now a broken record to explain how we as a people feel. But, we do our best to maintain with a smile—I mean, that’s the best thing we can do when we’re hurting on the inside, right? It hurts when you have to go to war with yourself, sometimes at home, and then outside in the world; it’s a never ending cycle in this cold game of life.

I hope my generation is learning from where our predecessors failed to succeed so we can achieve their goals for them while they’re here and our goals as well, in regards to this chaotic topic of racism and police brutality in this country.

It’s good to see other ethnicities, cultures and your people in my generation recognizing the unfair treatment we’ve been dealing with, however it starts with us as African-Americans to fix our tribe before we can fight whatever tribe is trying to go to war with us.

My generation has a lot of work ahead. Even though we did protest before we could fight the system we have to learn how your people operate it so we could create our own system of operations that would fight yours.

One day the world will find peace, just as well as those who dwell in it search for it within themselves. It’s hard when the world is full of chaos, but evil doesn’t last forever and the lilies, roses and sunflowers bloom after the storm calms.

Ours occurred for 400 years and it just ended last year. So, there’s going to be some muddy pastures, but when they do dry; our flowers will bloom across the land for the other nations and tribes to see. 

So I’ll ask you this question again, are we not the same? You and I? We seem to share the same flesh, but the only thing that separates us is the color of our skin that sits in between our eyes.

If you don’t feel like answering, that’s fine. I’ll go sit on my porch, pray and meditate on what I need to do to see better days as I listen to Marvin Gaye’s Flyin’ High (in the Friendly Sky). I’m realizing his album, “What’s Going On”, is still reflecting what I’m seeing in these trying times, but for some reason, I’m not surprised.