“The buck stops here!” So read the sign on President Harry S. Truman’s Oval Office desk. I don’t think this slogan was coined by the 33rd President of the United States. I think he just liked it, agreed with it, and decided to let all know that as the one at the top of the US political food chain, responsibility began and ended with his office, and therefore with him.
Most would agree, would we not? Leaders at the top are responsible for what happens from top to bottom of whatever people, organization, or group which they lead. I have experienced this as a pastor. Numerous times, in churches with multiple custodians, I have been approached by someone in a huff who says to me, “Pastor, there is no toilet paper in the women’s restroom!” Over the years I have learned to respond,” That’s funny, there was plenty last time I was in there.”
It has become politically popular lately to not talk about race. Laws have been and are being passed essentially forbidding such conversation and dialog in school rooms. One might be able to mention slavery, even say it was “bad”, but don’t get into the horrid details, to say nothing of the cruelty of Jim Crow and segregation which followed. Reconstruction? One has to leave out any talk of race, despite the fact it was often at the heart of such reconstructing of the US following the Civil War. Such talk, it is said, will lead to more racism.
It would seem the buck is not stopped; instead it is buried. Who has been in power of our nation and culture from the day the Pilgrims landed, and the time of Jamestown’s founding? White men, mostly. Somewhat under the protection of this umbrella of power were white women and children. Left out in the elements were those of color, particularly African-Americans and Native Americans.
Check the stats. Many things have improved, but racism persists. We see it in employment statistics and housing numbers. The very schools prohibiting such conversations are often in well to do predominantly white areas with much better academic success often due in part to better funding. Many more numbers in various other areas continue to bear out the racism endemic to our culture.
Why would it not be endemic to our culture? Like the stereotypical ostrich, if our heads are in the sand on this issue, what improvement can we expect? Will we continue on until demands are made of us, or are we willing and able to dialog, question, learn, and grow?
The buck stops with us. That is, with white Americans. It is time to stop passing the buck and time to make it cease, acknowledge our responsibility and deal with it. Why are we afraid to claim any or very little responsibility?
The Bible, actually, does not seem to know anything about race. Those who are different and those considered enemies are those of different faiths, not races. Traditions have sprung up over one of Noah’s sons, Ham, tradition says, was black. Yet there is no biblical evidence for this. Likewise one of the three Magi (Matthew doesn’t even say there were 3…that too is tradition) in Matthew is said to have been black. Again, no evidence within or without scripture for this. Whatever their race, scripture doesn’t care.
Yet the Bible has much to help us with racism. The Bible is big on repentance, a jubilee year of debt forgiveness and more, loving one’s neighbor, loving and including those different, loving the enemy, and forgiveness and love. We read of Samaritan’s doing good. We just see them as other than Israelites. Those listening to Jesus praise the Samaritan’s deeds had to be seething that he made their most hated infidel neighbors into heroes.
Mistrust of others, suspicion, blame, cruelty and prejudice are not new to humanity. What would be new is to acknowledge and own them. Only then can something be done about them. Time to make the buck stop.