More Perfect Union Speech

More Perfect Union Speech

G. W. Goodrum, Jr.

In the following paper I will attempt to persuade the readers that the resentment of the two subgroups in the United States of America is valid.  The anger and resentment between the two subgroups (blacks and whites) will be proven to be counterproductive to race relations in our country.  I will also address and analyze a quote from William Faulkner, “The past isn’t dead and buried; in fact, it isn’t even past.” 
Furthermore I will discuss why it’s desirable to consider the United States a trans-racial society.  Finally, I will point out what changes should take place in our culture and why communication with one another is crucial and necessary to societal changes in order make this a more perfect union.

In 2008, Candidate for President, Barack Obama delivered a speech dubbed “A More Perfect Union”.  In this speech he alluded to the question of slavery which was and still is embedded in our Constitution.   Though slavery is not mentioned in the Constitution, blacks became aware over the many years of bondage that they were not free and considered property. Owning a human being is immoral, but to treat property worse than subhuman is despicable.   Also embedded in the Constitution are the core ideals of equal citizenship, liberty and justice.  These three ideals are the main reason for resentment and anger for descendants of enslaved Africans.  The Constitution addressed the freedom of whites and not people of all races or color. 

Even after post-Civil War discord, many liberal Republicans were ardent supporters of protecting the rights of newly freed slaves in the South (Wilson, 2008).  In 1872, that support would lose interest in lieu of free trade, sound currency, and smaller government.  Southerners had a totally different plan all together; Klan violence.  One goal of Klan violence, as of any form of terrorism, was to influence the broader society beyond the attackers’ immediate victims…while taking measures to ensure secrecy (Parsons, 2011). 

Resentment among whites stem from the idea that Northern Republicans did not want to give money to the defeated South for infrastructure improvements.  The Southern whites believed the Northerners wanted some sort of revenge for their rebellion against the union.   Congress considered this era, Reconstruction.  According to Huston (2005), “The tax situation in the Reconstruction South, fueled additional violent outburst against black voting and black independence.”

            William Faulkner, American writer quoted, “The past isn’t dead and buried; in fact, it isn’t even past.”  These words still remain true today, the past is still present.  Racial tension and divisiveness continue to exist because no one is willing to address racial inequality in America.  The wounds of slavery and fear to social change hinder America from being the nation that it should be or even could be. 

In the last couple of years we have witnessed the killing of young African Americans based upon laws designed to placate the fears of white Americans.  One law in particular is termed, Stand Your Ground.  Many southern states have this law on their books, and white Americans are using it as a means to get away with murder.  Lawmakers today should revisit these laws to ensure validity and necessity.  We are a land of laws and laws that are unjust should be challenged and struck down to effective social changes. 

Looking back through history America has been given a lot of opportunities to right the wrongness associated with slavery.  Each time our political leaders take on the challenge of addressing racial biases, they tend to cower to some alternate political gain.  During the Reconstruction Era, fear gripped our elected officials believing that blacks would overtake the whites as they did in Haiti.  Since then we have stalemated and progress has been stymied because of it.  Our nation is becoming a middle of the road country.  We are becoming a more tolerant and forgiving nation, why can’t we discuss race issues and make America the nation that is truly a more perfect union?

            In conclusion, I have attempted to persuade the readers that the resentment of the two subgroups in the United States of America is valid.  The anger and resentment between the two subgroups (blacks and whites) are counterproductive to race relations in our country.  I also addressed and analyzed a quote from William Faulkner, “The past isn’t dead and buried; in fact, it isn’t even past.”  Furthermore I discussed why it’s desirable to consider the United States a trans-racial society.  Finally, I pointed out what changes should take place in our culture and why communication with one another is crucial and necessary to societal changes in order make this a more perfect union.

Huston, J. L. (2005). An alternative to the tragic era: Applying the virtues of bureaucracy to the  
            reconstruction dilemma. Civil War History, 51(4), 403-415,356. Retrieved from    
            http://search.proquest.com/docview/208243986?accountid=32521
Parsons, E. F. (2011). Klan skepticism and denial in reconstruction-era public discourse. The
            Journal of Southern History, 77(1), 53-90. Retrieved from
             http://search.proquest.com/docview/852774905?accountid=32521
Wilson, D. L. (2008). The doom of reconstruction: The liberal republicans in the civil war era.

Choice, 45(5), 887. Retrieved from
            http://search.proquest.com/docview/225710225?accountid=32521