Victimization

I thought I would give a rest to problems exposed by the natural and human disaster, unfortunately named for a woman. Then I read an article in USA Today written by left leaning Diane McWhorter. McWhorter writes and believes that all black people who live on or below the poverty level are victims of white people.

Before I address Ms. McWhorter column, I want to tell you a few stories of the days I owned Widmer Office Product/Widmer Interiors. We hired a young man to work at the job level for which he was qualified and part of his duties was to pick up the mail at the post office. After several months of employment, it came to our attention that not only was this young man picking up the mail, he was opening some and removing documents and resealing the envelopes. When confronted, he said he didn’t want the company to know that attempts were being made to garnishee his wages. A couple of years later I ran into him and we talked about the usual, how’s your family, where are you working, ect. He said he was now working for a large automobile manufacturer east of Peoria. I was pleased that he appeared to be putting his life together with a job, wife and family. Recently, I saw he and his wife listed in the JS as declaring bankruptcy.

Another nice young man that I hired moved up the ladder and became manager of a department of my company. This manager was so conscientious that he never took lunch, always insisting he be the one to manage the retail floor so others could take a noon break. We would probably never have known he was selling our product and pocketing the money but as usually happens with thieves, he got greedy and started stealing items with serial numbers an after an interview with a Peoria Police Detective, admitted he was stealing for “beer money”. Years later I stopped by a place where he happened to be working and he said “you ruined my life”.

I had a manager who was caught by my secretary hauling a Banker Box of corporate records out to his car. I flew home from Arizona where I had a business and fired him when he admitted he was planning to set up his own company with my files. Last I heard of him, he was President of a state social organization someplace up north.

Another person who I trusted with the company finances wrote $28,000.00 worth of checks paying his own bills and when he was caught, blandly said “tell me how much I owe you and I’ll write you a check.”

Another friend and employee who handled payroll and was caught in an accounting audit with larger paychecks than his contract stated. I let him stay employed until he found another job and we continued a somewhat strained friendship for many years.

One night at closing, I accidentally observed one of my employees loading her bag with school supplies as she closed up for the day. I said nothing to her, but she didn’t show up for work the next day.

I believe the people who committed these acts which appear to defy common sense, all felt that they were “victims of the system” and they could justify to themselves the reasoning behind their actions. I believe anyone in the correctional and law enforcement field will tell you that everyone ever arrested will try to justify their actions that led to their arrest. They all claim to be “victims.”

Anyone owning a small business before the advent of higher technology could probably tell you some of the same stories. All of these people claim to be “victims of the system.” They are spurred on in justifying their acts of thievery and violence by hard left leaning liberals like Ms. McWhorter who writes about the hurricane and flood victims “it is the rich who are now receiving handouts”, while nearly 30% of the residents of New Orleans live below the poverty line and beneath dignity. “God gave Noah the rainbow sign,” goes the old Negro spiritual. “No more water, the fire next time.” If that statement was made by a white person, that person would come under attack by all the liberal media, as a threat being made.

Looters anywhere can justify their actions by feeling “if we don’t take it, someone else will;” actions that are somewhat similar to the actions of some of our best leadership.

Keep talking and preaching how all poor black people are victims of white and rich people. Keep your underprivileged people in bondage for another half a century; keep them in drug selling gangs and on the street or clogging our prison systems. McWhorter, Jesse, Charles, and a goodly part of the black ministry, stand at the podium, write scathing articles to the media, get yourself on TV, and then ask for help and protection from the very people, black, white, Hispanic, Asian or Indian who have accepted responsibility and want to contribute to society while you claim to despise those who try to help poor people make it in this world of opportunity in the country know as the United States of America. Make excuses to the poor for all of that PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING IT or have MADE IT and who ARE NOT WHITE.

Leaders should teach as much as they can about past history of all ethnic peoples but be sure the history you are teaching is correct. Teach about the past and present history of your ancestors, Irish, German, and Chinese and teach or preach that people enslaved TODAY are not in this country but many are still in slavery in several countries including Africa. The ONLY legal slavery in the USA today is the slavery of the doctrine of “victimization”.

You probably thought the people that stole from me were black people. No, my black employees were the honest to my knowledge; all but one. They accepted that not everyone would embrace them just like I have always accepted that not all people would embrace me. Few of my many employees came from families of affluence but almost all were responsible and often dedicated co-workers. I was well past middle age before I realized that people who had setbacks or didn’t succeed often times felt that they were “victims of society.” Now I hear it so much I want to say to these “preachers”, “shut up and get a life.”

It is people who preach “victimization” that worry me far more than the arrogant wealthy elite. The latter believe in their cause and have a reason to. The old saying says “They that have the gold; rules.” I don’t worry about the latter as a threat to my physical well-being. We should all worry about those who believe they are “victims of the system” who “reside” in this country or abroad.

And no, it is NOT all the fault of President Bush. Open up your minds and you will see that the MAJOR problem was the inability of Louisiana and New Orleans leadership to perform. They were elected or promoted to positions beyond their abilities; a folly called the “Peter Principle.” If you are too young to remember the books on the subject, these books are still available at the public library. The popular theory in my day should still be popular today, but no, we must be “politically correct,” and continue our slow slide to socialism




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