Okay, I won't lie, I'm a separatist. I believe that until you can repair your own malfuctions you have to deal exclusively with self. Everybody on this planet has issues and having to deal with people who don't share a somewhat common experience only confuses those issues more.

When I say separatist, I don't mean like Apartheid or the conditions that spawned the civil rights movement. I mean an agreed upon division that encourages independence. We could co-operate, but business, education, housing, etc. would be under our control.

In most areas of this country there are distinct lines drawn between various ethnic communities. America does practice a subdued form of separatism already. I can't deny the advances that blacks have made in this country, but all too often I feel that the reources we have in ourselves are distributed unevenly. The blacks with the "good jobs" and "good education" always seem to end up in the suburbs out of the reach of the ghetto.

I can't deny the fact that to some of us, this is the american dream. However, if we developed more useful relationships within ourselves we could be more self-sufficient. Am I wrong?

Let it be known that I feel no anger towards anyone who has no desire to do me harm. Everyone has the potential to be either friend or foe. I don't consider myself a racist either. I don't hate anyone based on the color of skin or religion. I just believe that we all need to concentrate on healing ourselves before we can deal with others.

So, do you think I'm crazy? Are my ideas the same as the redneck in Alabama who thinks all blacks should go back to Africa? Let me know, for real! If you think we have something good going the way it is now, school me! I'm open for discussion.

......commence flaming