"Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." - Matt. 7:5

"The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves if we are underlings." - William Shakespeare.

Barack Obama has triumphed in the recent election, primarily because of what I observed at his post-election party. In attendance were women, Chinese, Latinos, yuppies and Blacks, a tapestry of present day America. On the other hand, Mitt Romney's party featured mainly white men. Even though Obama did not get the majority of the white vote, he received a enough to counter and negate any Romney advantage in this voting group.

Bill O'Reilly of Fox News opined that 20 years ago, given the same set of circumstances, Barack Obama would have and should have lost. That in a nutshell is the problem of the Republican party. They are stuck in yesteryear while women, the middle class, Latinos and other minorities abandon them in droves. They feel that the Republicans cannot identify with their present day problems or realities. The GOP needs to understand quickly that the past is dead, the old rules do not apply, they need to become a party of "what's happening now." They must develop as the old Irish proverb declares,"Lord, grant me the hindsight to remember where I am coming from, the foresight to recognize where I am going, and the insight to realize when I have gone too far." Upon achieving that, they will not waste time on Obama's birth certificate, citizenship, college transcripts or particular endorsements. Also to deem 47% of all Americans as freeloaders in search of a handout is not politically astute. To remain relevant. they must, as elder George H.W. Bush advised, adopt a big tent mentality because the rosy past they so yearn for, was not so pleasant for many of the current electorate.

Colin Powell, a noted African -American Republican recently endorsed President Obama for re-election. John Sununu, another white Republican, complained that the foregoing act was nothing less than racial solidarity plain and simple. Please bear that in mind and draw your own conclusion as we examine racial solidarity throughout the years.

In the Declaration of Independence, that noble and revered document which posed the statement, "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal" applied only to free white men of a certain economic status. To suggest that this meant Blacks, widely regarded as sub human and inherently unequal or Native Americans who were ignorant savages, would have been laughable, insane or ridiculous.

The institution of slavery and laws applicable thereto restricted any kind of social or economic movement of Black people unless it directly benefited white people. Any infraction of said laws, mores or customs was met with extremely harsh punishment and retribution. Therefore, lynching, murder, branding and disfigurement were common occurrences.

Forced or shamed into enacting the Emancipation Proclamation, they began a long period of segregation and discrimination as old habits die hard. From the mid-nineteenth century through the majority of the twentieth century, they resisted with all their might fair housing, school busing, equal education opportunities, certain kinds of employment or anything that will cause a non-White man to consider that there was a possibility of a fair shot. (An idea that resonates with people and has proven to be a winning central theme of the Obama presidential campaign.)

Those who would dare to expose this ugly system had to be monitored, discredited and quickly eliminated. People like Abraham Lincoln, Robert Kennedy, James Chaney or Martin Luther King could not be allowed to promote or promulgate their dangerous radical ideas or ideals. The debilitating effects have been chronic, profound and far-reaching as abnormal percentages of minorities have languished in poverty, in jails and unemployment lines. 

Even the hospitals, churches and graves were segregated. So in entering or even exiting life, there were reminders at every juncture or facet of society that Black people were different, unwanted or unwelcome unless it was convenient for the well-being of White people. To ensure that no escape was possible through race mingling, miscegenation was criminalized and outlawed. In the movie Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, the two fathers were appalled and extremely agitated that a black son and white daughter were considering marriage. Such a travesty should not be done, condoned or even contemplated.

If you have seen the movie The Help, you may recall a scene that accurately reflected the prevailing opinion and attitude of the time. One character was explaining to her friends the need to construct a separate toilet for her black maid. It seems that their bodily waste contained dangerous worms or elements that had to be carefully confined lest they pose an unacceptable risk to White society. It was a despicable offense and affront to relieve yourself in a bathroom you cleaned every day.

The local CBS affiliate in Tampa.Florida is presently running an investigative series on black market gun dealers. It seems that the only requirement for obtaining a gun is a three-question application.

1.Are you a Florida resident?

2.Do you have $60.00?.

3. Are you white?

This - from a state that is still trying to dig itself out of the Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman mess and their controversial "Stand your ground" law.

I find it amazing and ironic that long time victimizers or abusers of mankind are shocked, bothered and bewildered whenever they find themselves on the short end of life.

They, who mercilessly injured or insulted their fellow men, who were cruelly unforgiving with no understanding of human weakness are dumbfounded at that trait in another human being. Yet when the long-time victims achieve some measure of an upper hand, the former exploiters immediately expect said victims to be generous, objective and overflowing with human compassion and kindness.

Now, I cannot say if Mr.Powell's endorsement was racially motivated or not.

However, if that is the case, with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, I wonder how a responsible public figure such as he could have committed such a wicked act?

While remembering the Biblical warning about if you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind or its exhortation about training up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it, I am left to speculate when, where or how he could have learned such a thing.

Is it possible that he could have been molded by seeing, watching or experiencing others do the same?

V. Knowles is a husband and father with an interest in penning issues that serve to uplift mankind. He melds his love for Classic literature, The Bible and pop culture - as sordid as it may be - into highly relatable columns of truth, faith and justice. Hence the name: Just Thinking. If he's not buried in a book or penning his next column, you may find him pinned to his sectional watching a good old Country and Western flick.