I do think that Black History Month is necessary. For so many citizens in the United States, this may be the only opportunity that they may have to hear about the horrible conditions of slavery and about positive impacts that African Americans have made to the United States. American history in United States public schools is very much “white washed,” especially depending on what decade and where in the United States you were educated. The contributions of slaves and free blacks throughout the United States have largely been ignored or under appreciated. I have often heard the complaint that Black History Month is reduced to the very shortest month of the year. In learning more about the history of Black History Month, it makes more sense to me how February was chosen. Black History Month was first “Negro History Week” because the week held the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both seen as heroes to African Americans due to their roles in the abolition of slavery. I can understand an opponent of continuing Black History Month that might say black history should be all year round and included as part of American history. The case though, in this nation, is that African American history is largely swept under the rug for several reasons. The main reason, in my opinion is that Americans want to feel proud of their heritage, the land of the free and home of the brave. Slavery, racism and the need for Black History Month in itself is an embarrassment to a country claiming to be superior to other countries. Another reason African American history is largely ignored to history is racism. Whites’ need to feel superior to blacks kept black history hidden to not portray whites in a bad light and to diminish achievements of blacks. The truth is that there are still so many racists people towards African Americans in the current day. Sadly, many of the racists tendencies that are present today, stem from family heritage from days of slavery, the Civil War and the Confederacy.
The Granny Killer, John Wayne Glover, was a serial killer in Australia. He molested and killed older women in their 60’s to 90’s. Glover bludgeoned the women, groped them, then tied and strangled them with their panties. Glover was a local pie salesman and he would go to the nursing homes where many of his victims resided in the course of his work selling pies. Based on incorrect profiling, police were looking for a teenaged offender. Glover, however, was middle aged and appeared to be very friendly and respectful. He had a wife and family, did charity work, and socialized with senior groups. Glover had committed some sexual assaults about 25 years prior to him starting to kill. Killings started after a series of stressful events in Glover’s life. First, Glover and his wife moved into his wife’s parents home. Second, Glover’s mother moved into the house with them as well. Living with his in laws and mother ca...
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