An Open Letter

To millionaire Chris Rock.

You were never a slave.

You were not born in Africa and dragged unwilling across the ocean to work the cotton fields.

You are a comedian, a successful one too.

If you don't like America, use the money you made here to buy a ticket and move your ass to someplace where there weren't slaves between July 4, 1776 and June 19, 1865.

I want you to note those dates, Mr Rock.  I notice that you were born in February 1965, nearly 100 years after the end of slavery.  That means that your father was never a slave.  Your biography indicates your father was a truck driver and one of your grandfathers was a preacher.  No mention of a slave in the two previous generations?  Almost as if slavery had exited living memory before you were born, huh?

You also have a lot of nerve bringing up slavery on July 4th.  Do you know what happened YESTERDAY in 1863?  Twentythree thousand fifty five men gave life and limb towards ending slavery.

You want to talk about racism, you may still have some point.  There's still some of that creeping about, but it can't be too bad since you were able to become a millionaire while being subjected to it.  But SLAVERY?  Give it the fuck up already.  It's been over for 147 years, 15 days.

There isn't a person born in this country who was ever a chattel slave, it's time to stop using it as a bludgeon to get your way.  It's time to take your place at the big table of adult human beings.  You do rate yourself as an adult and a human being, right?

PS: The United States really doesn't begin until March 4, 1789, when the Constitution was ratified by enough states to go into effect.  That means the history of slavery in THE UNITED STATES is a mere 76 years.  Yes, Mr Rock; you're pissing about something that's been over for almost twice as long as it existed.  You may also want to call up The Queen of England and bitch her out for the slavery here from 1607 until 1776.