Thank you for that succinct tectonic and anthropological history review, CarterBlunt. I don't think (although I never cease to be surprised here) that anyone is disputing the fact that all humans share a common ancestry that originates in Africa or that all humans are overwhelmingly the same organisms genetically. The debate really focuses around splitting hairs on semantics over a broadly inclusive or more exclusive definition of the word "African". Language is based upon and evolves with usage, hence many words have multiple legitimate definitions. This thread is really just a case of kids playing with tinker toys over how one person defines a word versus how somebody else defines it.
As is so often the case in these threads here, we manage to pick words or topics that carry some emotions with them because they have spiritual importance to us. I vacillate between viewing the discussions on the website as utterly worthless and somewhat helpful. In this case, the quibbling about defining what is "an African" has actually helped to reaffirm in me the basic fact that neither Babylon nor some guy writing on a website called www.jah-rastafri.com can ever tell me who I am and who I'm not. Once a man or woman KNOWS who and what he or she is -- has a clear overstanding of his or her I-dentitiy -- then he or she retains the power and strength of that knowledge regardless of any attempt by others to belittle it.
I've never in all my time physically trodding in Africa had anyone there try to distance my I-dentity from theirs; nor any RastafarI in Jamaica highlight any differences between us. The Ugandan who told me "You are as African as I am" was one of the dearest brothers I've ever had in my life. African-born people throughout the Continent have warmly accepted & encouraged me as a self-described fellow "African" who expressed joy at visiting his homeland and anticipating his destiny of dwelling there Iternally. The Jamaican Rasta who mentored me nearly four decades ago held his arm up next to mine and said "you see our skin, it's the same color." What a beautiful and life-changing experience that was.
Maybe I should not be surprised that it is not in the flesh but through this weird electronic box built by Babylon that I encounter faceless detractors who are, at times, antagonistic and eager to preach to me that I am not who I know I am. I glean much about a person's soul when I look into their eyes, but when I read a post on this screen I have no idea who or what is actually originating it. I thank JAH that none of the face-to-face human encounters I've had with flesh-and-bone RastafarI or people in my homeland of Africa have ever been as bizarrely negative and division-promoting as some of the electronic messages I've read here. It reminds me that the real people that I've met F2F represent...well, real people and their power to put JAH vision to reality. What comes through the screen on this little box are just words, devoid, in most cases, of any life or spirit.
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