Desperate to belong, the ugly duckling left his siblings and tried to fit in with wild ducks, wild geese, the old woman with a cat and a hen, and a farmer and his family.  But his efforts to fit in were always hindered by those with limited vision, who thought the world revolved around them and their standards of right, wrong, and proficiency.
For example, the ugly duckling could not arch his back like the cat or lay eggs like the hen; and he was not as beautiful as the majestic swans he admired that flew south in the autumn and floated gracefully on still waters in the spring.

      In November 1994, in defense of continued affirmative action efforts, Rutgers President Francis L. Lawrence, implied that affirmative action should continue in view of "..a disadvantaged population that doesn't have the genetic background to have a high average."  The statement was not widely publicized until February 1994 when it began receiving the attention of prominent Republicans.   Not to be outdone and to appear objective, President Clinton entered the debate with a request for review of affirmative action programs, the idea being that if such programs have been effective in leveling the playing field there is no reason for their continuance; if they have not been effective in leveling the playing field, they are ineffective and should be altered or replaced. 
      To some of us who have benefitted from various affirmative action programs, this may seem like a Catch 22; and this is where we can learn from the ugly duckling.  If you recall the story you know that the ugly duckling was not a duckling at all, but a beautiful and majestic swan--one of the very creatures he admired.   His efforts to emulate what some consider lower creatures, only delayed the access of his full capabilities as a swan!
      The problem of the playing field is not that it is not level.  The problem is that it is not our field.   Just as the swan found he could never succeed at being an acceptable duck, hen or cat, no matter what advantages he was offered, we can never succeed at
being an acceptable white person.   To succeed here in America we must establish our own business institutions into which our youth may go after completing educational courses at our educational institutions.  Only when we are an independent
people within America will we have power within America.  And we can achieve economic independence within America if we rely on all resources at hand and cease trying to follow a fallen people.
     
      In the New Testament book of Acts we see a small band of Believers whose leader has been martyred.  The Believers live under the authority of the Roman government and under the influence of the Roman social order.  The practices of the larger society are not in keeping with the teachings of Jesus, and continuing to follow Christ requires a constant effort to renew one's mind and associate with other Believers so that Believers might strengthen one another.  Believers band together
precisely for this purpose.  At Acts 2:44-46 we are told that they shared everything with one other,
sold their possessions and divided the income with those in need, and worshiped and ate together regularly.   Their efforts were immensely successful as they not only survived as a believing people, but grew and prospered to establish the first major
educational institutions in  America, and continued the faith of which we are now a part.  From what appeared to be meager beginnings, we have the great example and heritage of a people working together and achieving success. 

      Romans 12:2 tells us to avoid copying the ways of the world and to renew our mind with the word of God.   We must heed this charge here in America.  For too long we have followed too closely the white race, apparently believing that somehow they would lead us to their successes.  We must know now that this will never happen.  But if we live as we believe, following Christ only, we are guaranteed to prosper in all that we do.  At Joshua 1:8, Joshua is told to meditate on the word of God that he might have the power to do what is required by the word of God and he and Israel would have good success.   This confirms Deuteronomy 29:9 which tells us that we will prosper as we keep the words of God's covenant.   In fact, we not only prosper, but are overtaken by prosperity as we follow the teachings of Christ (Deuteronomy 28:2).

      Living in America in this age, it is difficult to think that Believers of old faced any more trying circumstances than ours.  It is hard to imagine any culture more opposed to Christian views than present-day America.  At Romans 7:23 Paul says that the law of sin wages war against the law of his mind trying to bring him into captivity to the law of sin and death.  We must remember in this war for our allegiance, there is already victory in the battle that was fought for our right to choose freedom from sin.  That victory is ours as we align ourselves with the Victor, recognizing the message of Romans 8:37 {TLB} that despite all that appears ". . .overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us."