With the Obama candidacy, race has taken a front row position in the minds of the media and voters alike, whether consciously or not. It seems every day, Don Imus, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, athletes, musicians, pundits, somebody is saying something racial. The question is, are we a post-racial society like we pretend to be, or does race continue, for better or worse, to play a major role in our perceptions, interactions, and decisions? Contributor Reid sent me this article exerpt with his commentary the other day with his permission to present it on TRR. Give it the once over and let me know what you think in the comments thread....
Ed, yesterday, I came across a piece that seems to encompass a huge argument that will be playing out in the upcoming Presidential campaign. The issue is Race. I found the article disturbing; I found it to be potentially racist in its own right, but it does have a thread of truth and accuracy running through it. I am not a racist. I judge men based on their individual merit and their character. I am acutely aware that this is a hot topic and ones ideas/thoughts can easily be misconstrued simply by poor communication or misrepresentation. Bias creeps into all of our lives. It, however, does not have to be along racial lines. The article, then my comments:
There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Native Americans, etc., and then there are just Americans. If passed on the streets of our cities, sneers come out as “whitey” ,” honky”, “cracker”, etc. The world accepts that as okay. However, when words such as “nigger”, “beaner”, “chink”,”towel-head” etc. are used, they are racist remarks, unless they are used within the same ethnic group. Why are people moving out of the inner cities to the suburbs? Minority people want to start a new life and to escape from the ghetto/drug violence. Robbery, carjacking, and murder are daily occurrences in our world, yet when a Black felon is shot by a white police officer it makes all the national news wires as a racial attack, instead of applauding a civil servant for doing his duty, he gets a paid leave until the department reviews the instance. If a minority officer shoots a Caucasian felon, no one looks at it as a racial shooting at all. There are Hispanic and Black Chambers of Commerce that are restrictive and exclusive in membership. There is a Chamber of Commerce that is open to all. Why the duplicity? The United Negro College Fund exists and nobody says anything, but if a White College Fund existed, it would be racist. There are over 60 openly proclaimed “Black” colleges, yet 0 “White” schools exist. Members of various ethnic backgrounds stand up daily for their heritage and pride, but if a Caucasian starts this, it is racist. Why, why, why, I want to know why?
Racism exists. It always has, and has always been a two-way street. I believe in 1 America. It is changing at a rapid pace. I must adapt or I will be left behind. I cannot allow old thoughts to persevere, just because they did. We all must learn to get along, to co-exist, and to find some mutual respect and common courtesy for one another. I find it bothersome when I hear blacks refer to each other with the “N-word”. I wonder why that is acceptable and it isn’t for me. Bill Cosby espouses that until this word is eliminated from all Black-speak, it cannot be removed from all others.
There are points made above that are accurate and true. The UNCF does exist. It serves a role to help get young people in schools. There is no other program like it, that I am aware of. Does that make it bad, no, but it can be construed as racially divisive. Statistics indicate that the largest percentages of violent crimes are committed by black people. The overwhelming majority of police officers are white. Therefore, it stands to reason that a police being forced to shoot at a fleeing felon, may be a “white on black” shooting. That does not make it racial or the shooter a racist. This is just simple math. Sometimes people try to invent something that is simply not there. While I know I will come under attack and scrutiny for this post, I hope it is taken in the spirit intended. Simply thought provoking and a discussion point.
27 comments:
Reid,
E Pluribus Unum has become a criminally hyphenated hodgepodge of political muck and mire. There's money in it so it will stay in the forefront until we escape or defeat political correctness. It is possible but it will take much time, energy, and renewed wetware. Thanks for being part of the movement. Let's just hope our crystals* don't glow red before we are done.
*an allusion to a bad 1970's movie, "Logan's Run".
The reason why America won't be able to leave racism in the past is because most African Americans still hold a grudge towards the 1960's era, and some white people still live in that time period. Other than that, I would say about 90% of Americans don't care one way or another about what color your skin is, and so they don't think when they say things like black holes and lynch and things like that. The real racists are the people that look into every word used by someone and look for the racial undertones, whether they are there or not.
this is directed toward the article, not Reid so much: it's easy to say race isn't an issue when you are, and have always been, in the majority. you "crackers" have no idea what's it's like being in the minority. you have no idea what it's like being black in a white society.
the reason UNCF, NAACP, black schools, and other minority assistance programs exist is because as recently as our lifetimes, blacks, Jews, and others weren't allowed the same opportunities as whites. there were schools where it was understood that only whites could go. blacks couldn't attend many state schools so they started their own. and why not?
it could be argued that these minority programs are like the labor unions ed detests, unnecessary in today's world, but they certainly served a valuable purpose a few short decades ago.
we may all be americans but that doesn't mean groups of us don't have cultural aspects of our lives that differ from each other that define the basis for voluntary segregation. just because we don't drink wine coolers or shop at Banana Republic doesn't mean we hate white people. we don't have to like what whites like or do what whites do in order to prove that we are americans.
it's different if whites have "white" colleges and "white" pride marches because you've had those things be default for hundreds of years, to the exclusion of "niggers", "beaners", "chinks", and "towel heads".
Anon, there is no need for those organizations anymore. In todays America, everything is being censored just about. "Hate" crimes are being committed left and right. Do you know why? Because the government and the people who write the laws want racism to exist. Someone commits a crime, say a white man, and the victim is a white man, then the punishment is for just that crime. White man is the criminal and the victim is a black man, or a jew, or a mexican, then the crime is suddenly considered a hate crime simply because the two men involved weren't of the same race. That my friend is ridiculous. How can you prove that the criminal did this malicious act simply because the victim was black. Unless the white man says i did it because i hate black people, you cannot prove the white man is racist. You can't say anyone is racist. The only person who can tell you that you are racist is yourself. Yet people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson claim that all white people are racist every single day.
Anon,
Please tell me what it is that white people like and do.
What is it that black people avoid for fear of "äcting white"?
What are your hopes and expectations for the black community?
my hopes and expectations are no different than yours. and black people don't avoid certain behaviors to keep from "acting white", unless you include line dancing.
I know what the white theory is that you refer to. it is believed by whites that blacks recoil from education, king's english, employment, and all the rest because we'll lose street cred by being "white". that is no more true for a majority of blacks than ignorant, inbred, hillbillies in west virginia are indicative of white culture.
I'm just saying that, though it's not that way now, generations of widespread, cultural racism in the white community against blacks has caused blacks to segregate themselves educationally, religiously, and culturally purely by habit, because that's how their parents did it, and their parents.
Anon,
You said this
" just because we don't drink wine coolers or shop at Banana Republic doesn't mean we hate white people. we don't have to like what whites like or do what whites do in order to prove that we are americans."
MY white theory? You are the one who said it.
What is it we white people can do to make things better?
The race topic frustrates me.
What does anyone think of Larry Elder?
" just because we don't drink wine coolers or shop at Banana Republic doesn't mean we hate white people. we don't have to like what whites like or do what whites do in order to prove that we are americans."
How is saying this any better than me saying
"just because i dont drink hypnotik, shop at FUBU and Sean John doesnt mean i hate black people."
Tell me if someone said those sorts of things to you, you wouldn't take offense to them. It is stereotyping, and that is what pisses off so many people.
Drum roll, Kevin - the answer is....... the good old double standard.
"that define the basis for voluntary segregation"
if black people don't want to be around white people, who, exactly, are the racists?
do the majority of black people want to segregate?
YES Tracie! You see the light. I am glad Im not alone in this sentiment. I have said it all along, the real racists are people like Al and Jesse. They made their money off of civil inequality between whites and blacks in the 60's and now they have no way of making money. So they do crap like this.
you are missing the point. how many black friends do you have kevin? tracie, when is the last time you had a black person in your house, I mean that wasn't robbing you. I can laugh at that joke but I know that's how many whites think. we segregate ourselves based on commonalities. that's just human nature. it's not about dislike of the different people, we like to be around people like ourselves. if we have cultural habits that offend you, it's because you aren't black, not because we hate white people. you think we are the racially sensitive ones, you two are so easily offended by our not being like you.
Anon, I have plenty of black friends. Are they from the hood? No, they are from respectable middle class families.
anon,
what are you talking about?
what cultural habits offend me?
how do you get that i'm offended by you not being like me? i asked what it means for you to be like me. what am i like - what are white people like, anon? I'm trying to understand where you're coming from, but you say things and then turn it around - if you want to make accusations, back it up.
you say things like "we segregate ourselves based on commonalities. that's just human nature."
and then try to pin it on me - no , anon - if you feel that way it's because you have issues - not me.
I asked you what it is we white people should do to make things better. You didn't answer because there is nothing i or anyone else can do. White people will always be to blame for the poor choices of black people in america because you want it that way.
I don't have one black friend. Not one. I live in PA, where according to you and Barack Obama, we have an antipathy to people who aren't like us. What's your point? I don't have black friends because they dont want to be around white people? No kidding. How many white friends do you have?
The last time i had a black person in my house was Thanksgiving, my niece. So?? Maybe that doesn't count because her mom is white. Her black dad would have been here but he abandoned them. Is that my fault too? Does that mean I make wrongful assumptions about black people?
Hey Anon, I despise line dancing as well. I think this might be the mythical "common ground" bringing us together as true Americans.
Anon, I think the person missing the point here is you. No one here at this blog is racist. We don't argue with you because you are black, and if we don't like you, it isn't because you are black. There are other reasons to not like someone, but everyone's first reaction to hate is racism. It has become a witch hunt.
kevin your reflexive assumption that blacks from the hood are not respectable belies your white superiority.
I don't think anyone from the hood is respectable. People in the hoods are criminals or lazy people who refuse to get a real job. If anyone wants to make something of themselves, they have the ability to. What you should say is that because i think that people from the hood are not respectable bilies my middle class superiority. If you wanted to know just what I thought about people from the hood you shouldn't have asked if I had any black friends. I don't feel superiority over anyone. Anon, do you actually think people that don't live but instead lie around wasting your tax dollars are respectable people. While you are at work, earning your hard earned paycheck, people in hoods are buying drugs and guns with your tax money. The fact that you are defending African Americans, when no one has attacked them to begin with, is the proof of both mine and tracie's points.
kevin your generalizations show how little you know about people different from you. some people in the "hood" are criminals and lazy welfare cases but they are not in the majority. the rest are just poor people trying to make it in a bad situation that they didn't put themselves into. your generalized assumptions make my point for me, you don't understand people and cultures that differ from your own and so you think they are bad americans.
Anyone with an ounce of respect from the hood, has the sense to make something of themselves and get out of the hood. You can make it out of the hood. The beauty of America is that anyone can start out with nothing and move up in the world. You aren't doomed to a world of poverty just because you were born in it.
anyone who is a drain on society is a bad American regardless of the color of their skin.
Kevin - you are exactly right - you aren't doomed just because you were born into it. I think it is hard to overcome because we don't know how. But you can do one of two things. Figure it out, or feel sorry for yourself and make excuses.
Right Tracie, and the majority of those people choose to feel sorry for themselves.
and we should feel sorry and BE sorry because we're white - we did this to them - right, anon?
I think that is his general argument.
blacks don't think you whites did anything to them. we just resent the assumption that because we aren't like you culturally, we are bad Americans. we resent that if we are poor and live in the hood, in your eyes we deserve to be. we resent that for generations you have ruled the country as whites see fit, with your whites-only schools, clubs, and organizations, still do, but when we want to have our organizations and clubs and scholarships, suddenly America should be a color-blind society. It just comes across as a little too convenient and self-serving.
Anon, you can have your black only clubs. But NAACP and ACLU and most of those black organizations are for civil rights. You have just proven that you think because you are black that "us white folk" look down upon you when that is not the case. I look down on people who don't try in life, which happens to be almost everyone from the hood. Whether they are white or black makes no difference to me.
How can you paint most people in the "hood" with such a broad condescending brush? just because people are poor, doesn't mean they don't try. do you look down on the black woman who your family probably had as a maid at some point? She probably lived in the hood. Do you look down on the custodian who mops the floors at your school? He probably lives in the hood.
Whether you like it or not, the black experience in this country is different than the white experience. is it better than it was thirty years ago? Of course it is. Nobody's denying that. Just don't try to label us as reverse-racists because we have programs designated to help other blacks. Whites have had programs for whites for 300 years. While the institutions weren't openly racist, some of the individuals who work in them certainly were.
Yes, but you seem to think that society owes you something simply because you are black, and that is racist.
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