Letters to the Editor
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@ Hhatchet
Brilliantly articulated post, thank you.
This part, in particular, resonated with me quite a bit:
"But what is so scary about white racist is that even when a black man does everything you say he must to fit in and join in you still hate him. If he is on the streets he is a thug. If he gets a degree he is an uppity elitist. If he tells the truth about a gas tax you say he does not understand you. So we can only assume that no matter what he does for some it would never be good enough. White racist will commit Political suicide before they will vote for a black man."
Precisely how I feel. Black men can be thugs, elitists or else loyal party hacks, talented enough to do the work, yet not so talented as to challenge the status quo except to fight over crumbs from the master's table.
John Lennon, perhaps, said it best: "They hate you if you're clever, and they despise a fool. A working class hero is something to be."
And last night on CNN I was amazed to hear one of the pundits bring up Obama's bind.
Someone mentioned that he has to get more fiery and passionate to connect with the anxieties of white working class voters and this woman, God bless her, reminded, "Yes, but he can't do that because if he gets "more passionate," as you say, he runs the very real risk of being the Scary Angry Black Man."
Finally the truth.
It's how I've felt my whole life. I have to bend over backwards to contain my anger, lest I scare people and in the process discredit myself in their eyes.
A tall order indeed for a black man to be both fiery and sufficiently neutred.
But I take heart that this elemental fact of the black experience factored into the conversation on a mainstream news outlet.
If the discourse expands to include the voices of the marginalized and voices on the lefthand side of the political spectrum, in short, if liberalism in the best sense makes a comeback, we'll all win, regardless of who wins in November.
The long haul demands a higher and more inclusive level of discourse.
Free people bear the obligation of actually engaging seriously in politics, for all our sakes.