Thanks for responding. I certainly have no clue how any military people but the mostly enlisted and contract-workers I live with feel. Certainly not anybody of any rank.

Thanks again, I appreciate any information I can get on this subject.

to wash off the slime after reading this crap. Other than that, I have 2 responses:

1. It's amazing that people (Reynolds, instapunk, et al) can say such horrible, ignorant, hateful things, and then wonder why "black people" get angry. If you put Wright in context with Instapunk, it's a little hard not to see Wright's point, even though I find his language divisive.

2. What are all these people afraid of?

Seriously, let's enter their reality for a moment and assume Obama shares Wright's views (even though that would be contrary to Obama's own words and deeds for the past 2 decades). Do people think that an Angry Black President would ghettoize all the white males? Avenge The Blacks on The Whites in some horrible genocidal war? Force White Womwn to breed with Black Men?

This is the unspoken part of instapunk's (and others) rantings: some ridiculous, ugly, race-paranoid apocalypse. But they should be encouraged to articulate their fears in specific. Instapunk isn't upset because young black men dress funny (all young people dress funny, to those who have stopped following fashion trends): he's somehow threatened by those funny-dressed guys, even if the threat is all in his head. Once the paranoid fantasies are out in the open, they can be rebutted, and the fear-peddlars can be seen in all their ridiculous glory.

Well, you certainly opened my eyes. As a 40 something black woman, I have heard such comments as Wright's, and frankly, often from crazy old uncles and the like, and NEVER in church. But the comments of Instapunk were really new to my post integrationist ears. When I think angry white folks who hate black people and think of some of us as N***ers, I rarely think of educated and articulate people. By his scale I guess I get a pass because I'm a Harvard educated writer. But I don't know, I wear dread locks, and rather like hip hop, and my car is kind of old. We can't all be Tiger Woods, you know. Sarcasm aside, this subjective racism really scares me, as you never know when you will be utterly dehumanized. And once that happens, things get pretty dangerous regardless of race. Whether is is OJ (who for the record I think is guilty as sin) or my Godson, or Instapunk himself, humanity is not subjective.

PS If this represents a significant portion of the right wing, no wonder the Clintons are such dirty fighters.

You say: "Seriously though, I expect these rants to be about black deadbeat dads and things like that, not pants worn too low. The former at least has some veneer of legitimacy, the latter is just stupid."

Just how much time have you spent living in inner cities? I can tell you that, at least in New Orleans, residents (and visitors) have everything to fear from baggy-pants-wearing kids. Those fears include losing your life to one of them. Anyone living in a poverty-infested inner city ignores the signs of danger at their peril. And plenty of New Orleanians - both black and white - learned long ago when to cross the street and when not to. Just like, gosh, Obama's grandmother.

Hardly every black kid with baggy pants is bad news, but enough of them are, and veterans learn to read all the signs. Know where the baggy pants style originated? It's part of jailin', just as are shoes with no laces.

Sorry, but the ivory tower-ness in here just makes me want to gag at times. All theory and no practice are not exactly an ideal formula for genuine insight.

O heavens, no, he doesn't, he just echoes the opinions of others who also do not listen to RL and who also echo the opinions of others who do not listen to RL.

I do listen to RL ...

--- here I allow time for recovering from fainting spells ---

hm hm hm

la la la

see, it did not hurt!

... and, whatever my opinion is worth, even tho probably only the censor reads these postings, that RL is not a racist.

But, hey, who am I to disturb yous's inner peaces, nothing to learn here, move along, move along...

Seriously, let's enter their reality for a moment and assume Obama shares Wright's views (even though that would be contrary to Obama's own words and deeds for the past 2 decades). Do people think that an Angry Black President would ghettoize all the white males? Avenge The Blacks on The Whites in some horrible genocidal war? Force White Womwn to breed with Black Men?

Yeah, yeah Juliebird, let's push all those petty little concerns to the side and get right down to some of the horrible, hateful, things Obama might do. I see him sneaking up on these goals like a Panther! He might actually enforce the Civil Rights Laws, and investigate offenses and prosecute malefactors! Horrors! He might actually enforce the consumer-safety and labor laws! Oh My God! He might actually mobolise white people of good will to make a contribution towards addressing America's race-related problems! And worst of all: He might demand an accounting from the Armed Forces or their contractors, under existing laws and regulations! Can you imagine?

And worst of all, unimaginably worse then anything, he might be a good and competent administrator, and America might make some progress towards its stated goals during his administration.

Juliebird, with threats like that imminent, the astuff you mentioned is small potatoes. Those they could handle. The ones I mention, they could not.

Outstanding post. Dead on.

I pity the fool who doesn't close his tags. The A-team will be on that sucka's ass, pronto!

I'm just getting here. I'll go the the last comment to see if I've offended doctors or lawyers. Plato commented about certain professions that are dangerous. My eyes are weary. The details whoop me, and The Market-Days are more fun than meeting criminal lawyers who sell laundromats, judges, magistrates, case-laws, and Probation Officers, not parole . Words get confusing.

Debig? The doctors and lawyers need to plant parsnips? They are dangerous like Plato said.

I hope to only be here a little bit tonight. Apple pie al la mode makes citizens too sleepy.

My REM sleep must improve. Who needs to stop hurting pugnacoius pug-dog-feelings.

The war must cease. OT? OT?

The country needs improved.

Don't scream in your sleep with a bum leg.

The piercing leg nerve ending? Eat lots of confectionary?