Letters to the Editor
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@Hhatchet
I am not missing the point anymore than you are. Sounds like you are taking sides and assuming which side I am on. End of conversation.
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Look at your news media
I know you have had to notice how many black pundits are on telivisin after the Imus incident. There are no black,Asian,Latino or Native Americans pundits with talk shows like Hardball or the O'reilly show. The ask yourselv how many times you have seen any minorities on those shows talking about education,health care,the economy or anything else besides race. Lou Dobbs always says he is not racist but he never has Hispanics on his show unless he is talking about immirgration. LoL!
It is amazing how they are able to find conservative and liberal blacks to talk about race but never have them speak about anything else. This black out in the media is large part of why whites get upset when they hear and see people like Rev. Wright on a tape. CNN and Larry King both did shows on religions role in politics and America and did not have one black person on the panels. If they had him on shows where he talked about religion in America you might get a different point of view. But many "typical whites" think that it is normal never to hear or see different perspectives from people of color.
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Pyrrho, I'm what you could call a "redneck" but I don't care once I'm not redeyed
I wear a blue collar over my red neck and I love both my Graannies. I belong to the church whose mission statement is "Oh, Lord, stand up for grannies". I hope that satisfies you although I'm thinking of becoming a Phyrrhonist. My conersion is almost complete. I must go now but keep the insults flying because I enjoy them. Am I qualified? Probably not but sure you could arrange to have me clamped. That's after those bridling with indignation have manoeuvred the sacking of the editor. It's Easter (a word connected to estrogen) and there are better things to do than sink into the mire.
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Proved my point
I don't think I accused you of missing my point. I wrote you proved my point. You said I sounded angry. I wrote that many whites not all accuse blacks of being racist by the angery words they speak while blacks cry racism because of historical and contempory deeds of individuals and society.
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@ Malusinka
You said: How many white people -- whether they are predjudiced or not -- can truthfully say that if they were walking alone on a dark road and heard footsteps behind them and they look over their shoulder that the race of the person behind them will have no impact on their first, instinctive reaction?
The first question I would ask myself if I heard footsteps behind me on a dark road was whether they belonged to a man or a woman. Makes a lot of different. When it comes to violent crime that is stranger on stranger, men are the overwhelming perpetrators. If the footsteps turned out to be those of a woman, I would breathe a sigh of relief. The second thing that I would consider when that person came into view was whether or not I could read that person's facial expression to determine his/her intent.
Think about that one for a moment. Think logically and realistically. Facts matter. Crime rates matter. The neighborhood matters. What sort of people actually spend more time in prison for committing violent crimes matter. When you cannot divorce the circumstances of reality from the circumstances of race, then you cannot rightfully call the person concerned about being a victim of a crime a racist.
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No duality.
People can't wrap their heads around the idea that one can work on behalf of a constituency and make genuine efforts towards redressing the legacy of racism and yet, at the very same time still succumb to racist or racialized patterns of thought, behavior, response, etc.
This is especially dismaying to see among those who otherwise decry the infantile manichaeanism of George Bush and argue for a more nuanced worldview.
Yet with this issue, they're incapable of entertaining the notion that one can be racist and not racist all it the same time.
We contain multitudes. weeping for brynhildr
That I would agree with. So how do we change this? If you have any answers I would be willing to listen. Just as I am listening to the nuance in Obama's speech. Where do we find virtue? How to we effect change for everyone? How do we assist those in need? How do we change our culture? Give me some answers, direction, not anger.
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obama and his comment about typical white person.........
i really hate how every word obama says is parsed. its overkill. and it isnt done to either hillary nor to mc cain. there is clearly a double standard going on here and its very unfair and distasteful.
why cant the media talk about the issues that affect the american population??? dont we really care about them? dont you??
it would be one thing if what pastor wright said came from the mouth of obama, but it didnt, so lets move on and talk about something else.
thanks
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Full Disclosure
The next time you go on television to comment on the primary, please begin with a disclosure that you are a Hillary supporter.
Further, this "white grandmother" problem you have is really seen by others as much ado about nothing. Because you are a Hillary supporter, you cannot see that.
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Weeping for Brunhilde: Best. Salon. Commenter. Ever. Period.
Thank you. I have a similar background and viewpoint as you. However, I could never have said it as eloquently and elegantly as you.
I found AKA Smith's reaction to you very revealing. The glibness was cloaking some very real fear and resentment: "Why should I have to be forced to talk about race? It not my fault! I didn't do anything! Don't hurt me!"
THAT is what Senator Obama was addressing: That race issues are not confined to those who set crosses on fire. It involves all of us. If we keep ducking and dodging it, we will never get past it, and someone will be able to come along and push our buttons and keep us reacting like Pavlovian fools.
Please continue to post, Brunhilde. You are amazing.