Letters to the Editor
-
You're an idiot Joan. You're blind. You're a hypocrite. Did you not hear Obama say that white Americans have legitimate concerns? But what does Salon do but host Broadsheet?
Broadsheet is identical to the angry elderly black preacher.
Its worse actually since your Broadsheet staff have all been to college. But day after day Broadsheet posts crappy science, dismisses the legitimate concerns of people as belong to angry white men, or misogynists and links to sites of racists and sexists.
And yet, to wish away the resentments of white Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist, without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns - this too widens the racial divide, and blocks the path to understanding.
This is where we are right now. It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years. Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy - particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own.
Go fuck yourself Joan.
-
KateTex, this is OT but were there any bluebonnets?
MY daughter is visiting me this coming week. I am in the Dallas area and want a day trip and am wondering where to go.
-
Smith: It's all about us, after all.
But we must have a conversation about race. The media declared it so and Obama wants us to.
You could turn off your TV and disconnect the internets. I've thought about it.
-
@ Ethos Bared: Thank you for your post.
I am looking for people to add to my ignore list. FYI, you just made it.
-
Offing Mr. Terry
My mother was a typical white Irish south side Chicago woman. During much of her life she had the typical 3rd generation Irish American prejudices against all people of color,Jews, and all foreigners or at least those with a foreign accent that wasn't gaelic.
In April of 1960 my father died at the age of 53.
Mr. Terry was a typical, kind, hard working black mailman who during the weekends from 1950 to 1960 worked at my father's office and our home washing and waxing the lenoleum floors of each and doing whatever other odd jobs occurred to my parents to be within his skill set.
It was a tradition that every Christmas, Mr. Terry was given, in addition to his weekly pay, a $100 bonus as a Christmas present for a years worth of work well done. My mother after the death of my father had continued to employ Mr. Terry and the Saturday before Christmas of 1960 chose to continue the tradition of the $100 bonus.
My Mother shared the fears of Mr. Obama's typical white grandmother when it came to black men.
According to my mother, I was not there but was out shopping for last minute Christmas presents, when she gave the $100 bonus to Mr. Terry in the kitchen, in response, he made a move to embrace her and give her a kiss,whether on the cheek or lips was never clear by her telling. She was cornered but managed to escape his advances. She ran into the living room of our empty house and Mr. Terry left by a side door, got into his car, and drove home.
My mother was horrified. I was commissioned the following Saturday to tell Mr. Terry, as he walked up our driveway preparing to work, that he would no longer be needed.
It was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do and I remember the sadness in his eyes as they welled up in tears, he shrugged his sholders as if his whole body was asking the question why, held his palms outstretched reaching for my hands, I stood back, he turned and left.
What had probably been a small sincere gesture on his part to thank my mother for continuing my father's generosity, had been turned into an unwelcomed inter-racial assault.
Unfortunately it's been my observation over the years that that is what "typical white people" do more often than not.
-
@ Uncle Fester
I never watch television except for stuff that shows up on the internet. I waste enough time as it is.
-
@AKA - OT
No, the bluebonnets aren't out yet (Fredericksburg area and RR12), but we did see some firewheels (a personal favorite) and those pinky things I want to call mallow but they're actually something else, and some of the bright yellow daisy-like flowers (have to work on the nomenclature). The redbuds are blooming, however, along with some of the fruit trees. Because of our dry winter, afraid we won't be seeing anything like last year's extravaganza, but still it's all so beautiful - pure balm. I'm sure your daughter would enjoy just driving through the hills, no? Did me a world of good!
-
Can't we all get along?
Joan--I'm a big fan, but I do think your missing the point by parsing Obama's speech and interview comments so closely. Step back for a sec and take a look at the main points he's making:
(1) The anger that many black people feel and the social problems that afflict them disproportionately in America are, in part, the legacy of slavery and discrimination.
(2) Many white people, who feel that they are not responsible for the discrimination black people have been subjected to, resent it when blacks are given what they consider to be preferential treatment.
(3) Sometimes black people feel and express prejudice toward whites.
(4) Sometimes white people feel and express prejudice toward blacks.
I don't see anything very controversial or remarkable about any of this, except for the fact that we are not used to hearing such plain speaking on this topic from a candidate for President. Which is what made it a wonderful speech.
I think that weeping for brunhilde has it just about exactly right here:
"The problem with our discussions of race and racism is that white people are so defensive they can't bear the idea that they might harbor racist thinking or, more accurately, racist responses that anyone growing up in this country, black people included, have been conditioned to have.
We've all been saturated in negative images of black people so of course we all have negative associations with black people on some level.
The question is, what level, and are we dealing with it.
But Obama was offering his grandmother as a way of relating to white people who have imbibed racism with the culture.
He was saying it's possible to be victimized by racism and still be a good human being.
He's trying to get us beyond the false dichotomy of racist/not racist.
It's precisely this false dichotomy that keeps us stuck.
No one wants to admit they might have racist responses or thoughts because they think that means that then they're a bad person and no one wants to be a bad person."
In my experience, there are very few white people who haven't at one or more times, thought, felt, said something prejudiced about black people. It's just so deeply ingrained in our culture, it doesn't mean we are all racist, but we have to stop pretending that we're past all that--we're not.
Race remains the single most defining issue in America. Let's deal with it, Joan, and not worry so much about Barack Obama's grandmother.