Letters to the Editor
-
An honest discussion on race won't happen
with Joan Walsh in the room.
Joan, you need to look in the mirror. You've been an embarrassment to your race. The human race. Stop dividing. Racism is unbecoming, even as an accoutrement.
-
Silly posh
A fairly typical example of the quality of American journalism. If you read the sentence as written, the words 'white Americans', between commas, can read as a qualifier to the preceding words to define a subset of 'hard-working white Americans'. It doesn't say that hard-working Americans are all white.
Left unsaid is a basic question: while some white Americans will vote for a black candidate, the reverse isn't true to any extent. The answer --- that whites are racist --- is feeble. As neither white nor black, I find the situation troubling and indicate of very, very serious problems in the country. Silly posh like this article is as deep as my laptop's TFT screen.
-
dolores flowers -- I have a concern that I think is relevant to your query ...
Prior to the last 10 years that I have worked from home, I spent the preceding 23 working in a nice city hospital (the nicer of the two in town) ... I think that counts as "working class" ... I was a nurse aide, a unit clerk, a tech, and an admnistrative assistant to one of the VP's for the last 8 years ... I was also very sensitive about race relations in this building... I was considered by my black co-workers as both nice and safe ... I was very sensitive to the "slights" they experienced daily and I was able to see in many instances why they felt discriminated against, even in a well-integrated hospital that was actively recruiting and trying to retain minorities... okay ... that's background.
I also worked with a lot of white people. Some engaged in BEHAVIORS (not "seeing" their black coworkers except on the job or remembering black coworkers names or mixing one black nurse up with another) AND/OR SAID THINGS that were not intended to be offensive but could, imho be seen as racist, (and imho were) (twenty years ago it was pretty common to hear white folks talk about how much better off black folks would do if they just acted like Mexicans. I've had to speak up about that subject several times in my working life.)
All those people who complain about political correctness aren't joking ... and the suspicion and hostility I have seen by white folk in reaction to cries of "racism" really worry me wrt Obama winning over the white working class vote ...
Mind you, some of these are white people who do NOT consider themselves racist ... some are unapologetically racist ... Some of these people declare they HATE racists, even if they are sympathetic about, for instance, being afraid of gang bangers. What they both hate is the possibility they might land in deep shit by being called "racist"... of course, they fear being "unjustly accused" of being a racist which might just lose them their job... that's what fuels the "politically correct" rage (it's almost always REALLY about race -- being accused of being a male chauvinist pig, doesn't compare) ...
The sheer number of these accusations of towards the ex-president, the ex-first lady, this person, that person, I think, to what ever degree "joe six pack" heard about them likely produced a net negative "don't wanna go there" "gut feeling." Thank god, Joe Six-Pack, my guess, doesn't spend much time on line.
I've simply worked with too many people who believe -- for instance, -- that all wrongful termination lawsuits that cite race are black folk manipulating the system for undeserved gain. (They have no idea at all how frequently people of color experience discrimination or how painful being descriminated against REALLY is, how demoralizing to feel that you cannot win and/or the need to suppress your feelings to keep your job.)
In my years in administration I worked hard trying to raise consciousness about "how racism is experienced today" with my boss (who was very receptive). Most managers were certain they weren't behaving preferentially, but I knew of several who were considered racist by their black employees ... There are many ways to respond when people say things you find offensive or racist -- asking for clarification and engaging in discussion re why you disagree with what was said, imho, is vastly more positive and productive than yelling "racist" which slams doors, ears and hearts closed.
I don't think all these folks either should be "written off" (I'm not sure the democratic party can afford them) nor do they all deserve to be written off ... they need to be educated ... imho. Any national dialogue on race that excludes them will be a incomplete. Any attempt to muzzle them, intimidate them, or browbeat them I think will result in defection from the democratic party. Remember, these are for the most part people who do not consider themselves, their actions or their speech RACIST ... and many in their ranks would agree with eachother, in my experience.
-
TRUE. Because they don't like being called on their bias
"How not to sound racist?
People who are racist usually have trouble talking about it.
These people need deep therapy and consciousness- training. But I have an easier path to suggest for starters.
"
Very true.
on another note
Watch what the right does. listen to their bogus arguements. Cuase you will hear then out of clinton's people's mouths.
"If he was white, oh my god, THEY would be"
blah blah blah
"If he was black you couldn't say, blah blah blah"
False rationale for racism and false justification. LIES.
Race baiting for poloical or finanical gain. these people should be called out for their divide and conquer and race baiting. they should be shown the door for the propogandists they are. Without their divide and conquer nonsense nothing is impossible.
e primus unum
whether the gop, clinton supporters included, belive it or not. If they don't believe in e primus unum, or american values, or freedom, they are not americans. the gop and their cult are just fascists living here, who hijacked our govenrment. they are not americans. You must love americans freedoma nd ideals to be an american. the gop, clinton included, are red coat empirialists. fascist tratiotors.
how does sean hannity and rush limbaugh (fox beck coulter o'reilly) differ from benidict arnold? and who has more blood on their hands? Who made more money selling out their country and lying? who got more american soldiers killded? benidict arnold or bill o'reilly?