Letters to the Editor
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WTF?
Salon writes: "For all we know, some could just be jerky kids out to prove they're big by saying something shocking and stupid. . ."
I'm going out on a limb here and stating that yelling "nigger" (which I have encountered as a witty riposte to my Obama 08 bumper sticker three times now in "blue" Oregon -- well. . . twice it was actually "nigger lover") and writing "nigger" (once -- I could imagine the Sharpie clenched in the malefactor's barely prehensile fist) are undeniable and unambiguous evidence of racism. "Shocking and stupid," certainly. But by no means benign or unrevealing of what they feel and how they were raised. (And, as the hollerers were all in their twenties and thirties -- I don't know how far Mr K wants to define "kid" -- I am not so genrous as to excuse that filth to youth).
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The Dangers of Door-Knocking
I have no doubt that some of Obama's people are running up against outrageous racism as they campaign. It's not much consolation, but encountering outrageous conduct in a campaign is nothing new. I'm a veteran at going door-to-door. Every time I do it and no matter who I am working for, I encounter at least one person who seems to believe that it's a god-given right to be a horses ass to anyone who comes to his or her door.
I have a theory that some people are just too dumb to be allowed to vote. The frequency with which I encounter outrageous conduct when going door to door is one of my items of proof for that proposition.
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good article, alex.
why? because it provided supporting facts for a heated issue, and because the theme was coherent without becoming strident. Thank you.
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cross
amen on the door knocking perils. We did it when our first child was an infant, McGovern campaign in '72, in the hills of Berkeley and Kensington. We were as all American white bread looking as you can get. Clean cut, darling daughter on my back, gorgeous wife, and we still got sworn at and had door slammed in our faces. In Berkeley. For a Democrat. Imagine the bravery of the Freedom Riders, those bleeding heart liberals who went into the Jim Crow south to register voters; some died for their bravery. Maybe this campaign has a deeper purpose, not attributable to one man: to begin tearing out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. It's been over 150 years; let's get on with it. jeff
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confused
Lots of folks have pointed out to me that pollong indicates that black America is heavily pro-Obama. This appears race based. They then ask why they shouldn't vote for a white person based on race. I don't know how to answer except by nodding and saying "Vote your conscience then".
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BTW, for the record,
it is never the case that "kids" can say something, good or bad, without the language reflecting the community from which the kids come.
They are the community, and their actions are a reflection of some element of their community - good, bad or indifferent. No excuses there. Ever.
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Just one question -
How many of those people could we realistically expect to vote for Clinton in the general election if she were going to be the nominee? How many of them would vote for any Democratic nominee?
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Joan Walsh, have you read this?
Might want to share this little non-revelation with Joan, who seems to think that racism isn't that bad. At least not as bad as misogyny.
Damn sexists. Twice as bad as the Klan.
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well, yeah
Of course there are going to be racists spewing their hate-filled ignorance at campaign volunteers.
It's sad that there are so many people out there who think this way about people, and who think this is acceptable discourse. But it's not surprising. (And hey, it's progress: 40 years ago they killed campaign volunteers for being "*** lovers").
I think the percentage of the population who thinks this way is decreasing. And I expect the percentage will decrease significantly once the country has a "black president."
Nevertheless, these ugly encounters and reactions should be reported on. For one, they make the instigators look like total jackasses. For another, they remind others that racism isn't "solved" in this country.
But ... of course the Obama campaign is keeping quiet about this stuff! After telling HRC to "get over" ugly sexist attacks, reports of racism from the campaign would look hypocritical. And it undercuts the Obama campaign's message of unity. As long as the volunteers and staff (and candidate!) are safe from physical harm, ignoring childish name-calling, why should Obama himself respond?
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Alex, what is wrong with you?!
Between this post, the post about Ferraro and the posts about WVWV, you seem to have a real problem admitting that racism exists and then denouncing it as inappropriate.
I don't care who you support in the primary or even in the election, vote for McCain for all I care, but to describe incidents in various different cities and towns in Indiana where people were called "a common racial slur," where windows were broken, where property was stolen and vandalized and where campaign workers were told that voters wouldn't vote for a black man, by saying:
"For all we know, some could just be jerky kids out to prove they're big by saying something shocking and stupid, rather than truly representative of feelings in their larger community"
is completely insensitive to the realities and legacy of racism in America.
I'm not asking you to find racism in everything, but there is a real and disturbing pattern emerging of you denying that racism even exist when, as in this case, it's pretty clear.
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race based voting
@Tyler_Mason--
Not really sure what side of the issue you're on, based on your comment, but it's an interesting point.
A lot of black voters have voted for white candidates in the past. Based on people I've talked to, I'm pretty sure most would vote for Hillary if Obama wasn't in the race. They like her. They just like him better. Part of it is they are proud of him, part of it is Bill/Hill's racial comments (I'm white, and I switched after the South Carolina "Jesse Jackson" comments.) What you are getting is white voters saying they couldn't vote for a black man. Ever. They wouldn't even consider it, solely based on the color of his skin. That is racist.