Lend Me Your Ears…
This post isn’t addressing anyone in specific. It’s just a collection of thoughts that have accumulated in my head during this extremely busy day. Don’t take it personally.
Some bloggers focus on Supreme Court hearings or Treo smartphones or cars or politics in Washington or knitting or homeschooling. Some bloggers tighten their focus and blog about Supreme Court hearings related to a specific legal topic or Treo smartphone hacks or the Mercedes AMG or pork barrel politics in Washington or knitting without needles or homeschooling as a single parent.
I blog about the politics of race, which includes liberals’ obsession with skin deep-diversity and America’s overall dishonesty in dealing with and discussing race. That bothers the heck out of some people. They just can’t understand why a black person would want say “bad” things (i.e., anything that considers factors other than white racism) about other black people.
The way I see it, somebody has to say it, and since very few do, I volunteered.
I started writing about race and politics because I couldn’t stand the milquetoast, soft-pedaling prose I was reading. I figured there was somebody out there who wanted to read the truth, needed to hear the truth. I volunteered.
Many people, mostly blacks, resent me because my blog’s subject matter appeals to white conservatives. Some say it even appeals to white supremacists. As I’ve blogged numerous times, that’s not my problem. When you express yourself in a society that protects free speech, that’s the risk you take. White supremacists may twist my words, but I know for a fact some blacks do.
I won’t police my words or thoughts, especially for a bunch of fools I don’t even know.
I occupy a small space in the blogosphere, even though I’m probably the most well known black political blogger. One purpose of my existence in the online world is to provide a balance to standard-issue race-focused journalism. I’m so used to reading left-leaning race-related news articles from so-called objective journalists, who can’t seem to find any conservative blacks to interview for their stories, I no longer cringe. It’s just the way it is. That’s why I blog.
Most mainstream media articles that cover or touch on race are condescending and play to other liberals. But I’m not complaining. Instead, I’m blogging.
As long as the media and race hustlers paint blacks as victims of the “legacy of slavery” who just can’t help committing crimes or slaughtering people or having babies without the benefit of matrimony (setting their kids up for all sorts of problems, subsequently blamed on — you guessed it — racism) or complaining about phantom racism, you’ll find me right here, telling you what’s really going on. At LBC, you’ll read euphemism-free commentary on how people ruin their own lives with dumb decisions, and you’ll get it how I want to give it to you, not how others think I should give it to you.
My intent is not to be anyone’s mentor or role model or, necessarily, friend. I intend to use this blog to share my ideas and my work. If people like it, great! If they hate it, wonderful!
I suspect that part of the frustration people feel toward me is based on envy. This blog has gotten the attention of “big” bloggers, the media, editors, and others who’ve helped me build an audience. I notice that “big” conservative bloggers seem to do a lot more linking to smaller conservative bloggers than “big” liberal bloggers link to smaller liberal bloggers. I think it drives certain readers and bloggers crazy that I, of all people, have become a well-known blogger in the political blogosphere. Again, I can’t help that. I’m overjoyed that so many influential people visit this site – CNN producers, print editors, book publishers, agents, conservative writers and bloggers I admire – and that I’ve finally found something I’m good at and enjoy. If you’re not enjoying your life and what you do for a living, it’s got nothing to do with me.
Now, on to the state of Virginia!
Slavery Apologies and Diversity Pledges
I’m sure you’ve heard about apology-for-slavery resolutions in the Virginia legislature. I’m sorry, but I question the intelligence of anyone, black or white, who would even waste time with tripe like this, let alone taxpayers’ money. Raise your hand if you or anyone you know was a slave. Raise your hand if you or anyone you know owned slaves.
If an apology for slavery would bring down black-on-black crime rates, I’m cool with that. If an apology for slavery would mean an end to black race hustlers’ race hustles, then by all means, get on your knees and grovel, white man!
But it won’t make an iota of difference. It’s all a hustle. Certain blacks in America will never – and I mean never – be satisfied with apologies for slavery or lynching or for Jim Crow or from that sales clerk in the fancy department store who followed them around. Nothing will keep certain black folks – unfortunately, the ones who make the most noise – from bit**ing and moaning about “racism.”
Fellow conservative and friend Mychal Massie, who’s probably the only black person more conservative than I am – and that’s saying something – says this about the proposed slavery apology:
Blacks do not own the market on past suffering and injustice – yet today, blacks disproportionately (we are led to believe) suffer the effects of a rocky beginning in America. I submit alleged suffering has nothing to do with slavery, but rather, everything to do with one’s mental outlook and approach to life’s consequences, based in large part on decision making
…
“The average white person” doesn’t owe blacks special dispensation – in fact, no white person does. Blacks owe it to themselves to stop trying to extort benefit out of the past and grasp the overwhelming opportunity of the present. Slavery has nothing to do with not having better homes, better jobs or better lifestyles – but purpose and goals do. Low graduation rates have nothing to do with slavery – but purposefully failing, so as not to be “white,” and nonexistent parents do. (Source)
Just for telling the truth, Mychal gets the nastiest e-mails. 
And this too-childish-for-words diversity pledge thing at the University of Virginia…I… just don’t know what to say. But I’ll think of something.
The student council proposed a so-called diversity pledge to…who knows? Someone tell me what is a “diversity pledge?” A promise to always consider the skin color of fellow students? Hmm…content of character, and all that, doesn’t apply. Is it a promise not to notice differences like skin color? Wait a minute. You can notice differences if doing so is beneficial but not detrimental, right? Isn’t that inconsistent and a bit…hypocritical?
Apparently, there were some “incidents” of a “prejudice” nature at the school. In one such incident, some idiot spit on two homosexual students, and the student council came up with a “pledge” to…what? What does spitting on someone have to do with diversity, for crying out loud? Call the campus police and file assault charges! Why does a nasty incident like that change just because the “spitees” are homosexuals? Will freshman have to sign a piece of paper promising not to spit on homosexuals? Would the campus police or faculty deal with it differently because the people spat upon are homosexuals or black? If so, why?
Because of Orwellian, thought police hate crime laws, that’s why. I guess I answered my own question. Such inane college resolutions are not that big a deal in the long run, just kids stuff, I suppose, unless the intent is to stigmatize freshmen who don’t sign it or agree to it by publishing the list? The list: what does that remind you of? Senator Joseph McCarthy’s Black List, maybe? It’s insanity. It’s stupid, and somebody needs to say so. I volunteer.
If you need a “diversity pledge” to act like a responsible, courteous adult, no matter what color skin someone is born with or who they have sex with (besides a child), a diversity pledge ain’t going to help you.
This is why I blog about the dumb obsession liberals have with skin deep-only diversity, thought policing (which applies mostly to white straight male thinkers), and other silliness. Covering racial politics from an angle you don’t find in mainstream media or in “polite” conversation are two of the many reasons why I blog the way I do. I take the heat because what I do is necessary. God willing, I’ll be around for a long time to do it.
And if you don’t like it and can’t deal with it, then for the sake of your mental health, stop reading the blog!
{ 91 comments }
If I had to guess, I would guess that those who get the most angry at you for what you write do so because the truth hurts.
You’ve just written the reasons I read your blog.
I wish you strength because the hate is huge.
Sorry if this goes through twice, I messed up the first time.
Like you, I get infuriated at the constant attention to race by the media and liberals.
When Tony Dungy invoked his Christian faith and said that doing things the Lord’s way was more important than being the first black coach to win the Superbowl, he essentially threw acid in the face of the libs and race baiters, and I was glad that he did.
That the media should focus on the race of the coaches shows they really don’t think blacks can do anything other than suit up and run up and down a field at someone else’s direction. How telling.
You rant for me and soooooooo many blacks! Keep gettin’ your rant on, because the truth rules!
I love your blog! I can say to you thanks for your honesty, it is welcome in this world!
I heard my mom on the phone with my aunt lamenting the fact that all the grandchildren vote Republican, heh, a moment I’ll never forget. We Black conservatives are out there…
[x-files intro rif]
You probably don’t read the “Gay Patriot” blog, but it’s run by a conservative gay man, something that I think might be rarer than a conservative black woman!
Obviously, he gets a lot of negative attention from the gay community, and I think it’s for the same reason that you get negative attention from the black community. Certain people just don’t like the fact that when the going gets tough, they actually have to fall back on their intellect, their abilities, and their own choices. Instead, they’d rather abandon personal responsibility and blame others when their lives become wrecks, and of course the villain in their eyes always seems to be the Big Bad Conservative White Man, and anyone who agrees with him is a bad person (and will be called a “traitor” if they happen to be black, a woman, gay, etc.)
I, for one, will never use my sexuality (or any inconsequential trait) to get ahead, nor would I ever ask for special treatment of any kind. It’s my private business, and that’s that. I’m smart enough to make it on my own and I’m blessed to live in a land where my choices won’t get me killed.
I applaud you for the courage that you’ve shown in speaking the truth, and I wish you the best in all you do. God Bless.
Lashawn,
thanks for your ranting..
It is good for this nation to hear different opinions..
Did you ever notice how it is ‘liberals’ who don’t want to hear differing opinions?
La Shawn, I read you because I usually agree with everything you write, not because you are a conservative black woman. I’m a conservative white woman. But, you tell it like it is and I love that in anyone. I’m for truth and honesty. And, I think Dragonlady hit the nail on the head when she said:
“I would guess that those who get the most angry at you for what you write do so because the truth hurts.”
Truth does hurt, but it needs to be told. And, who better to do it than someone like La Shawn who knows what she is speaking about. Just keep telling it like it is, and you’ll keep us all coming back!
And, by the way, I’m going to check out Mychal Massie, too.
I consider myself a white libertarian conservative fan, 50 plus years old. I hate diversity camps because they base themselves in Marxism. The word diversity as it is being used in schools and government is a euphemism from class collective thought based on socialist marxist principles. It has no place in institutions in the United State. search for “Racial and Social Justice” on google and you will see what I mean.
So, is it then right when conservatives also distort based on race?
Larry Elder’s last piece touched on the number of Black votes Al Sharpton received in his electorial races in NY. But he failed to mention on a national level that Sharpton won only 1 majority Black voting district. So, he is a “Black leader” or a “leader in NY”?
The membership level of the NAACP has been, at best, stagnant for years, even before Ben Chavis held the lead position. This wasn’t a secret but I’ve read no “Black conservative” nor “conservative” commentary asking if it is accurate to state the NAACP leads the Black community. At best, all that is pointed out is the NAACP supporting gay marriage and not supporting vouchers while the Black community doesn’t support “gay marriage” and supports vouchers.
On this blog, you’ve allowed me to list the many inaccuracies and suspect logic used by Jesse Lee Peterson.
The “race hustlers” from the left want to portray most Blacks as poor and victims. I’ve stated that many times. But I also state that the “race hustlers” from the right want to portray most Blacks in the same light, and the stats easily disprove that view as wrong.
A number of years ago, a man named Roderick Conrad was leading Project 21. He placed me on an email list with other Black conservatives and some of them voiced the same concerns about lack of giving the complete story in order to attack and counter attack liberals. I sat back and watched the name calling from “Black conservatives” against other “Black conservatives” and I found it illuminating. There was even the use of “sell out” and “CON servative” being thrown about.
So, as I see it, the “Black left” is distorting the picture of Blacks. The “Black right” is distorting the picture of Blacks. And to both I show more information about Blacks in America and I get slammed.
Honest discussion?
Why is Black America defined by the minority of the group instead of the majority?
Honest discussion?
Why no conservative analysis of Fryer’s “Acting White” analysis?
Honest discussion?
What’s that saying?
Two wrongs…
It’s interesting how all these “diversity camps” only house anyone not white or Christian or conservative. I’ve only been reading your blog since I saw your video appearance on Hot Air. Since then I just keep saying “Yes, finally, someone said it!” when I read your blog. Thanks and keep up the good and enlightening work!
La Shawn there’s now a Missouri lawmaker calling for an official state apology for slavery. Just heard it on the news tonight.
Good grief.
LaShawn,
You are always “right on” that why we all keep coming back. You blog about THE TOPIC because you feel that it is important, and IT IS.
I always look forward to Monday because you’re
back.
elgerdobo
Barb at #8 just said everything I would have said; let me just add that I appreciate your writing, La Shawn, and the exchange of viewpoints among the regular posters. May God continue to Bless you and your Corner.
Nice one, Lashawn.
“If an apology for slavery would bring down black-on-black crime rates, I’m cool with that. If an apology for slavery would mean an end to black race hustlers’ race hustles, then by all means, get on your knees and grovel, white man!”
No apologies from me, I’m called ‘white’, but I don’t take any ‘black’ or ‘white cause’ that is related to race, or shoulder any responsibility.
I’m still trying to get my head around why so many American bloggers seem to divide into two camps who appear to believe either
1. Conservatives = racists
or
2. Liberals = racists
I believe the truth to be a billion shades inbetween of these two caricatures, and more often than not, totally unrelated.
I guess the focus is too often on the the most extreme proponents of any ideology/political reactionary, and the brush is too often loaded thickly with stereotypes and disregard for veracity in order to ‘prove a point’.
In short I find it just as malicious and false to state that: ‘Generally, blacks want what whites have’ or ‘generally, blacks think so and so’ as I do to hear ‘liberals are the real racists’ or ‘conservatives are the real racists’.
Every statement has it’s ‘due’, a ‘due’ which more often than not completely evaporates under examination. The sad state of partisan punditry reminds me of an old Irish saying:
‘A lie told half way around the world before the truth could get it’s boots on’
So a million little lies, generalities, smears, (or ‘truthy’ hyperboles!) told every day on the blogosphere:
‘Liberals are dumb racist white haters and traitors’
‘Conservatives are mean hypocritical black haters’
‘Conservative blacks are self-hating ‘Uncle Toms”
‘Liberals whites are self-hating racists.’
And on, and on, and on.
Why do they do it?
I don’t really know. Insecurity? Hateful personas? Who knows?
Regards,
John
And let us not forget the examples of the “wrong sort of diversity” such as the recent claims that Barack Obama isn’t a real black because his father is Kenyan and mother is white (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1584736,00.html )
I enjoy reading your column; have never regretted finding it. Keep on posting your thoughts. You give individuals of all colors a chance to think and reflect on what you way. Maybe that is why you get so much negative email. You make people think and examine the issues. Yes, there could be some jealousy in there also.
As to the race hustlers, you shine a light on their work and that is why they hate you. But, if the government gives money for past sins, then the Irish need to have some also.
I thought it was a great post, La Shawn. Probably not my place as I don’t live in the USA, but I had more to say:
Apology For Slavery
“If I had to guess, I would guess that those who get the most angry at you for what you write do so because the truth hurts.”
That’s not always true, just saying that if someone gets angry at what you say, it doesn’t mean you are right. I get angry when people say “blacks are generally this” and “whites are generally that”, not because it’s true, but because it is most often false/hyperbole – designed from malice or pursuit of profit and/or political leverage.
Sometimes it is the case, you wouldn’t believe how many people get angry if you disagree with their favourite pundit, RIGHT, or LEFT!
Sad indeed.
What bothers me about things like a diversity pledge–or hate-crime legislation–is that they will manage to find a way to say that saying that homosexual behavior is wrong is unacceptable. This is an impingement on both free speech and religious beliefs.
La Shawn, the two primary reasons I frequent your site are:
1. You speak from the heart, with conviction, but you do so while firmly grounded on facts.
2. You seek the same thing I do, a society of Americans, not a balkanized country of hyphenated-Americans living in pigeonholes.
And the company’s not bad, either. Some pretty great folks post here. Even the soreheads are willing to talk, not yell.
LaShawn- U go girl! Maybe fitting in with yours of today & with the continual on the Obama’s ‘blackness’ commentaries – O’Riely had on his last night, a PhD from Temple that claimed Bush was speaking ‘White’ code when Bush described & obviously complemented Obama when Bush used the word ‘articulate.’ Just an observation. U B da bomb!
#16 is on point.
Once again you stated exactly how I feel on the subject. I am glad I found your site, and look forward to your latest comments. Please continue with what you are doing, as it is much needed.
I agree that apologizing for that in which you took no part is silly. What I find strange is that all those folks who want to apologize for something don’t apologize for something they were responsible for, namely Jim Crow. Segregation existed in Virginia into the 1960s and there are a great many people alive who were adults then. Why is there no interest in a meaningful apology? I don’t care if they do apologize, but if they’re so sorrowful they ought to be sorrowful for their behavior, not there ancestors’.
You know La Shawn there are people who know slaves today because there ARE still people held in chattel today. It is a shame that the UN and our government does not do more about this. The NAZI had slave labor building their war machine under Albert Speer. Some of those people are still alive. Also other totalitarian governments are practicing slavery. Then there is Africa. Let my people go.
Virginia Black History Month News Clip.
The very “First” slave in Virginia was owned by a Black man. That’s a fact! The “race pimps” fail to mention such “Firsts” and other such related American history that does not fit their race-baiting, hate-mongering agenda.
If adults, Black and White, cared about the youth of this country and their future generations, they could focus on what propaganda vs. truth that is taught in public schools.
The “half truths” or just plain lies and propaganda spread from the bigoted news and bigoted educational media are just killing us all. Please help our children by helping us tell the “whole story.” See the links below for some positive historical steps here in Virginia
Here in Petersburg, Virginia, we are working on telling “the rest of the story.”
http://www.petersburgexpress.com/Pocahontas.html
For Black History Month in Virgina and across our land, I would ask; “Who’s hiding this Southern Black History?”
http://www.petersburgexpress.com/Petersburg_Black-CSA.htm
http://www.petersburgexpress.com/Petersburg_Events.html
G. Ashleigh
Petersburg, Virginia
La Shawn, as you know, I have been reading and commenting on your blog for some time. I am (gasp) a middle aged white man. The topics that I enjoy the most are the ones that appeal to my spiritual journey and not necessarily the ones about race. I get a lot out of reading your blog because it gives me the opportunity to discuss ideas about God and Christian morality with people of a much more diverse background then I do. I have made comments on this blog which have be refuted soundly, and I learned from that.
As to the subject of this article and the preceding one; to be honest, I am tired of the argument (not of your stance!). It has been going on since the 1950’s and we need to reach some resolution. The black history in this country (and the white, red, yellow, etc.) is written in stone. It is the past and is not going to change.
If it makes someone feel good for the Virginia state government to apologize, then by all means apologize. If the South Carolina flag (my home state) offends, for goodness sake, change it. Let’s go ahead and root out every opportunity for people to be offended. But when we get done (and I suspect there will be no end to it, as people are ingenious at thinking of new ways to be offended), let’s put it behind us.
I remember my mother crying the day Martin Luther King was shot. I remember being so proud that many of my friends were black, the feeling that my generation could overcome the past hurts. Now I know that it is not in my power to affect any change in anyone else but myself.
Frankly, I have worked hard to make sure my children were not raised to hate anyone. I am pleased with the kind of men they are. But now I find myself, well, bored with the movement.
They are losing the fight because they can’t help themselves from themselves. They are becoming irrelevant, because the world is moving on and they are unwilling to let go of the past.
MLK said, “I have a dream.” Today’s black leaders say, “I have a memory.” Only dreams will help you reach the future.
LaShawn thank you, but I have to say that certain comments like “Blacks should get over it” is not IMO appropriate. I like the way you put it, with meaning and facts.
Tony Dungy’s class act following the Super Bowl reminded me of another “Civil Rights Icon” who didn’t let being “the right kind of Black” get in the way of being a decent man.
James Meridith made history at U MI. Following the integration of the University, Meridity refused to join in the crusade with “The right kind of Blacks”. He believed he had donw what he needed to do, and went on with his life.
Likewise, Dungy will continue doing what he needs to do – coach a winning team – he does not feel a need to prove that he is “the right Kind of Black”.
Good morning La Shawn. I so admire your writing. It’s refreshing to hear others who are sick of skin color being so important. Of course, the liberals are the ones who will not let it die. I wish we could just look at the actual person, not their skin color. I mean, after all, God looks on our hearts, not our color, or how big my hair happens to be
Conservatism is the tougher path because it’s based in reason and its opposition is largely “emotional thinking.”
Whoopi Goldberg was recently interviewed by Bill O’Reilly and something she said in that interview was a windown into the perspective of Liberalism.
In response to O’Reilly’s saying, “You’ve got to think these things through…,” she responded, “No! No, Bill, that’s YOUR way. Some of us only know what we feel about things.”
That’s it in a nutshell. The vast majority of Liberal people are guided by emotion, by “how they feel things SHOULD be,” instead of dealing with the way things are.
That’s what Conservatives are up against, emotional thinkers and of course, such people tend to see women, blacks and members of other “protected” groups as “traitors” when they deviate from the Liberal orthodoxy.
Again, just more “emotional thinking” on their parts.
Just exactly who does this diversity pledge benefit? I think we’re all being scammed by those people who make a profit and a living off of either shaming us or deluding us into thinking we must be oppressed because we’re constantly having it rammed down our throats in one form or another.
Who are those who benefit? Well, the universities will get money to support diversity programs as well as publicity. The reporters and media will draw readers, advertisers and fame for their earnesty in telling all of us there must be something wrong with us. The politicians will get votes. The activist organizations will get members and endowments which keep them in business.
I think we’re all being scammed.
God bless you dear La Shawn for your courage, your brilliant writing (and I hope that you are getting more and more PAID gigs because you are ten times the writer of some who are paid in obscene amounts for doing what you do so well for free on your blog) and most of all for the lucidity of your thought processes.
There are very few attorney types that I genuinely like and respect – and you are one of them. One is a retired Ohio Supreme Court Justice for whom I once worked, another is my current boss, and the other 2 are former employers. You are in very august company and they are honored by your presence among them.
I say amen and keep up the good work, LaShawn. I’ll gladly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you any day.
Brava Diva!
What I find ironic is that I know plenty of whites with the same underachiever attitude. They have children out of wedlock, make poor life choices, have drinking problems, dead end jobs or no jobs, no desire for education, etc.
The excuses are more varied but just as predictable. All their troubles can be attributed to George Bush, the war in Iraq, affirmative action, illegal aliens, or maybe just that the world is against them.
Well, since some of their ancestors were indentured, or share-croppers, or otherwise on the fringe of society, I guess they are owed an apology too. I’m sure that will make all the difference.
Keep up the good work LaShawn!
(P.S. Saw your article in CRJ, you go girl!)
Ms. Barber-God bless you and please keep doing the good job that you now do.I have two questions for you: First:Is it true that the last documented case of slavery in this country was approximately 20-25years ago in Florida, with a black farmer using slave labor? (I seem to remember some report about this, but don’t know how to research it). Second:Can you tell me if racism and prejudice (beyond being victims of society) is being taught in the black family? Thank you for your service. You have a most informative blog.
I said it before and I’ll say it again, I love that woman!
You go Lashawn!
Great post, LaShawn! Keep it up! I wish you even more success as your following grows.
I liked the commenter who said that “God looks on the heart.” That’s the way I think, too. Identity politics is such a shallow attempt to pigeonhole human beings who are *all* made in the image of God. We need to get back to the kind of thinking that lifts up the dignity of each and every human being *regardless* of the accidental circumstances of their birth.
I appreciate your writing, La Shawn. If the Virginia legislature feels Virginia must apologize for slavery, isn’t it then unwittingly telling the state’s black population that they, in effect, are not Virginians? After all, what do they have to apologize for?
“Can you tell me if racism and prejudice (beyond being victims of society) is being taught in the black family?”
Lead me to questions like this, for instance:
A. What is the ‘one-size-fits-all’ ‘black’ family that is supposed to speak for ‘blackness’ in such an instance??
Please consider this:
I have what is called ‘white’ skin. Could one ask me to tell if or not ‘The White Family’ is taught racism and prejudice?
The answer from my point of view is easy – my family taught me that ‘blacks’ and other ‘foreigners’ generally weren’t to be trusted at all, apart from ‘a few exceptions to the rule’.
(where have we all heard this before?)
So could I answer that, tes, I and many compatriots in my school years were taught by our parents and other locals, that ‘blacks’ (one colour fits all) were evil and cunning, or dumb and bestial, or even both. We were taught that Italians weren’t ‘white’, but almost blak, for instance.
My wife, who is ‘white’ also, wasn’t taught the same things by her parents, but was by her grandparents, one of whom was actively/politically racist.
Hmm, so it’s still a bit ‘fuzzy’, and the ‘general answer’ still isn’t forthcoming. What to do? Now where to look for this rare creature: ‘The White Family’.
Poland maybe? Ireland? Germany? America? Maybe an American ‘The White Family’ would answer the question properly, without that silly liberal ‘nuance’?
Are The White Family’ taught racism and bigotry? Is any ‘The WHite Family’ able to answer a question about ‘The White Family’ with authority befitting such an excellent question? Or are ‘white families’ all different from family to family, unlike The Black Family’ that I keep reading about here?
Maybe I can answer the question truthfully. They say that truth hurts so be prepared kind readers!
OK, here goes:
…After learning from the most popular and widely-read American political blogs for 6 YEARS now, I have LEARNED that the following statements must all be true because they ALL make people angry and are said ALL the time.
A. White Conservatives are selfish Christian racist elites guided only by blind faith and greed
B. White Liberals are selfish Godless racist elites guided only by feeling and greed.
C. Black Conservatives are dumb selfish pawns of Evil White Fascist Conspirators.
D. Black liberals are dumb selfish pawns of Evil White Marxist Conspirators.
Hurrah for politics!
La Shawn – I caught your appearance on Todd Wilken’s Issues, Etc. KFUO radio show yesterday talking about Kwanzaa. Good job!
Link here for anyone who wants to listen. First 1/2 hour of the first hour of Feb. 6.
http://www.kfuo.org/IE_Main.htm
For my mental health, I’m going to continue reading your blog, La Shawn.
Not because your comments appeal to my white supremecist mind, but because I have seen first hand the damage the attitudes you rage against have done to everyone in this Country.
Thank you for what you do.
JohnD – I could kiss you!
(Reference comment #42);
The correct answer is B.
JohnD, on point.
Gee, how many times do we have to say we’re sorry. Thanks for telling it like it is and speaking your mind Lashawn.
The major obstacle between blacks and whites when discussing race is the seeming inability of whites to listen to what we have to say. Everything is dismissed as a paranoid fantasy or worse. When we talk of racism, we’re not referencing slavery. The Jim Crow era did occur in many of our lifetimes. The outrageous busing riots in Boston in the 1970s took place in my lifetime.
This is not to say that there is no crime or under performance among blacks. But, if I’m not a criminal or under performer, why can’t I discuss other things. It’s a one-sided “discussion”. Some whites only want to discuss the negative aspects. They only want to highlight how “different” we are. I guess what we should do is submit and say, “Okay, we suck. You win!”
Wow, Angel, who have you been listening to? Not the commenters at this blog, certainly.
RedBeard – Precisely some of the commenters at this blog.
I often wonder what some of the regular commenters are like in person (the drive by crackpots don’t count).
I bet some of the folks that post here talking about how ‘colorblind’ they are, wouldn’t give me the time of day in real life.
Tiffany said: “I bet some of the folks that post here talking about how ‘colorblind’ they are, wouldn’t give me the time of day in real life.”
I’m sad that you have such thoughts, Tiffany. Assuming the worst from people does eliminate disappointment, but it also works as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Red – You are probably right but then I tend to be a realist in assuming that some will choose to judge solely on my exterior and as such I have to govern myself accordingly.
Not for one minute am I saying that the issues that plague the black community shouldn’t be discussed. But, to what end? Is it a problem that can be solved? Or, at some point, do you say, “Okay, there’s a certain percentage that are doing the right thing. People who lead by example, rather than sniping. And, there are those who will always be stuck in the mud. Sorry, we have to let those folks go.” You can’t save everybody. The people who have created a subculture within a subculture do so for various reasons. Some are unable to function in the “real” world and others are too lazy to try.
And there are reasons that lie on either end of the spectrum.
Again, an open and honest discussion on race is impossible when one side only wants to talk about our failures. The black middle-class has grown substantially. That is not just a reflection of income. That growth is driven by values. On the whole, blacks tend to be more open to the idea of entrepreneurship than is perceived by the general population.
Tiffany, I hear what you’re saying and you are not alone in your frustration with some of the comments.
Redbeard said, “I’m sad that you have such thoughts, Tiffany. Assuming the worst from people does eliminate disappointment, but it also works as a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
These thoughts and feelings don’t come from nowhere. We’re not children. We’re adults that are formed by experiences that we have had. Tiffany’s feelings are not the sum total of her being, but they are part of it. As such, they are valid and real. Not something to be pitied or blamed for.
Tiffany, I’m a bit of a grouch (ask my wife) and a glass-half-empty kind of guy way too much of the time. My comment in #52 was directed as much toward me as toward you. I have to work constantly to avoid viewing the world through the cynical eyes of an old curmudgeon.
But I’ve got to say that when I take a positive view of folks, instead of assuming the worst, things just seem to work better. Yeah, it does lead to some disappointments when people let me down, but overall I recommend it.
Angel, “The major obstacle between blacks and whites when discussing race is the seeming inability of whites to listen to what we have to say.”
True. And visa versa.
When someone on this blog says that they try to be fair, try to be “color blind”, try to do the right thing, doesn’t it seem like you are not listening when you dismiss that person by saying “I bet some of the folks that post here talking about how ‘colorblind’ they are, wouldn’t give me the time of day in real life.â€
Why do you expect to recieve respect you are unwilling to give?
I fully understand that racism exists. That does not make me a racist. Nor does being born white. Nor does having a conservative, traditionalist world view. Nor does being a Christian.
But we can’t get past your perception that I must be a racist, because if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been born white.
Pathetic that you won’t reach your hand out to someone who would choose to be your friend.
Benm
You are attributing not only comments that are not mine to me, but also a mindset. Review the previous comments and you will see those are Tiffany’s words. (“I bet some of the folks that post here talking about how ‘colorblind’ they are, wouldn’t give me the time of day in real life.â€)
I am willing to be anyone’s friend. If we share the same interests (books, movies, politics, writing, music), then pals we shall be. But, if you accuse me of calling you a “racist for being born white”, then we have a problem.
If you want to take me to task, argue against my actual remarks. The first quote you attributed to me correctly. And, I believe my opinion to be correct. You turned me into Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton rolled into one, all because you need glasses. But, I’m the wierdo!
ehhhh…I’ve asked this before, but haven’t received an answer….
What do you consider “racist”?
Anybody???
I just heard two black women on television and they were hyperventilating (they both said they were totally outraged) about the use of the word “articulate.” For most of my life, I have employed the word frequently about white folks and less often, about black folks (due to the fact that I encounter far more white folks in my day to day life).
I have always considered “articulate” to describe someone that has the ability to utilize language skillfully and in a way that stands out from the average person.
One of the women said that most people are smart enough to avoid using such a “derogatory term” towards a black person. Both women asserted vociferously that white people should understand how hostile this word is and what kinds of feelings it elicits.
You know what…it is not incumbent upon white folks to be so solicitous of the feelings of black folks any more than it is incumbent upon black folks to be solicitous of the feelings of white folks. It is ludicrous to me that so these two women are delivering tongue lashings about a lack of sensitivity while giving NO thought to how white folks feel.
Relationships are two way streets and the importance of feelings has become WAY too elevated.
Bill Clinton is a great public speaker. How many times has he been called articulate?
Miller was wrong BTW, Chris Rock has a bit about people calling Colin Powell “articulate” and it is quite biting.
Since the word articulate is such a normal word in my lexicon, I seldom note when it is used, unless I run up against a discrepancy. So, I did some googling and found countless references to Clinton as articulate and even found ten for Hillary which is so not true. Oh my…can it really be true that whites are actually describing other whites as articulate? What could it mean?
I just heard someone say that dialogue in the US is not shaped by the color of one’s skin but is shaped by the thinness of one’s skin. Lot of truth in that….
Bill Clinton is a great public speaker. How many times has he been called articulate? – Darkstar
From the first two pages I saw…..
Whether it is a speech or an interview, he comes across as articulate and extremely intelligent but without being aloof or pedantic. His style is his own.
http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2006/10/bill_clinton_an.html
if Bush ever, even once, could come across as that articulate, passionate and intellectually uncompromising as Clinton did the right would be standing up cheering him on with tears in their eyes.
http://www.pekingduck.org/archives/004163.php
After he was elected, Clinton changed. Outwardly, he was still the same charismatic, articulate person.
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0308-21.htm
Proud, solicitous, shameless, intellectually agile, facile and articulate, duplicitous and shrewd, selfish, empathic, by at least some measures brilliant, Clinton stands apart from, and towers above, any other politician of his generation.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200102/clinton
quick, someone google ‘hillary clinton + articulate’and see how many times that comes up.
oh wait, I already did. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls...
253,000 times.
“bill clinton” + articulate hits for 457,000.
just sayin.
quick, someone google ‘hillary clinton + articulate’ and see how many times that comes up.
oh wait, I already did. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls…253,000 times.
“bill clinton” + articulate hits for 457,000.
just sayin.
At least Bill has a brain. He’s articulate and very charming. More than I could say for the idiot and his side-kick the Zombie. The GOP has fallen hard, and their vitrioloic rhetoric continues. Give up guys…Team Bush is a historical failure.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/01/bill_clinton_stops_by.html
First, I don’t feel one-bit sorry for Bill Clinton. He’s bright, witty and articulate, and should be able to handle himself during any interview.
http://usliberals.about.com/b/a/257750.htm
How dare anyone refer to a black person as articulate! Tis the height of racism ……………………..not!
just heard someone say that dialogue in the US is not shaped by the color of one’s skin but is shaped by the thinness of one’s skin. Lot of truth in that….
From John McWhorter:
From Project 21:
OK, you made a good point.
Now, what about the links I provided? (After moderation of course)…
OK;
In the case of McWhorter, he seems to be saying that Obama IS articulate, but that this term is often overemployed for blacks. This says to me that it is legitimately used for both blacks and whites and that the objection is that it is used “affirmatively” for blacks. This is a very different scenario than the outcry over the employ of the word to describe Obama. The women I spoke about stridently maintained that whites NEVER use this word to describe whites, when in fact, it is quite common.
The second quote described the full idiocy of Biden’s comments but as Biden is often perilously inarticulate, feel free to go for the jugular. He probably did not mean it the way that he said it (I am basing this on the assumption that he has a modicum of common sense and would not intentionally slight a favored colleague so publicly) However, the second comment does not really go to the heart of the contention that whites only use the word “articulate” with blacks as a sign of racism, however subtle.
At the end of the day, it is inescapable that famous whites have been slimed with the articulate “slur” as/more often than blacks.
Some whites only want to discuss the negative aspects. – angel
Actually, the most negative things which I hear are from blacks and liberals highlighting disparities in order to get money.
ONE CANNOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!
If “disparity afficiondos” continually sound the drumbeat of disparities to demonstrate the moral imperative for taxpayers to pony up evermore cash, then they can hardly expect that taxpayers will ignore the reasons that are touted ad infinitum to get in their pockets.
If you are going to talk about Jim Crow, slavery, and institutional racism and demand that programs are increased which strap the average middle class taxpayer, then you have to accept that the average middle class taxpayer has every right to examine those disparities and see if they feel they are legitimate.
What many of you seem to contend is that you have a right to demand the cash because there are disparities, but that no one should be allowed to examine those statements or refer to them.
If you paint a dire picture, do not be surprised when folks talk about it, particularly when they are being blamed.
OK, look up how many Secretaries of State have been called articulate, then compare to Rice and Powell.
I’m inarticulate, and proud of it.
Angel, I was responding to your comment #53 when I wrote my last comment. In it, you agreed with Tiffany’s earlier comment. I took that to mean that you had the same opinion. Maybe that is not what you meant, but it is hard to understand why you said “Tiffany, I hear what you’re saying and you are not alone in your frustration with some of the comments.”
The reason that I directed my comment to you, however, was because you had better articulated the feeling that the problem is (where it always is) with the white culture. We whites are 1) always suspect. 2) Always critical. 3)Unwilling to change.
Don’t believe me? Go back and read your posts 49, 54, and 55. Only this time, change the white to black and visa versa. See if you can tell that your assessment of the “problem” isn’t very one sided. If you honestly don’t think so, well you are right, we have a problem. But it wouldn’t hurt you to do this exercise and it might englighten you.
Benm,
With all due respect, comment #53 is not mine. It’s Tiffany’s. And I don’t see anything in the comments that you managed to attribute to me correctly that is wrong. When someone wants to have an “honest” discussion about race, they want to talk about crime. I’m not a criminal. I’m a educated man. Dare I say it? I’m articulate. What’s interesting to me is how you could turn everything around to “You’re always picking on whites!” I found Redbeard’s comment to Tiffany regarding her feeling about some of the commenters to be patronizing. And yes, I am sympathetic to her. Because I have dealt with people like that in my lifetime. Discussing your life experience in a certain area (race) does not mean that your life is controlled by it. What is clear is it is preferable to some of the commenters is that I say nothing that is contrary to their own beliefs.
Article A: “Some whites only want to discuss the negative aspects”
Article B: “Actually, the most negative things which I hear are from blacks”
AWESOME!!!
And who says that we humans will never get off race-baiting?
Jan,
This may be hard for you to wrap your brain around, but I am an average middle-class taxpayer. I have been for most of my adult life. I’m not asking anyone for any money. I have not posted anything suggesting that I get a handout from anyone. All I am sugesting is that some of the folks on the board should realize they are writing off an entire race of people based on a minority percentage of that race.
I have more in common with you than you think, Jan. But you seem to have a reflexive response to anyone who wants to stand up for blacks and say all is not lost. There are a lot of good things going on out there. And, none of them involve sports, entertainment or crime.
JohnD,
I don’t think I’m race-baiting, especially since I qualified that comments about whites only wanting to discuss the negative aspects with the word “some”. Personally, I don’t believe in race, except as a social construct. I know there are some genetic differences, but those are small and will continue to shrink as demographics change. Anyway, I’m sure there are more than enough people on this board to drown out my lone voice.
#70. “Only this time, change the white to black and visa versa.”
Hi Benm, I think that to be a pretty good exercise in quid pro quo. I tried it, and it works pretty well, until you get to “underperformance and crime” which, in contemporary ‘racial thinking’ sounds, well, just ‘odd’ if directed at ‘white folk’ (as a group!), but a common thing (at least not to the point of sounding ‘odd) to be directed at ‘black folk’ (as a group!)?
Or am I so used to hearing that ‘black people’ (as a group!) are more criminal and dumberer than whites, which has coloured (ouch) my hearing/reading skills?
I find the ‘exeption rule’ to be useful too. The one that goes:
“Conservatives aren’t all racist, fundamentalist wingnuts, so and so is an exception”
or
“Not all blacks are welfare-grabbing single mothers, I have an exception who works in my office”
or
“Not all whites are emotionless zombies working for the Man, see, I know this guy called Jim…”"
“Not all Muslims are terrorists, (but all terrorists are Muslims , snicker) … except for the Bhinderanwala Tiger Force of Khalistan, the
International Sikh Youth Federation, the Dashmesh Regiment, the Khalistan Commando Force, the Khalistan Liberation Force, the Khalistan Liberation Front, the Khalistan National Army, the Khalistan Zindabad Force, the Saheed Khalsa Force, the Red Hand Commandos, the Red Hand Defenders, the Loyalist Volunteer Force, the Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Red Branch Knights, the Orange Volunteers, the Army for the Liberation of Rwanda ,Aryan Nations, Boeremag – South Africa, Combat 18, CSA, Creativity Movement, Ku Klux Klan, National Socialist Movement, White Aryan Resistance, ETA, GAL etc etc.
Like the old “I’m not racist…but…” canard, people often follow their diatribe/stereotype with an ‘exception’ to prove that they are being, er, what?
#74
“JohnD,
I don’t think I’m race-baiting,”
OK Jan, my apologies, I don’t think I used the correct term, if there is one! I just found it amusing to see both Angel and yourself saying essentially the same thing, except about different races.
Which kind of typifies the ‘race’ dialogue of today – i.e. it’s ‘them’!
Or Angel, even. Ooops.
couldn’t, you are right, I got the numbers of the comments confused. So here are your comments. The parenthetical are my comments.
“The major obstacle between blacks and whites when discussing race is the seeming inability of whites to listen to what we have to say.” (It couldn’t be that both blacks and whites have a tendency to speak past each other?).
“It’s a one-sided “discussionâ€. Some whites only want to discuss the negative aspects. They only want to highlight how “different†we are. I guess what we should do is submit and say, “Okay, we suck. You win!— (If my children made a comment like this, I would say that they were pouting.)
“Again, an open and honest discussion on race is impossible when one side only wants to talk about our failures.” (Again, this is not qualified. It is only one side that is the problem.)
“Tiffany, I hear what you’re saying and you are not alone in your frustration with some of the comments.” (The sum total of her comment was that most of the whites who said they were or tried to be color blind wouldn’t give her the time of day, which is probably true in my case as I don’t wear a watch.)
“These thoughts and feelings don’t come from nowhere.” (AKA, It’s not my fault, I can’t help myself, you made us this way.)
Angel, If there is no room for introspection, for figuring out if there is something I (Ben) can do to change the situation, where do we go from here. If in fact, everything that I do to try and help ends up with me being called in effect a “closet racistâ€, why should I bother?
There are many problems in the world that I can get involved in (and I do), but I only have limited abilities and if you won’t respond by reaching out, because of your past or your experience or whatever, well, I am moving on to where I can do some good.
I don’t accept guilt for stuff I didn’t do. I didn’t own slaves, I didn’t enact Jim Crow laws, I didn’t not hire someone because their name sounded black, I didn’t refuse to let someone sit where-ever she or he wanted on the bus, I didn’t call a black person a derogatory name, I didn’t teach my children to hate anyone based upon the color of their skin. My crime was being born white, just like yours was being born black. And if you can’t see that reverse discrimination is still discrimination then you will never see the day that discrimination ends because you have become part of the problem.
By the way, I do think you are articulate, and I have never used that as an insult. The beauty about La Shawn’s blog is that it allows people of diverse backgrounds to honestly discuss race and other topics who might never meet face to face. And should they meet face to face, they probably wouldn’t have the courage to speak with this much honesty.
So, when you see a comment that you don’t agree with, feel free to respond. You may change someone’s mind because they are here seeking answers to questions that concern them. In other words, even the most bigoted white person that posts in La Shawns blog (except for trolls) is trying to deal with the black/white issue and is therefore open to being changed. But be prepared to be changed too.
Don’t know what happened with the beginning of that last post, I spell checked it and then posted and the first couple of words changed. Oh well.
Angel – First off my apologies because I thought you were a girl…LOL.
I’ve been posting here for a long time and over time have gotten to ‘know’ the tone of the regular posters here which is why I took no offense to RedBeard’s posting as he is a regular also and to his credit more than reasonable when in comes to these ‘race’ discussions.
I tuned BenM out when he termed my comments (that were mistakely attributed to you) pathetic. I’m not going dialogue with nonsense.
I would also like to commend you for your response to commenter Jan as you articulated quite well how I feel when I read her responses. She is never rude and always clear in her responses but I am not so dense as to not notice the underlying disdain. As least that is what I can discern from what she types.
You aren’t alone, I’ve been fighting the unwinnable battles at LBC for 2 years now. I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment.
But I believe in learning about various opinions because I believe that’s how I grow as a person.
Why fight, Tiffany? We could accomplish a lot more by going somewhere for coffee.
JohnD, I think that your point is valid. We all tend to frame everything in our life that is at odds with our preconcieved notions as exceptions, when in fact they may be the rule and our notions may be wrong. Cause? Maybe mental laziness or being stuck in the mud.
I’ve wanted to tell this story for a while, but it was never appropriate:
16 years ago or so, my wife, my infant son, and I went to visit my parents in Los Angeles. It was immediately following the race riots in Compton Heights and in fact the smoke was still rising from there as we drove south from the airport to Long Beach (my dad had to move there for the last four years of his career with McDonnell Douglas).
After a few days, we couldn’t take being in the same house with my parents any longer (sorry Dad), and being unwilling to ask my father to borrow his car (another story in itself), we went for a walk. We were lost in no time at all (being country bumkins) and were walking down some four lane divided highway trying to figure out a way back to my parents rental house when we spotted four black men walking down same side of the highway toward us.
I didn’t know what to do, we couldn’t cross the highway and I was concerned (okay, scared). So I gave my wife my son to hold and told her if trouble started to run away as best she could, figuring on doing the best I could do at hitting them in the knuckles with my face and thier knees with my groin, etc. while my wife made her get away.
Anyway, when they got closer, it was clear that they were also trying to get as far away from us as possible (in retrospect, they may have thought I had a gun or something). Both groups came to the realization of the silliness of the situation at about the same time. We all started laughing. It felt good.
I have often thought about that incident. Although I could have justified (in my mind)painting those men with the mental image of the riots, it would have been wrong. It also made me aware of the danger that fear has for causing people to do irrational things.
BenM – Please accept my apologies as I have just read your more expansive response. And I do see your point.
RedBeard – I actually like strawberry frappicinos, but if you are buying it’s alllll good.
Tiffany,
That’s okay. Mixed heritage. My father is from Puerto Rico. Hence, the name Angel. You’re so right about some of the commenters, I can almost feel the spittle coming through the monitor. For me, here is the bottom line.
You cannot create an institution, dismantle it, and then pretend you never created it in the first place. When I say “you” I’m speaking of the trading companies and their governmental allies that allowed slavery to happen.
You can’t create something as insidious as the “one drop” rule and all the stratification it caused among blacks and then say, “Never mind. Halle Berry is half-white, you know.”
The reason I like to defend black people here is that we thrived in spite of that.
And, we continue to achieve.
There are negatives, of course. But, no other race has to be held accountable for their losers.
In Boston, we just had a bunch of Vietnamese and Cambodians busted for trafficking ecstasy using nail salons as a front. But, Asians are still the model minority. In Lowell, Cambodian kids are shooting each other down like dogs in the street. But, they are the model minority.
All the hyperventilating that some do on here about being “colorblind” goes out the window when someone is standing in the docket or on “COPS” Then, it’s, “Those darn blacks are at it again!”
If that was a real goal, we would talk about individual behavior and responsibility. That is an alleged conservative principle. But, it is selective when it comes to crime and other negatives. What happened to judging the content of character? It’s a farce. Some of the commenters would sooner believe in the Easter Bunny!
Anyway, your last comment is great. That’s why I’m here too. I live in a two newspaper town and I read both.
You may not be responding directly to me, but just in case…
I can’t speak for other conservatives, but I never claimed to be colorblind. My contention is the government policy should be colorblind. You can stop human beings from perceiving differences, and any claim to the contrary is juvenile. For your edification, see Colorblind Bind. – Admin
Tiffany, I am sorry for the use of the word “pathetic”. I really wasn’t aiming it at you, in fact it is a red-flag word, way too strong for what I was trying to say.
Frappicinos, Tiffany? Ugh.
I’ll buy you one, but I’m sticking to stiff black regular old coffee, no ground sugar cane and no extract of cow. 
Well, just to weigh in, I am a mocha cappichino type of guy. And I know a great little coffee shop in Panajachel, Guatemala where you can get the best cup of coffee in the world. I should know, I have been around (ex-Navy) and have been a coffee addict long enough. Failing that, let’s all meet at different Starbucks together for a coffee of our choice.
Hey Jan, talk about family values and parental influence…
Mom, Teen Wanted in New Orleans Shooting
NEW ORLEANS — Police on Thursday were searching for a teenager and his mother, who they say gave the boy a handgun after he lost a fight and told him to take revenge.
The warrants accuse both Vanessa Johnson, 44, and Clarence Johnson, 17, of second-degree murder of another 17-year-old, whose name was not immediately released, New Orleans police Sgt. Joe Narcisse said.
He said both teens had walked away after the original fight Wednesday evening.
“Detectives learned Johnson went home and shared the details of the fight with his mother. Johnson’s mother, 44-year-old Vanessa Johnson, gave him a handgun and instructed him to exact revenge on the victim because Johnson had apparently lost the fight,” Narcisse said.
Clarence Johnson found the other youth shortly afterward and fired several rounds, hitting him once in the abdomen, Narcisse said. The other teen died at the city’s trauma center.
Last month, city officials announced efforts to try to curb the violence in New Orleans after nine killings in the first eight days of the year. They increased patrols, set up early-morning checkpoints and rushed homicide cases through the court system. National Guard troops and State Police also remain in the city after being called in last summer to help local police combat a spike in violence.
Source: http://www.wral.com/news/national_world/national/story/1197070/
RE #73
Angel;
We have obviously had a huge miscommunication.
It’s not hard for me in the slightest to wrap my brain around the fact that you are doing quite well and have never asked for money. I actually expect that most black folks ARE doing quite well.
I would be very surprised if you could locate any post where I have wailed in a negative sense about the state of black society. I am far more likey to wail about those who overhype (negatively) the state of black society while demanding increased spending.
I think quite often that my positions on things are misinterpreted. In point of fact, I simply like to argue and often don’t even have a position. (For eg.: I might argue forcefully with a statement about the Iraq war, for example, simply because the statement does not seem accurate to me. This should in no way be construed as support or non-support of the war and is position neutral. Yet, I have had posters respond with things like; “I don’t see how you can say blah blah blah.” I think to myself, I don’t either which is why I never did, and wonder how they jumped from point a to point b.)
In fact, my contention in my previous statement is that there is a constant drumbeat of negative talk about black society in order to justify government programs. For example, our newspaper continually highlights any racial disparity or problems in the black community in support of more spending. Every day we are bombarded with government spokespeople who bemoan the state of black society, also in support of increased spending. Universities greatly hype racism and continually highlight the “effects” of racism in support of the need for diversity programs and more spending. And the list goes on and on.
Personally, I think that black society is doing a heck of a lot better than is depicted and I think many of the problems are grotesquely overhyped.
However, when taxpayers are expected to pony up their hard earned cash to fix the overhyped problems that taxpayers are being told is their fault, day after day, I think it is only natural that the issue gets discussed.
At the end of the day, I think that the vast majority of negative depictions about black society stem from those with a self interest in promoting such a picture.
To me, my position is fundamentally the opposite of the way that you described it.
In fact, my contention in my previous statement is that there is a constant drumbeat of negative talk about black society in order to justify government programs.
There is also a constant drum beat of negative talk about Black society in order to justify less government programs or negative actions or reactions towards Blacks.
Most of the “discussion” about Blacks applies to a minority of the Black population and that minority defines the Black population in the U.S.
Jan,
I guess our signals got crossed. There are times when the disparities must be pointed out. For example, in health care. There is such a lack of education regarding prevention. There’s also the lack of trust toward the medical community. Generally, blacks don’t sign up as organ donors. It’s incredibly difficult for a black person who needs a bone marrow transplant to draw enough folks to test for matches.
That education costs money and it’s money that’s spent on whites too. This is information that benefits everyone.
Anyway, sad about Anna Nicole. Had a huge crush on her. She was probably the last of the “real woman” models. What’s up with all the sticks on the runways of Milan and Paris?
And, I guess I got my spanking for the day. Why? I don’t know. But, I read enough to know that the mantra of many conservatives is that they “don’t see color.” I’m not making this up. And, I don’t see how it’s juvenile on my part to point out what others are claiming they are able to do. But, c’est la vie.
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