Raving Black Lunatic

Important stuff

2012-01-23T16:57:00.001-06:00

Hal Rounds, the Fayette County attorney and spokesman for the group, said during a recent news conference that there has been "an awful lot of made-up criticism about, for instance, the founders intruding on the Indians or having slaves or being hypocrites in one way or another.""The thing we need to focus on about the founders is that, given the social structure of their time, they were revolutionaries who brought liberty into a world where it hadn't existed, to everybody -- not all equally instantly -- and it was their progress that we need to look at," Rounds said, according to The Commercial Appeal.

Excuse me while I barf. Hurl. Upchuck. Blow chunks.

That's all I can think about doing after reading that story on Huffington Post. We should all focus on how great the founding fathers were, not the fact that they were just fine with treating some people like property while others got rights.

As if that was really any different from a monarchy. Trust me, to the black folks being beaten and raped, it sure wasn't.

It's funny what certain types of white folks consider the "important stuff". Cherry trees and lighting = important. Human bondage = not so important..

At this point any black person who aligns themselves with the Tea Party movement is a race traitor. Period.

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The Line is There

2012-01-19T14:19:00.003-06:00

At a certain point, it just becomes overkill.

By "it" I mean everything. there is nothing on this planet that cannot be done to excess. Sex, drugs, violence or love, it doesn't matter. There comes a point when the law of diminishing returns sets in. The problem is getting folks to recognize that point.

It would seem that our Republican primary candidates don't understand that logic.

Well, maybe not all of them. Uncle Mitt has been involved in political campaigns for decades so he understands clearly that he only needs to prime the racism pumpa few times before it will turn into a gusher all on its on. But people like Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and the now departed Rick Perry, seemed to have missed that memo. It's almost like they believe there is some sort of competition to see who can come up with the most outrageously racist comments everyday and they are determined to be that guy.

Overkill.

I don't know if these guys really believe the things they say about poverty or minorities, but I know they aren't backing away from them. They have staked claims on the vast plain of anti-political correctness, and they are desperately trying to erect a homestead. Even before Newt derided food stamps and Santorum said what many white people think about welfare, you had Bachmann, Perry and Cain leading the charge. There is power in appealing to those dirty little stereotypes people hold within their hearts, and it is the incredibly moral presidential candidate who turns down easily accessible power.

But, how many obviously racist comments can someone make before they stop being a viable presidential candidate? That depends largely on where collective opinion stands on what qualifies as racism. Gingrich and Santorum are banking on the fact that racism has been confined to such a small box in recent years that they can pretty much say anything and escape serious consequences. Hell, given the general tone people use to discuss the president and his family, that's a pretty safe bet.

Yet I believe that there is a line and both of them are dangerously close to crossing it completely with the majority of Americans. While Americans allow many forms of discrimination to exist unchallenged, they don't like to think of themselves or the people they like as racist. And while many comments that are racist to me are not considered racist by white people, stuff about food stamps and baby mamas generally gets the racist stamp. That's particularly true when those comments are coming from a party already branded as racist by non-members.

So I'm curious to see how this all works out for Newt and Rick. Will they be rewarded for their race to appeal to the bottom, or will it backfire on them? The outcome could very well decide how campaigns are run in the future.

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Check this out

2012-01-09T10:23:00.001-06:00

I read this article and I thought you all might enjoy it as well. It is an interesting account of the different face of poverty in New Hampshire, and what different folks see as the root problem. We all have such varied views on how we got to where we are that it's going to be very difficult to create a solution that appeals to most people.
Then again, if it solves the problem, most people will fall in line automatically.

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Punks Everywhere

2011-12-21T15:46:00.000-06:00

I have just read multiple stories about random racism.

This is a normal routine for me. Stories about racist police, racist landlords and racist business people all float across my computer screen every weekday and I consume them and consider them. It's what helps me pass the time, and has taught me something valuable.

Racism is often steeped in cowardice.

I'm not saying that racists are all cowards, at least not in the way we typically think of cowards. Plenty of racist love nothing more than a good fight with someone of an "inferior" race. What I'm saying, is that what I've noticed is that a lot of people want to enjoy and spread racism without having to pay any of the associated costs that go along with being a racist. I consider that cowardice.

I've read about politicians rapidly backtracking from racist remarks they made years ago or just last week.. I've read about people openly advocating discrimination, and then quickly trying to convince people that they don't have a racist bone in their bodies. I could chalk this up to stupidity, or confusion, but it's obvious that's not the case. These people know what they're doing, and they know the price. They just don't plan on paying.

It's more than a little irritating. After all, the world would be a simpler place if bigots just admitted they were bigots, and let the rest of us treat them accordingly. Instead, they want to make bigoted comments and still be treated like fair-minded respectable members of society. Of course this isn't a new attitude, but that doesn't make it any less ridiculous.

Unfortunately, this a side effect of our piss poor attempts to "erase racism". We've added a social stigma to racism, but since so many people are so comfortable being racists, they'd rather change the definition of the word, than change their behavior. Everyday I'm reminded of how few people lack the moral conviction to stand behind their beliefs and truly reap what they sow.

Little punks.

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Laugh Where You Can

2011-12-21T11:39:00.000-06:00

Digital ignorance is everywhere.

I mean that in every sense of the phrase. Ignorance about technology, which I'm largely guilty of, as well as just plain ignorance and bias being spread digitally. The internet puts tons of knowledge at our fingertips, but what it really makes it easy to do is reinforce every single bias you've ever held.

Check out that link above. It details how NYPD officers joined a Facebook group to protest having to participate in the West Indian Parade, and proceeded to spew racist, hateful, ignorant comments into the hundreds. And, they were later caught, and tried to deny everything.

It's not surprising. At least the part where we learn that cops despise most minorities and view them as sub-human is not surprising. Trust me, I've heard it all before, and it's just an off growth of the general perception in the world. But it's a little surprising that cops were stupid enough to post all this information in a group that can be publicly viewed despite the fact that their names and pictures were attached to their comments. That is shockingly stupid or incredibly bold, and given the rampant spread of digital ignorance, I'm going with stupid.

I've heard cops laugh at criminals who get caught because they made stupid posts on Facebook or Myspace, or did some other boneheaded thing. So to learn that more than 1,000 of them would join a publicly accessible post, or that they themselves have Facebook accounts that are publicly accessible is laughable. In fact, that laughter is what is protecting me from the overriding anger I would normally that so many police view people who look like me as savage animals.

Well, whatever it takes.

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It's the Status Quo for a Reason

2011-12-06T11:53:00.001-06:00

I hope y'all checked out this series about the Presidential Pardon system.

If not, click the link because it makes for good reading. The headline on the first story is "Presidential Pardon system heavily favors whites."

It could have easily been "American life heavily favors whites."

Seriously, that's what the article basically tells us. Being white, with all the statistical and historical benefits that come along with that status, is better for your life. When it comes to pardons, the seemingly "random" factors considered are actually factors where white folks are much more likely to do well thanks to a host of other issues from historic wealth, to a biased justice system.

At this point in time, the system has been rigged for so long that you can actually avoid direct bias and still get the results you really want. It's incredibly easy to add the veneer of meritocracy to the rotten floorboards of discrimination, and then deny all culpability when the floor collapses and people die. It's the Golden Age of racism, you might say.

Sadly, nothing will change. It's great that this was investigated, but I can already see some easy ways the statistics will be attacked and progress thwarted. More importantly, the vast majority of Americans aren't interested in progress on these issues because that would mean acting in their own self interest.

So, folks will act shocked and dismayed, and they will vow to get to the bottom of things, but what they will really do is allow the status quo to continue. Because the status quo is benefiting the people it was always designed to benefit.

That's why it's the status quo.

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Oh, Now You Understand?

2011-11-21T17:46:00.001-06:00

So, the Occupy Wall Street movement is heating up, right?

I'll admit that initially I was nonplussed about the movement. After all, when have people in power relinquished something because folks held a camp meeting outside their door? The movement wasn't actually making life harder for people, just basically showing up and saying "We're not happy and life ain't fair." Well thanks for that insight peon.

But now things have changed. They've become confrontational. They are occupying space that people want and need. Police are intervening to remove them, courts are intervening to sanction them, and basically it's becoming a situation where people in power are becoming irritated and stupid. Those are the ingredients needed for social change.

But, what's also emerged, as police officers have clashed with protesters is outrage at the behavior of our police. Folks can't believe that the police are so arrogant, so callous and so violent. There is a sense that the police have abdicated their role as protectors in favor of becoming overseers. Folks are dismayed.

I'm amused.

See, I'm black. I know what the police do. I've been cursed, I've been threatened. I've had a weapon drawn on me. My friends and associates have been "detained." My family too. I've been asked to allow my home to be searched. Basically, I learned a long, long time ago that the primary function of law enforcement isn't protection. And it damn sure ain't service. The primary function of law enforcement is enforcing the law as it relates to those who need to be controlled. Basically, it's keeping folks in line.

And now that more people are starting to get on the same page as me and tons of other blacks folks, they need to start wondering who decides where "the line" is, and how they got on that committee. And then folks need to consider exactly how wide and all-encompassing that line can be. And finally, they need to apologize to all the black folks they doubted when we told stories of police abuse and misconduct and injustice.

Then we can talk for real.

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Who Are We?

2011-11-18T11:40:00.001-06:00

As someone who has read a ton of post-apocalyptic novels, I often find myself evaluating the people I meet based on how I think they would behave if this whole civilization thing went into the crapper.

It's a depressing practice. The more I see of people, the less faith I have in them.

People are selfish, and that's understandable. All of us care about our self interest most of the time. It's the very rare human that is truly concerned with the well being of others on a consistent basis. But, what's truly disturbing is how few people temper their natural self interest with a set of serious morals or values. All of us may have impure inclinations, but we should also have a certain honor about how we live life.

But, the gap between what 'should be" and what "is" cannot be overstated. All the high minded ideals people claim to value are easily cast aside when those ideals affect their self interest. People only believe what they believe when it remains in to their benefit to believe it.

It's sad.

In fact, the only reason we're not a huge mass of raping, murdering, thieving bastards is because as society has grown we've established complicated controls to restrict our worst impulses. When those controls are weakened or destroyed, chaos reigns. In times of great stress, morals are abandoned and unhealthy compromises made. And what does that say about human beings?

I honestly don't know.

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Talking About Penn State

2011-11-10T10:30:00.000-06:00

I had another post all ready to go, but then I just had to talk about Penn State.

It's not a racial issue, at least not that I know of, although that could change if it turns out this coach was preying on poor little black boys because that will only make things worse. For those of you who have been avoiding the news, Penn State Coach Joe Paterno has been fired, along with the university president, after the Board of Trustees determined they behaved inappropriately in allowing a former football coach to systematically molest young boys using Penn State as a lure.

The decision, which was the only correct one if you read this grand jury report, has sparked outrage among Penn State students who have actually had mini riots in the streets.

And that's what I want to talk about in this post.

See, I've gone over this in my mind, and I can't figure out how intelligent, thinking people could take the actions those students in Penn State took last night. Nobody, NOBODY, who read that grand jury report with a working conscience could believe that Paterno deserved to keep his job. In fact, there should have been mass firings as a result of the allegations made, mainly because there is easily verifiable proof of their veracity.

Yet, these students marched, and chanted and spouted idiotic rhetoric that has made me severely question their intelligence and the well-being of a world where they will be given responsibility. It made me question their parents and their schools, and the values they hold dear.

When adults decide to allow another adult to engage in behavior like showering naked with children, they are wrong. There is no middle ground. You cannot allow someone to behave in that manner, and continue to allow them to be around you and your organization. You cannot decide to avoid reporting them to child welfare agencies. You cannot decide to give them more chances to hurt children. If you make any of those decisions, you have condoned the abuse of children, and you deserve no sympathy and no succor.

That report alleges that Paterno and others ignored signs of molestation, and swept a report of anal rape of child under the rug rather than take an action that would have resulted in outrage, pain and, most importantly, bad publicity. They chose to protect their livelihoods and reputations rather than save children from easily avoided pain. And for that, they are evil.

Anyone who not only refuses to acknowledge this, but defends their actions as "following the rules" is a person whose morality is lacking. If you honestly believe that Paterno "didn't know" or "did what he could" on a campus where he was only a step below God, then I don't just question your intelligence, I doubt its existence and the existence of a true moral compass in your bosom.

Watching students who are supposedly engaged in the activity of educating themselves take the actions those students took last night brings into the doubt the educational mission of Penn State, and the parenting of parents who send their children there. It is a system failure on a massive scale, and that's what people need to be talking about today.

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People, Balls and Occupation

2011-11-07T13:33:00.000-06:00

Jay-Z has a lyric where he says "What you eat don't make me shit."

It comes right after he says that he doesn't spend much time worrying about how other people live, how they advance themselves or how much money they make. As long as their actions have no impact on him, he's willing to live and let live. It's also an admonition to avoid jealousy and envy, at least that's how I took it.

The lyric has been running through my head recently, as I contemplate the prevalence of jealousy and envy in this strange world, particularly as it relates to the much maligned NBA Lockout. Now, I know many of my faithful readers are not huge sports fans, and probably believe the lockout is nothing more than "billionaires fighting millionaires" because that's the storyline that's been promoted by the mainstream media. But, it's something far different in my opinion.

On one level it's true that this is a dispute between the rich and the wealthy. It would be asinine to draw a direct comparison between this labor fight and those that typically spring up in the national consciousness. Yet, there are definite parallels. Workers are being asked to sacrifice their pay and rights to generate more profits for industries that have been mismanaged. As an added bonus, those at the top of the industry have skimmed healthy benefits off the top for years, but now are complaining of poverty.

And yet, in a battle where it seems fairly easy to pick a side, people, in my opinion, seem to be inclined to pick the wrong side. Lots of folks support the owners who created the lockout and actually defend their "right" to earn more money than their workers.

It's interesting.

What I've come to realize is that people only want some people to be successful. Wait, I should say "certain" people. I've seem folks call the players uneducated thugs, speculate that they'd be working at McDonalds if not for the owners' largess and basically tell the players to shut up and be thankful. It's almost as if the public only allows the players to be rich because they have no choice, but if they had their druthers, the only people making money in this enterprise would be the owners.

Puzzling indeed. At first I tried to deny the truth that leaps out from among these facts, but I cannot any longer. We are a nation of people kept fractured and compliant through jealously, envy and strife, and honestly, we LIKE IT that way. Certain people should have money and certain people shouldn't, and that's just the way the world works. Right?

Wrong. Wealth is not bestowed based on morality, and often not based on talent, intelligence or skill. There are wealthy idiots. Wealthy businessmen who happened to be in the right place at the right time, and then parlayed that initial wealth into other opportunities. They are not better people, nor are they entitled to more money simply because they've made money in the past.

Another prominent issue is the idea that the players should just concede, take their reduced millions and get on with the business of providing the fans with basketball. It's as if people believe that despite the fact that the owners are denying them basketball, it's the job of the players to make a deal happen, regardless of what that means for them. I'm actually shocked by the selfishness in this position. People want others to take less, so they can have what they want. I know that shouldn't be surprising, but I guess I was more than a little naive.

I recently got into a discussion with my father about the entire "Occupy" movement, and I expressed doubt that much would come from it. I didn't see the participants pushing for anything other than for the world to be more fair, and I didn't understand how they were going to convince the 1 percent to treat the 99 percent better. Deals hinge on leverage, and they appeared to have none. Yet, what I didn't expect was to realize that the main reason why the movement was doomed was far more insidious.

Protesting about the existence of the one percent and the tactics they use to maintain their position is doomed not because of tactics, but because most people in the 99 percent actually like their position. They think that's how the world should work.

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Arrogance and Racism

2011-11-03T10:11:00.000-05:00

A man told me the other day that my arrogance is really quite similar to racism, and therefore I shouldn't be so quick to castigate and call out racists given my own failings.

That made me think a little bit.

After all, many people have called me arrogant over the years. Hell, my own daddy calls me arrogant, and says it's a hereditary trait. Teachers, friends, and enemies have all noted that I have quite the superiority complex.

I would be lying if I denied it completely.

But, is my arrogance, my personal belief in my superiority, akin to folks who believe that they too are superior because of their skin color. And that other people, because of their skin color are inferior?

This question is interesting. The simple answer, of course is "No." This is a clear example of people using the dictionary definition of racism and not one more grounded in the real world. The dictionary definition, which is really just a collection of popular thought, which means a collection of white thought, focuses on preferences and feelings as opposed to actions and consequences.

That's because for white people racism resides in the realm of feelings and preferences and they are often ignorant, willingly and unwillingly, of the power structures that augment and magnify the personal preferences endemic to all racial groups. In my definition of racism, stolen from a more erudite source, I see it as a system of advantage based on race. It's not about feelings, it's about results.

Basically, bigotry starts with a feeling, racism involves developing a system to validate and propagate that feeling. Everybody is a bigot to some degree. People with power, directly or indirectly, or racists.

My arrogance, when it manifests, is not part of a larger system to validate my feelings. People aren't denied housing or quality education because of my arrogance. My arrogance does not affect policing, healthcare or employment. My arrogance does not get people killed. Yes, it can make people uncomfortable and it can make them unhappy, but racism does so much more than that it's patently ludicrous to compare the two. Racism is not simply about individual slights, it's about the combination of those slights and a system designed to keep people at the lowest rung of society.

The willingness of this gentleman to compare my arrogance to his and the world's racism is telling though. It reveals the sort of mind that can rationalize and justify all manner of activities using the most flimsy of excuses. It is hard to have a serious discussion with that sort of mind because at every turn that mind is searching for a way to cling to its current beliefs. There can be no illumination because that sort of mind is quite content in darkness.

It's not a surprise those sort of people are the most bothered by my arrogance. After all, I'm terribly bothered by them too..

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At the Core

2011-10-27T10:33:00.000-05:00

Check this out:

"Okay, we now have a fourth national poll revealing this striking disconnect: Americans strongly disapprove of Obama on the economy, and are deeply pessimistic that it will get any better — even as they strongly approve of the actual fiscal policies the President is championing.
The new New York Times poll finds that Obama’s numbers on the economy are awful. Only 34 percent approve of his handling of the economy. Only 40 percent approve of his handling of jobs. Seventy two percent think the country’s on the wrong track. A plurality thinks we’re heading into another recession.
But the poll also finds that Obama’s new jobs plan, and the provisions within it, have clear public support:"

I jacked those graphs from Prometheus 6 who I believe jacked them from the New York Times. As you can see, they provoke some interesting questions about Barack Obama's role as a messenger in today's United States.

See, some people might posit that Americans disapprove of Obama while approving of his policies because they are largely ignorant of his actual policies. And you know, that is probably true to an extent. Everyday, I'm shocked at how often people develop strongly held beliefs based on very little actual information. It's pretty damn shocking to be honest.

Obama may just be the latest president to be victimized by an American public that gets its information in carefully crafted soundbites that impart very little actual understanding. People don't like to read long policy stories, or watch debates about them on the news. Plus, with more and more people getting their news from sources they agree with, it's way less likely that people are getting information they can truly use. So, it's quite possible that Obama's low approval rating is disconnected from his actual policies because people are genuinely ignorant with no malice.

It's possible.

But, possible and plausible are slightly different. It's not that I think that ignorance isn't a factor, it's that I also think that people, white and black, have become disenchanted with their personal Magical Negro in the White House and really aren't trying to learn anymore about what he's actually doing

Whenever I have conversations with people complaining that Obama is doing nothing, I start talking about the system changes in the Justice Department. The payroll tax changes, the housing changes, the regulation changes and things of that nature. I'm not an expert on the president's accomplishments, but I do know a little bit. And inevitably I find people, people who claim to have been Obama supporters, shrugging off those actions and instead complaining that he hasn't done enough, he hasn't been strong enough that he's failed to live up to his promises.

Granted, there were a lot of promises made during the election, and several of them have fallen by the wayside. Yes, the economy is tanked, yes we are still fighting shadowy wars and yes the rich continue to get richer. But when I get to the core of many people's complaints, I discover that they are based around some nebulous sense that Obama just hasn't cut the mustard. That he's been a disappointment because based on their expectations, expectations that are as variable as the wind, he didn't deliver what he promised.

And then the question becomes, "Well exactly what did he promise you?" See, I expected him to be a competent politician. Particularly when compared with the alternative. I've been rewarded for that belief. Beyond that, I hoped he would be fair-minded when it came to blacks folks and not implement policies that kept us as second class citizens. Again, I feel he's done that. Now, I understand that everyone doesn't have the same expectations as me, but I'm curious about exactly what they really thought was going to happen.

Certain blacks seem to have believed he was going to right racial wrongs and champion our causes. Not sure where that came from. And even worse, many white folks seem to think that just because they "took a chance" and voted for a black guy, he should be the greatest leader of all-time. It's not enough that he was the best possible choice, and that's why he was selected. In order for his selection to be justified, he can't be normal, he has to be extraordinary.

And that pisses me off royally because I understand the roots of that mindset. I've seen it way to often. There are few things more frustrating than always being expected to be extraordinary, while secretly considered inferior. Few things at all.

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Messengers and Messages

2011-10-19T10:16:00.001-05:00

Bryant, Bryant, Bryant...

What were you thinking homie?

It's not that your comments are off base. It's not that they don't belong in this discussion. It's that I have to believe that when you made them, you knew how they would be received.

Which makes me wonder what you were thinking. You know that invoking slavery pretty much eliminates the chance that white people will think critically or have a decent discussion. Just the mention of the word drives them insane like Pavlov's bell. So, why did you do it?

The cynical part of me says you want to move units. That is you want to drive eyes to your show by stirring up some controversy. But, that seems like a sucker's bet. Yeah, white folks will watch you for a while, but if they think you're going to consistently talk about race, it won't be long before you fall out of favor. Not long at all.

So, was this just a selfish power move, or did you really feel so angry and upset by Stern's tactics that you didn't give a damn who disliked what you had to say? Were you so upset that you weren't looking to create a serious debate, but you just wanted to vent? Maybe.

If that was your goal, you succeeded. I've already argued with multiple people about this clip, and I"m sure I'll speak to more. I don't have a problem with your comments, and it's cool that you said what a lot of black folks have been thinking. But, I'm not sure where things go from here. I doubt anybody's mind will be changed, and I doubt this helps the players at all.

And, I'm not sure you care.

My Dream

2011-10-17T13:52:00.003-05:00

I dreamed a terrible dream the other night.

I was on trial, facing death or at best, life imprisonment. Accused of a murder I knew I did not commit, I was still convinced I would be convicted. Why?

Because it was the Jim Crow South.

I don't know who I was supposed to have killed, or why I was believed to be guilty. I don't know who I was, or where I was, or who put me there. I just knew it was the South, and I was going to court, and I was going to suffer.

Even asleep, and with the vague inkling that I was only dreaming, my angst was horrible. My heartbeat was elevated, I felt queasy to my stomach, and I couldn't tear my mind away from my impending fate. It was a slow march to doom, and every step cost more than the last.

I was only dreaming, but it felt real. My fear was so real that it gripped my bowels forcing me to the toilet, and as I slowly shook off the cobwebs of sleep, something hit me.

This was how it felt. For so many men who looked like me, my dream was their life. They took that same walk, and faced those same fears.

My dream was only a pale reflection of that terrible reality, but even then, it was almost too much for me to handle. How did they find the strength? How did their families ever overcome that fear and anger? How did they learn to forgive?

We have failed in this country to truly understand the scars left by this country's past. We've spent far too much time trying to put things behind us, sometimes as a coping method and sometimes as a way to avoid blame. But, that decision has left our past misunderstood and, in many ways, forgotten. That means it will only be a short fall to descend back into that madness.

A short fall indeed.

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Niggerhead's Hidden Story

2011-10-04T12:31:00.001-05:00

Who is really surprised about Rick Perry's sign problem?

Seriously, raise your hand if you honestly can't believe that he grew up hunting in a sundown town in Texas, where black folks were greeted with "Morning nigger" and knew better than to be caught across the tracks after dark?

Come on, now that's like being surprised that the moon comes up at night.

What was really interesting about this Washington Post story wasn't the revelations about Perry's sordid racial past, and current penchant for lying because those are to be expected. No, what's interesting is the glimpse it gives certain folks into just how dehumanizing life was for black folks in the South. Not just that, but the glimpse it gives us into how so many white people can be deluded about that past.

Seriously, if you read the story, older white people actually appear to believe there was no need for a Civil Rights movements in their neighborhood. They say their black folks were perfectly happy. And, that's in the deep, harsh Jim Crow South. So you know older white folks up North saw no need for Civil Rights in Maine, or New Hampshire. And they passed those feelings on to their children and grandchildren, and we ended up with the racial morass we have today.

Racism is always somebody else's problem, and is stirred up by outside agitators. It's never personal, never something folks need to address in their own lives.

And that's what I learned from the story of Niggerhead.

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Intentional Pain

2011-09-28T16:50:00.000-05:00

Read this interesting article in the Wall Street Journal the other day.

It was all about how the federal government has slowly eroded the use of intent in determining whether or not someone has broken a law. Basically, when federal laws were created, the need to prove intent was paramount in getting a guilty verdict. But over the years as the types of crimes have expanded, so have the laws, and the focus on intent has waned. I suggest you check it out for some good information.

Intent is a tricky thing in America. I was taught as a child that ignorance was no protection under the law. That meant that when I screwed up, I couldn't plead ignorance and expect reprieve from my parents. They would remind me that my ignorance would be no protection in the real world, and then proceed to punish me. Hell, I remember a teacher asking me to solve a math problem using skills she had never demonstrated to us, then grading me harshly because I didn't know those skills. And when I protested the inherent unfairness of this situation, she told me "You should have known..."

But, for many Americans, intent reigns supreme. The consequences of their actions must be weighed by their intent. If they hurt someone unintentionally, their punishment should be muted by their lack of intent. If they destroy something without intent, the destruction must be considered alongside their intentions. If they commit a racist act, it must be weighed against their unknowable heart's intent.

It's a mess.

But, after reading the Wall Street Journal, I see why the idea is so persistent. It's been ingrained in many Americans, particularly those who have grown up with a certain level of privilege, that it's not just about results, but intent. This is a luxury the privileged enjoy that many others do not because we are taught early, either by elders or life, that in many situations our intent doesn't matter. All that matters are the results and how those in power see those results.

Unfortunately, if you approach life from an intent-based perspective, it is very difficult to see racism or racial animus in today's world. This country has done a decent job of scrubbing most of the so-called "overt" racism from the surface, at least compared to how this country once behaved. Now, only those who take the time to properly study and consider the power structures in this country can see it, and many white folks aren't interested in examining power unless it results in more power for them. We are at an intellectual impasse because we have two competing views on how the world should work.

Not really a new thought, but one worth considering from a different angle..

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Blinders

2011-09-23T12:48:00.002-05:00

My wife brings her problems to me.

Sometimes they are big problems, often they are small, but most of them come to me. We discuss them, we argue about them, and eventually, we figure out what we're going to do. Sometimes a real solution is developed, other times we walk away disgusted, but we only get to that point after hashing things out. The same process gets repeated with my problems.

See, you don't solve problems by pretending they don't exist. Sweeping them under rug, where they are allowed to fester and grow, solves nothing. If you're poor, you solve it by either reducing expenses or finding more money. If you're sick, you solve it by getting healthy. When you're hungry, the solution is eating, when you're tired, the solution is rest.

It's only with racism that the solution is doing nothing.

Don't agree? Then why do so many people of so many different hues consistently argue that discussions, debates and studies about racial problems in America and across the world are what's really causing racism to continue? Every single time a racial matter is discussed a determined minority of those involved will insist that if everyone would just shut up about race, things would be all better.

It's a puzzling belief, and one I obviously don't subscribe to since I have an entire blog dedicated to examining the way race affects black folks. I clearly see the the need for honest and frank discussions. But, sadly, I'm not mainstream. I'm the opposite of mainstream, and that is confusing. Why does it make sense to believe that solving problems is best done by ignoring them?

Honestly, it doesn't make sense. There is no reason to believe that is a viable solution, which leads me to believe that people who argue that we should ignore race actually aren't interested in solving racial problems. They either believe they are all solved, which is ludicrous, or they are comfortable with the status quo. The latter appears to be more likely since humans are typically happy with the status quo as long as the status quo benefits them.

And there are definite benefits to ignoring race. There is the ability to pretend that America is a meritocracy. The ability to celebrate success without questioning how it was obtained. They ability to believe in an overall just world. Don't forget complete absolution for any wrongdoing or injustice in this country. Basically, ignoring race and promoting the status quo is easier and more enjoyable than the alternative.

And you know how Americans love easy fun.

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This is America

2011-09-21T15:12:00.002-05:00

If the justice system is comfortable with potentially killing an innocent man, what is the system?

If men can be ordered to die despite compelling proof that they deserve to live, what is life worth?

If the law does not provide justice, then why is it law?

Because this is America.

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This Is Law

2011-09-14T15:10:00.000-05:00

Is being colorblind worse than being racist?

I wondered that recently.

Is believing that race is not a factor, or not a large factor in the way the world works as bad as actively practicing racism?

I can't decide. I do know that dealing with colorblind people is just as frustrating as dealing with a racist. Dealing with someone who actively denies reality, the reality that obviously exists based on objective facts, is just as frustrating as dealing with someone who is actively working to benefit one racial group over another.

I don't care if they have good intentions. I don't care if they are nice people. Their refusal to deal with reality, to acknowledge and handle the problems that exist in this world is dangerous. It's danger to me, it's a danger to my family and it's a danger to any thinking person seeking to improve the world around them.

This is law. And I stand by it.

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Sometimes I...

2011-09-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the anger turns to sadness, and the tears just can't be held back.

Sometimes when you truly grasp how long this thing has been hurting people and destroying families, it can be too much.

Sometimes when you catch a glimpse of how many lives have been ruined, you wonder at God's plan.

Sometimes you thirst for vengeance.

Sometimes you need revenge like babies need love. Sometimes hurting others feels like the only thing that will soothe your hurt.

Sometimes it's shocking how far reaching this thing is, how it has stretched across continents and countries.

Sometimes you just can't stand to have another person whose benefited from this thing try to deny their favored position and avoid any responsibility for doing the right thing.

Sometimes it's so easy to hate.

Sometimes, I cry. Big, crocodile tears in-between sobs that shake my chest. Not for me, or for anyone I know, but for people I've never met and will never meet, but whose pain makes my very heart constrict.

Sometimes I wonder.

I wonder.

And

I cry.

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Reasonable People Might Agree

2011-09-02T13:12:00.000-05:00

I didn't have to teach my sons how to discriminate.

I didn't sit them down and tell them to establish different rules for themselves than the rules they apply to other people. I didn't teach them to try to scheme to find ways to increase their advantage in every situation. And I definitely didn't teach them to allow others to suffer so they could profit. They came into this world as so-called innocent babes already inclined to do all of those things.

My job has been to try to curb their natural impulses.

Often, when we discuss racism and discrimination, it becomes a conversation about people's intentions, their hearts, and their upbringing. People take offense at the idea that they may be discriminating because that accusation is viewed as a direct assault on their morality. They reject claims of discrimination by noting that they have nothing against certain types of people, and are only living their lives as good human beings.

That assumes that human beings are "good."

I know many people don't like the whole "original sin" and "inherently evil human" concept. But, I believe in it. I think the problem is with the definition of "evil." Even doesn't only mean genocide and rape, it also means the opposite of good. So, if good behavior involves being generous and kind, evil involves being stingy and cruel. All of us struggle with evil, and it's not something we learn from watching television.

My sons like to have the advantage. They create rules for their games that benefit them, and change those rules as soon as the expected benefit isn't realized. They demand that their sibling be punished for infractions that they themselves beg to avoid punishment for committing. They are constantly seeking an advantage, constantly looking to block their peers advantage and always keeping score.

In short, they are little humans. They were born with vestigial forms of this behavior, and as they've aged, it's only gotten more serious.

This has provided me with some interesting insights into the behavior of adults. I've always known that most racism and discrimination comes from a desire to establish and maintain supremacy, but watching my children confirms it. More importantly, it confirms that avoiding racism and discrimination requires an intense desire and effort because that aim is not "natural."

That's why it's dangerous when people don't want to discuss or think about racism. It's dangerous when they refuse to educate themselves about historic and current power dynamics. It represents a threat because without that effort, it's impossible fight against these twin evils. Until people come to grips with the human instincts that lurk in their hearts, and decide that those impulses are incorrect, no change can occur.

One of the authors on a blog I read likes to use a quotation that basically says that cheating begins as soon as monogamy stops being reasonable. For many folks, evil begins as soon as being good stops being reasonable. The problem is that most of us don't understand how we truly define reasonable.

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The Nature of the Beast

2011-08-29T09:40:00.000-05:00

It started with a stupid decision.

There is no reason to watch the McLaughlin Group on a Friday night.
If you're seeking news, there are far more current and detailed sources of information. If you're seeking enlightened debate superior examples can be found elsewhere as well. And nobody is honestly looking for entertainment from the McLaughlin Group, at least no one with a fully functioning sense of boredom.

But, there I was watching a half dozen curmudgeons argue about four-day old news that had already been hashed to death by talking heads with far more verve and roughly equal insight.

I've already admitted it was stupid.

As I wondered how the show had managed to survive the media blood-letting of recent years, the hosts skipped from discussing Obama's abruptly ended vacation, to speaking on Dr. Martin Luther King and the deferment of his now well-known dream. As is common, while the discussion pretended to be about America's failure to make good on the dream King died for, it quickly became something else. They trotted out the tired factoids about the wealth gap between blacks and whites, and then cut to the statistics about the differing rates of incarceration.
(By the way, that information was actually interesting mainly because it revealed that 5 percent of the black population is incarcerated compared to 1 percent of the white population. It's not the gap that's interesting, it's the fact that despite the dominant stereotype about rampant black crime, 95 percent of us are not doing time!)

Things were rolling along in a fairly predictable manner when the white-haired and bespectacled host-- McLaughlin I presume-- asked something like "Why are black people failing to succeed?" That is a paraphrase because the ensuing emotions that comment caused made it difficult for me to remember the exact quote, but it's a fairly accurate paraphrase.

After this ridiculous comment, the token black guy on the show, Clarence Page, began to try to explain why black people fail. He talked about society and personal responsibility, and even threw a bone to racism. It wasn't a bad answer, but in a way it was terrible.

See, in my opinion, any time a white person asks a question that is so obviously asinine, it cheapens black folks when we deign to answer it seriously. I'm not saying I haven't done this, I'm just saying that I was cheapening black folks when I did it. The correct answer to that ridiculous question was "Because they are Americans." After all, failure is not a special trait of black folks, and black failure or even pathology shouldn't be treated as some aberration but instead a shining example of our humanity. Human beings fail. That's what we do.

But, the host obviously believes that black people have some sort of monopoly, or at least an affinity with failure. It's drawn to us like flies to rotting meat, and clearly that means there must be something wrong with us. After all, if we haven't managed to start succeeding 40 years after Dr. King died, when exactly were we planning to start succeeding, right?

Of course this is idiotic, but these are the types of conversations way too many white folks have and that they think are insightful. This is what they talk about amongst themselves, this is why they get so huffy when the topic of Affirmative Action comes up, and it's why there is so much thinly veiled resentment towards black folks among white people of all ages. They really and truly believe that the problems of black people are unique to black people and caused by some sort of moral, intellectual or emotional deficiency that accompanies dark skin.

That's what white supremacy looks like. And it's all around you.

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Winners and Losers

2011-08-25T15:25:00.000-05:00

By most accounts, newly minted NFL quarterback Cam Newton is a winner.

He won a national championship at Auburn, secured an impressive NFL contract as the first pick in the draft, and is competing for a starting spot. I would imagine Charlie Sheen would say he's "Winning."

But, everything that sparkles ain't a diamond..

It appears that Newton's new employer notified him before he got drafted that tattoos, piercings and long hair weren't the way to go. He said this right after he hired a white player who has tattoos, long hair and piercings.

Hmmmm....

On a certain level, the demands make sense. Many businesses have formal and informal dress codes. Maintaining a job requires adherence to these guidelines. When your job pays you $24 million, it seems like a reasonable demand, correct? Hell most of us follow the dress code for far less than 1 percent of that type of money.

But, why would there be different rules for a black player and a white player. It would be easy to make a simple racial connection here, but that would be wrong. The racial connection is far more complex. Jeremy Shockey, the white tight end with the tats, piercings and hair, isn't allowed to have those things because he's white, he's allowed to have them because he plays tight end.

Cam Newton wasn't just drafted to play football, he was drafted to play the sport's glamour position: quarterback. He was drafted to be the new face of the franchise. As such, his black mug will be marketed all across Carolina to white fans with pockets deep enough to pony up for season tickets and gobs of merchandise. The bottom line is that the quarterback puts more butts in the seats than the tight end on most squads.

The concern over Newton's appearance is related to the fact that his face has to be sold to white folks, and many white folks don't want to get behind certain types of black people. They may tolerate dreads, tats and piercings, but they don't like them. They don't respect them. And if they have their druthers, they would rather support a black athlete who didn't have them. Or, better yet, a white athlete who doesn't have them.

The Panthers owner is aware of these feelings and shares them. He wants to keep those folks happy, so he's more than willing to allow their discrimination and bias to drive his actions. And for the most part, the rest of the sporting world will shake their heads, but agree that it's his right.

Just like folks agree that it is the right of businesses to serve who they want to served, or police to stop who they want to stop, or governments to fly the flags they want to fly. Way too many folks seem quite comfortable with bending their heads and saying "What can I do?" when faced with obvious instances of actions based on racial prejudice.

Seems like certain folks are just born to be losers.

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Why Bother?

2011-08-23T15:50:00.000-05:00

Black people can’t talk to white people about race anymore. There’s really nothing left to say. There are libraries full of books, interviews, essays, lectures, and symposia. If people want to learn about their own country and its history, it is not incumbent on black people to talk to them about it. It is not our responsibility to educate them about it. Plus whenever white people want to talk about race, they never want to talk about themselves. There needs to be discussion among people who think of themselves as white. They need to unpack that language, that history, that social position and see what it really offers them, and what it takes away from them. As James Baldwin said, “As long as you think that you are white, there is no hope for you.”

I feel like this many days. Even when I make a little progress in opening people's eyes, I'm always left with the thought that they could have just as easily done that themselves with a little effort.

But they aren't interested.

And it's not just white people, it's black people too. In the rush to assimilate, many black folks these days have decided to abandon in-depth examinations of race mainly because they don't see any benefits.. Others are ignorant of basic historical facts and resent people who present them with information that challenges their deeply held worldviews. So, while I'm calling out the white folks, Negroes are not getting a pass here.

But, y'all white folks are the ones holding all the cards. At least with most black folks, even if they aren't interested in race, they admit to some easily accepted facts. With way too many white folks it's like pulling teeth to get y'all to acknowledge truths that should be part of your basic education on America. Then again, "basic" is an interesting concept.

I was talking to a friend the other day and we agreed that one of the benefits of attending majority black schools is the vantage point from which American history is presented. When your teachers are black and your students are mainly black, certain issues become big deals that otherwise might get glossed over. For example, the 3/5ths compromise was a big deal in every history class I've ever had. And Abe Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was widely derided since it only freed those slaves he had no control over.

But, I would wager that for many white folks, those two factoids weren't considered key issues, nor were they something that stuck in their heads over time. While those things may have reminded black folks of the rampant hypocrisy in America's past and present, for white folks they were just answers on a test that were promptly forgotten. Basically, depending on who teaches you, the definition of "basic" changes drastically.

That can make racial discussions perilous. I often discover I'm operating from a totally different set of facts than a lot of white folks. And since we don't agree on the facts, we can't agree on the nuances.

That's the frustrating position many black folks find themselves in these days. We're asked either to allow racial ridiculousness pass unchallenged, or to engage in pointless debates where the burden of proof is ridiculously high, and the level of discourse is ridiculously low because few people have read the source material. It's a terrible, terrible cycle that often can make it simpler to just keep your mouth shut, mark people down on The List, and keep it moving.

Sometimes I just can't be bothered.

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It Is What It Is

2011-08-19T13:33:00.000-05:00

One of the first things that happens when the words "racist" or "racism" are introduced into a conversation involving white folks is an attempt to mind read.

By that, I mean that if I bring up racism or racists, it's pretty much guaranteed that some white person will speak to me about the dangers of trying to judge another man's heart. It doesn't matter what was just said or done, there is always some white person who bristles instantly at the idea that the situation is about racism. Take, Sen. Tom Coburn's recent comments for example.

Granted, the paraphrase job by the reporter from the Tulsa World wasn't the greatest. The story clearly lacked some context that would have provided more insight into where Coburn's comments came from and his overall mindset. Honestly, after I read the transcript, I no longer suspected that Coburn is a closeted member of the White Citizen's Council.

But I still thought he was a racist.

That would probably surprise the reporter from the Washington Post who wrote the column about Coburn's actual comments. (Actually, maybe it wouldn't since white folks always expect black people to call somebody racist and therefore rarely believe us despite the evidence.) The reporter from the Washington Post bent over backwards to try to provide a non-racist explanation for Coburn's comments, but there isn't one. It doesn't matter if he likes Obama as a person, or thinks that the president is just misguided. His entire worldview is built on the premise that African Americans have benefited from a "culture of dependency".

That's some racist crap.

I'm not sure how white people got confused, but clearly it happened. It seems that they took a wrong turn during Jim Crow, and forgot that the government programs that benefit the poor were first created for white people by white people, and only extended to black people after we paid taxes with no benefit for a long time. Moreover, they seem to have forgotten that the sort of "dependency" programs that President Obama would have benefited from, say Affirmative Action, were created because white people couldn't seem to follow the rules of the very meritocracy they love to tout now. We don't have Affirmative Action because black people couldn't survive without help, we have it because white people refused to even give black people a fair freaking shot.

Moreover, as one of my white colleagues pointed out, if ever there was a person who has proven that Affirmative Action doesn't necessarily lead to unqualified people getting jobs, it's this president. As much as George Bush was an indictment of the legacy system and generational wealth, Obama is the living and breathing proof that if black folks are given a legit shot, we can easily excel. To claim that Obama was raised on the teat of dependency despite all the evidence to the contrary is the act of a racist.

Period.

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Help Wanted

2011-08-16T11:26:00.000-05:00

Just saw that A Tribe Called Quest movie this weekend.

It was a cool joint. Decent exploration of the group's formation and demise with some stuff that made you ask questions about the nature of friendship, love and black maleness. I would recommend even if you weren't a big Tribe fan, which I wasn't, because it's cool even to newbies.

As I was leaving the Tribe movie, another joint was letting out. Yep, "The Help" the famously infamous movie that tells the story of the Civil Rights era in Mississippi through the eyes of a young white woman and the black domestic help she knew. The movie, which of course is based on a novel by the same name, has been lauded by some critics and lampooned by others, and it's been steadily raking in the money.

I have no desire to see The Help or read the novel. Some folks would say my unwillingness to consume the work makes any critique I provide invalid. I say they can stop reading now.

See, I don't need to read the book or see the movie to know the story. As soon as I learned that it was the story of black domestics told through the eyes of a young white woman who cared about them, I knew the story. It was Blood Diamonds in Jackson. Or Bagger Vance without the golf clubs. Dangerous Minds without high school. Another tale of how kindness and love shown to white folks, or shown by white folks, makes the world a better place. The coloreds are just the ever changing set pieces.

Some folks may find that cynical and simplistic. After all, I didn't see the movie, what do I know? I know that the director said this in a recent interview:

The scene where Viola Davis sitting on a toilet in a garage in 108 degrees, and then a white woman comes out and tells her to hurry up was visually brutal. To me that's worst than seeing a lynching. It just is."

That came after the director said that this wasn't the story of victims, and that it wasn't supposed to be historical, just a story. That bothers me. First, because black people were victims. Sure, we triumphed and fought, but we were victims. A terrible, terrible wrong was done to black people and we were victims. Many of us are still feeling the effects of being victims. To tell a story where you set out to avoid victims, or where you consider victimhood to be a sign of weakness, is the first sign that something is wrong.

Second, if you're telling a story, it should be rooted in truth. It doesn't have to be a rote retelling of the facts, but it needs to be rooted in accuracy or truth or else you're not telling a story, you're creating propaganda. That's what this movie is, in fact. It's racial propaganda seeking to absolve white people of the squeamish feelings they don't want to have. It helps justify their decisions not to think about plantation tours that don't feature slaves, or Nana and Paw Paw's role in facilitating Jim Crow. These false portrayals of the past are a soothing balm to their barely chafed spirits. And let's not even discuss how these tales distort the historical record since most Americans lack the knowledge base to understand that what they're watching is in no way true.

Lastly, there is no way a personal act of humiliation is worse than a lynching. NO WAY. To even make that comment shows a shocking, SHOCKING lack of understanding of what a lynching was. It wasn't just being strung up and forced to die in a way so brutal you were guaranteed to void your bowels. No, often it meant being tortured, castrated, jeered and mocked. It meant being denied due process in a land that you helped build. Far too often it meant paying the ultimate sacrifice just for daring to be human. There is no way being told to hurry up off the toilet could EVER compare and I doubt the black people of that time would have agreed with that sentiment.

The director, along with the author, both talk in glowing terms about the black women in their lives who helped mold them and shape them. They helped them become adults. But, these white folks refuse to understand that these black maids were not their family. They were their employees. They were in a subordinate position largely because of the racist economic system in place at the time, and they were forced to either find solace and joy in the crumbs of life offered to them, or go mad. These women may have genuinely developed feelings for their white charges, but they always, ALWAYS understood, at least the smart ones did, that they were employees. And when they were pawed at, humiliated and degraded, they continued to work because like all employees they needed the job.

Those are the types of salient facts that make a story real. But, real don't sell movie tickets. Nope, not at all.

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Last Moments

2011-08-10T13:31:00.001-05:00

Inspired by this story.

What's happening?

Why are they beating me? What do you little bastards want? Yeah, take that white boy!

Get off! Get off!

Where did they come from? What do they want?

Nigger? White Power?

Who are these kids? What the fuck is happening?

It hurts. My God it hurts. Please stop beating me. Please stop...

What did I do? Tell me please! What did I do?

I'm sorry. Just don't hurt me anymore. Just don't hurt me anymore. justdon'thurtmeanymore. hurtanymore. hurthurthurt.

Please...

I think they're gone. I heard car doors slam. They were laughing. They're gone. Please God let them be gone.

Must get up. Find help. Need help. Somebody please help.

A car. They will help. Please stop. Need help. Maybe if I wave a little...

OH MY GOD IT'S HIM.

Pain. So much pain.

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Inspired by a True Picture

2011-08-08T15:40:00.000-05:00

She's smiling at me.

I can't believe she's smiling at me. I told those uneducated idiots who questioned her feelings about black people that she had our best interests at heart, but they scoffed at me. Now, she's smiling at me.

And it's a real smile. Not like those patronizing smirks Democrats use as they enslave my people with the twin shackles of welfare and low expectations.

Who would want to improve their plight if they are given free food, housing and money every month? What's the incentive to get a real job and become captains of industry if all of your most basic needs are met simply by breathing? That's how they trap black people. They trap them with handouts, and false claims of equality. There can be no equality without a chance to find your own bootstraps.

Liberals don't care about righting wrongs. Their white guilt is not a real emotion, just a fill-in. They use their affirmative action and welfare to keep us inferior. It's not about schools or poverty; I was poor. I know what it's like to eat Wish Sandwiches, and walk miles on dirt roads to get to a ramshackle classroom. I know what it's like to be insulted, demeaned and abused for attempting to read a book.

And not by white folks, but by my own people. It wasn't "The Man" who refused my shy attempts at dating because I didn't have the nicest clothes, or a new car. I couldn't afford those things because the money from my job went into a savings account for my college education because I knew that this day would come. I knew that the future held more for me then factory jobs and common law wives. I knew I would not be trapped in a poor excuse for e neighborhood surrounded by black and brown faces sweating and straining five days a week only to get drunk Saturday night and pray to some invisible God on Sunday morning.

I knew better.

That's why she's smiling at me. She seems that sacrifice. She sees those jeers. She recognizes that I'm different, that's I've thrown off the mental shackles that confine so many like me. She knows that I've been educated, that I'm special, that I deserve her acceptance and appreciation. She seems that I'm worth something. I'm not voting bloc. I'm an individual.

Look at how she leans close to me. Notice how wide her smile has become. How could she be a racist when she's so comfortable with me? How could she hate black people when she so obviously loves me?

She will be my president. Those who doubt her worth are wrong. She cares. She cares about me most of all.

And it's not because I'm black.

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Where TALA meets reality

2011-08-04T11:08:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to discuss this whole flap about black babies being happier in slavery, but well, I haven't posted something in a while.

As the article states, this isn't just about the fact that conservatives and others have a disturbing misunderstanding about how slavery actually worked. That's actually not surprising since most white folks actively avoid reading any book that deals with this country's past racism against black people, and do their best to scrub the books they're forced to read of any such references. See the recent flap over Huck Finn and the word "nigger" for more proof.

But, as the author notes, it's the more serious attempt to "soften" this country's past that is bothersome. Not just because a failure to accurately relate the past makes it much more difficult to fight against the lingering effects of that injustice, but because it provides handy dandy protection for modern racism.

See, black folks know what's up. At least most of us do. We know when white folks talk about taking their country back, or state's rights, or reverse racism that what they are really saying is that they are tired of all these rules preventing them from keeping niggers in line and they want to be freed of these recent shackles. We know that while the attacks on President Obama may have some policy roots, they are also clearly connected to his race and the fact that many white folks can't stand to have a black man as the president. Period.

But, what white folks know is that if they can provide just enough camoflauge for their racism, if they can muddy the waters even slightly, then their fellow white folks will leap through hoops to protect them from accusations of bigotry. By distorting history, they provide the cover for spreading bigotry and discrimination today. It's devious.

It's also just another symptom of what I like to call TALA, or Taking A Loss Aversion. In the black vernacular, you "take a loss" when you readily accept the negative consequences of your actions because you understand that your actions were wrong, stupid or crass. It's a certain stoicism that is hard for many people to develop, but it is essential, in my opinion, to the development of good character.

Way too many white people develop TALA when it comes to this country's racial history. I just read this article about a white guy who has argued that the genocide against Native Americans was perfectly justified because indigenous people were "morally disqualified" from having this country. When white people took the land from the Indians, their argument was that Native Americans weren't using it right, and they were being selfish because they had more than they needed. Yes, I'm being completely serious.

Hell, most black folks have heard a variety of arguments about slavery and Jim Crow that shift the blame for these horrendous periods in American history away from white folks, and often on to the victims. Who hasn't heard the argument that black folks are better off here than in Africa? (This argument tends to ignore the reality that white folks effed up Africa too.) When white folks were actively enslaving black people a popular argument was that we lacked the ability to function on our own so we forced them to put us in chains.

Sadly, these arguments are all examples of TALA. Instead of just stepping up and admitting they and their ancestors were wrong, and dealing with the consequences, white folks have worked as hard as they can to shift and minimize blame. Their TALA is so severe that they are forced to invent the most ludicrous explanations and rationalizations for the past, to the point that they look like raving idiots.

Normally, this sort of illness would just be cause for pity, but seeing as how white people still control most of the resources in the country, wield most of the political power and are entrenched in those positions for the foreseeable future, it's a serious concern.

Their TALA is messing with my life, and it's probably messing with yours.

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Who Needs Novels?

2011-07-28T09:27:00.000-05:00

Real life is always stranger than fiction.
Here's proof:

"I need your help. I can't tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we're gonna hurt some people.
...Whose car we takin'?"

That was Ben Aflleck's character, Dougie MacRay, trying to get his boy to accompany him on a beat down in the movie, "The Town".

It's also the line from the movie that republicans met and chose to watch in order to rally around each other for this debt ceiling debate. Nice. It's apropos, seeing that it is a movie about a bank robbery, and these clowns are holding up A-merry-ca.
Anyway, like a good Negro, my man Allen West volunteered to drive the car. (Because that's what good Negroes do.)

"After showing the clip, Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), one of the most outspoken critics of leadership among the 87 freshmen, stood up to speak, according to GOP aides.“I’m ready to drive the car,” West replied, surprising many Republicans by giving his full -throated support for the plan."

That's from the Field Negro's blog.

Just think, if a screenwriter tried to sell a script featuring a scene where the political party of family values watched a movie about gun toting bank robbers as they plotted a plan to hold America hostage he would be met with scorn. If his script also called for those same folks to regularly decry any attempts to label them as stubborn, pig-headed for at fault, he would be met with ridicule. It would be deemed an unbelievable farce.

Yet, that's the world we live in today. That is our reality.

Crazy.

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We Should Know Better

2011-07-26T11:49:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, well actually a lot of the time, black people disappoint me.

I know this is dangerous ground. I try to avoid criticizing black folks because Lord knows there are more than enough folks willing to do that every day. Too often blacks folks spread the worst lies about each other, and believe the worst stereotypes. But sometimes, we have to take a good hard look at our habits if we ever want to break them.

Like our habit of thinking black folks who receive government subsidies are "getting over."

Maybe you've run across this mindset, hell, maybe you're guilty of it. Who hasn't been behind a "food stamp" grocery cart filled with food and thought "Well that must great." Some of us hear about Section 8 vouchers and monthly welfare checks and wonder why certain folks get for free what we have to work so hard to obtain. Since black folks are overrepresented in both programs, most of us know somebody who is receiving or has received government aid and it's not uncommon for us to study all of their failings and deduce that they are gaming the system.

So when your resident bigoted politician attempts to pass a law requiring drug tests for welfare recipients, or calling for them to be mandated to take birth control, it's not unusual to see a very disjointed response in our community. You will see black "leaders" decry the measure as closeted racism, while you will see regular black folks cheering that "they" won't be getting over any more.

Sadly, although we should be able to spot the tricks of racists by now, we can't and we don't. By appealing to our sense of envy and "bootstrap" ideology, racists are able to convince lots of black folks to vocally or silently support actions that are malignant and bigoted. There is a reason these types of laws only get pushed forward by politicians who think the confederate flag is no big deal and the White Citizens Council was a great community organization.

Black people should know better, but we don't mainly because most of us don't like each other. We particularly don't like those of us who are poor and exhibit behaviors that we've been taught represent the worst habits in society. If there is anything black folks hate more than "ghetto" black people, I've yet to find it.

Personally, I think it's an inferiority complex that many of us don't even know exists. We're consumed with not being lumped in with the "Bad Negroes". Many of us think that if we can just get identified as Good Negroes we will be safe from the dangers of the world, and we're silently angry at the Bad Negroes for ruining things for everyone.

But the truth is, nothing is going to save us. There is no protection. You can be labeled a Bad Negro at any moment simply because you're a Negro. You can be subjected to humiliation and pain for the same reason. Those people who receive welfare and the like don't have it easy. There is nothing easy about being poor and getting government help. It's much, MUCH easier to be rich and get government help. Just ask all those investment bank managers.

We should know better than to allow racists to trot out the same basic divide and conquer strategies that they've been using for centuries. At some point we have to stop being our own worst enemies.

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Let Me See Your Skin

2011-07-18T12:43:00.000-05:00

Remember a while back when that lil' white chick from UCLA hopped on You Tube and decided to post a racist rant about how much she hates Asian people who talk too loudly in the library? In case you forgot, click here.

Anyway, the video caused some serious outrage, to the point where the girl had to leave school to avoid being a pariah every day of her life. Seemed fair to me. But, now, in an American tradition, certain folks have decided to capitalize on the woman's notoriety to make money. Some students from UCLA have partnered with a restaurant to take advantage of a portion of the rant that uses gibberish to represent an Asian speaking in a foreign tongue. Yes, I'm serious.

What I found curious in reading that story was that I couldn't tell the race of the folks running the business, and that made it impossible for me to decide how to react. I typically like to consider context when deciding whether to get pissed, and it's impossible for me to judge context in this case without clear information on the race of the folks in charge.

Some folks would call that racism. I prefer to call it common sense. Yes, I have different reactions to people based on their race. Yes, I consider certain things acceptable when done by people of a certain race, and unacceptable when done by folks of another race. At its simplest level, this may feel like discrimination. However, I think life is anything but simple.

Basically, minorities understand what it's like to be a minority. The weird feeling of unease that comes with being the only person who looks like you in a room. The inescapable certainty that every action you make will reflect back on everybody who looks like you. The sense of being other, and the sense that the only way to change this even marginally is to sacrifice anything that has not been approved by the dominant group.

Since minorities understand this, and they understand the dynamics within their groups better than most outsiders, I tend to let folks in their own groups give me some clues about whether stuff is disrespectful. And if I saw a whole bunch of Asian folks co-signing the name of this restaurant, I'd consider it on par with places like "Big Momma's House of Chicken and Waffles" and mind my own business. Unfortunately, without information on the race of the business owners, I'm left with vague speculation, and the sense that I should err on the side of caution.

Therefore, I'm left with the idea that somebody has crossed some boundaries, is trying to disguise racism as humor, and probably needs to have a Come to Jesus moment. Standard fare for America, I guess.

But, I think it is funny that such an unimportant issue like race can have such importance in a situation. Funny indeed.

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I Don't See Anyting Soft

2011-07-13T16:50:00.000-05:00

"The soft bigotry of low expectations..."

The first time I heard that quote, I scoffed at the idea. I'm not scoffing anymore.

See, when I first heard about "soft bigotry" I thought it just meant your do-gooder liberals who think that black people deserve pity and handouts instead of assistance and acceptance. And while it means that, it means much more. It also means that while you preach about equality and a meritocracy, you quietly eliminate opportunities for certain folks to ever advance beyond their current station, and you claim you're doing it for their own good.

Apparently, some of that is happening in the Pacific Northwest.

It boggles my mind that only seven schools have African American children enrolled in calculus and none of those schools have more than five kids in the class. Seven schools out of 52 schools in the district? That's utterly ridiculous.

This is one of the reasons I support HBCUs and majority-black schools with a history of academic excellence. I attended an almost all-black high school where not only did we have multiple Calculus classes, we had multiple Physics classes and several Advanced Placement offerings in other courses. Black kids weren't expected to fail, we were expected to succeed and succeed spectacularly!

We never had to worry that we were innately inferior, we only had to worry about failing to meet our immense potential. But, when you stick black kids in majority white environments those expectations often change. Sure, there are always a few "good darkies" selected as high achievers, but the rest are left to allow their gifts to atrophy until they are ill-prepared for even the most menial jobs upon graduation. And that simple strategy allows the current power dynamic to continue largely unimpeded, and makes black folks more susceptible to losing ground in economic recessions.

There is nothing soft about soft bigotry. It's a rock solid means to maintain the status quo. Rock solid.

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Everybody Loves Europe

2011-07-12T15:29:00.000-05:00

The other night I was watching "Everybody Loves Raymond."

Yes, I watch "Everybody Loves Raymond." I actually enjoy the show quite a bit, along with other stalwarts of white comedy like "Frasier", "That 70s Show", "Seinfeld" and "Friends." I may be a Raving Black Lunatic, but my sense of humor is of mixed ancestry.

Anyway, I'm watching the show and it's the episode where the family travels to Italy. In that episode, Raymond initially pouts about the entire trip, before finally being won over by Italy's Old World charm. At one point he exclaims that it's so great that everything in Italy is so old in comparison to America where everything feels like it was built yesterday.

That made me pause.

It's not that it's untrue. Many countries in Europe, at least those that weren't decimated by wars, have some pretty ancient structures. What made me pause was the idea that America is a "new" nation.

In some respects, there is obvious truth in that sentiment. America was only established as a country well after most European nations had taken turns being worldwide empires, and long after China, the Middle East and certain countries in Africa had staked a claim to the center of the world.

But, there is a long history in this country. True, this land's original inhabitants didn't build sprawling cities or conquer the known world, but they left behind monuments and artifacts that show they were here. They clearly had developed societies that took a much different approach to life than their counterparts to the North and South. Knowing this, it felt like what Raymond was saying was that "American history that matters is so young."

That makes me sad. I'm saddened that so many people discount those societies that didn't create their greatness on the backs of slaves and other forced labor. I'm sad that so many are willing to ignore the conditions that allowed "civilization" to proper in favor of glorifying what was built. And, ultimately, I'm sad that so many people have decided that the accomplishments of the largely brown people who inhabited this land before white folks even knew it existed don't matter at all.

I don't love that at all.

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These People

2011-07-05T11:18:00.000-05:00

I didn't think it was possible, but it is getting worse.

I wrote the above-linked blog back when I first started doing this site, and sadly, I think it's even more true today. Blame it on the internet, on free time, on Fox News or on genetic drift, but it cannot be denied that despite the surfeit of information available at their fingertips, people seem to be hellbent on being aggressively misinformed and stupid.

Aggressively.

See, "aggressively" is the key word there. It's acceptable to be misinformed. We all are about some things. It's ok to be stupid. We have all been stupid at one point or another. It's entirely different to embrace these two states of being, and actively work to convert the rest of the world. Once you've started doing that, you've crossed the line into Moron Land. (Sidenote: Did you know that back in the 19th Century when intelligence tests first became popular, they actually characterized people as "imbeciles", "morons" and "idiots" as scientific classifications. Not sure what that says about science and people.)

Way too many people are crossing the line these days. They repeat easily verifiable lies, they refuse to admit that what they've repeated are lies, and they actively protest that their preferred lies should be given preference over the obvious truth. It's like some sort of Bizarro World where it doesn't matter what the facts are, it only matters who has the power to impose their views on the most people.

Then again, that's not really a Bizarro World, that's just the world. It's always been like this in a way. The more I read, the more I see that logic and reason have always been in short supply, regardless of what the people in a certain time believed. I see that what was once hailed as cutting edge science was really a mixture of prejudice and contradictions dressed up in pretty charts. And it actually makes me wonder how much we've progressed today.

In 50 years will all the sacred truths of my generation be lambasted as obvious idiocy? Will our crude attempts at "science" be seen as the babbling and dabblings of the daft? I don't know. But I do know that listening to the idiocy of today is slowing raising my blood pressure to the danger zone. Everyday it is a constant struggle not to be overwhelmed by the type of rage that leads to extended tirades and possible violence.

These people are working my nerves.

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Call Me Richard

2011-06-30T10:18:00.000-05:00

So the President is "kind of a dick."

Tell us how you really feel Mark.

It's not a surprise that folks would think that the president's attempt to throw down the gauntlet for Republicans was a tad forceful. Since the president typically prefers to be subdued and non-confrontational, it makes it a bit jarring when he speaks the unvarnished truth.

Everybody knows that if Republicans want spending cuts, they should be willing to eliminate the pet benefits of their key donors that actually drive up the country's debt. Everybody also knows that it's hypocritical to complain about "handouts" for seniors, while protecting handouts for billion dollar corporations. But people were still surprised that Obama would lay things out so clearly, and do it without his usual flowery words.

I guess Mark Halperin was more surprised than most.

After reading about what led up to the comment, I can see that it was, in fact, an attempt to be funny that got beamed out to a public audience that was never supposed to see it. It wasn't a case of a random white guy becoming so enraged at an uppity black president that he had to put him in his place. Instead, dude was just trying to be cute.

Epic Fail.

It's funny though, why would you choose to compare the President to a penis while taping a national television show? It's cool if you refer to President Obama in that manner in private, hell I know I've said worse about Dubya. But, why choose to make those comments in the studio, and why choose to call him a dick because he just spoke to truth that everybody knows. What exactly is dickish about that?

There is something else behind this whole debacle. It was a brief peek behind the curtain at what certain folks believe is the proper way this president should conduct himself, even as they bash him for being too mild. He can't win this battle over his image, mainly because there are almost no black people who can win.

That's why I tend to tell them all to go suck my Richard.

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Casualties of War

2011-06-23T14:04:00.000-05:00

Every day they are there.

Shuffling, meandering and struggling, they move from place to place. Grimaces adorn their passive faces, defeat rests calmly between their shoulder blades.They have lost their battle, they wait for the end of the war.

Clad in ill-fitting or filthy cloth, they have become as invisible as the cracks in the sidewalk. Just like those cracks, whose amazing control over the spines of mother's is spoken about in whispers, they are avoided. Legion is their name, and like the damned hell spawn who share that moniker fear and loathing typically follow in their footsteps

These once mighty beings have been felled, and many cannot imagine them in any other state. Never to become more, doomed to eventually be less they are the scraps clinging desperately to the bottom of the barrel in fear of the unknown beyond the current confines of their lives.

This is a war. Make no mistake that the battle rages constantly upon boulevards and courts, drives and lanes. Beneath glowing streetlights and hidden in dank alleys, battles miniature in size but not ferocity are fought daily.

We only see the casualties

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Bring Out the Sacrifice

2011-06-14T17:07:00.000-05:00

Tracy Morgan messed up.

He made some deplorable comments that a large group of people found offensive. He made those comments in public and thought they were funny. After being notified of his error, Morgan issued a serious apology, taking responsibility for his actions, asking for forgiveness and pledging to never let his offense happen again.

Tracy Morgan is still being attacked.

Now, some might argue that just because Morgan apologizes does not mean he is entitled to forgiveness. They might note that his comments about homosexuals were so horrible that he must be punished and he cannot be allowed to escape with a slap on the wrist. Some might even express support for his fellow cast members and Hollywood stars who have condemned him and his comments.

Those people interest me.

As a black man, I can fully understand their anger and frustration. It's painful when someone makes hateful remarks about a group that you are a part of, and it only serves to reinforce feelings of alienation and fear. It is difficult to find forgiveness for those who wrong us, even when their pleas are sincere.

But, while I can understand hurt feelings and anger, I struggle to deal with double standards. I struggle to understand how Tina Fey can say she was "disgusted" by Morgan's actions when her 30 Rock television show traffics in the same sort of puerile and hurtful commentary.

I understand people asking if Morgan should be fired and censured, but where are the people who support him? Mel Gibson became a pariah for making anti-Semetic comments, and his rant about a raping "pack of niggers" only made things worse. Yet both comments provoked friends and associates to speak up and claim that Gibson was not a racist and he did not hate Jews.. Where are the people clearly saying that Tracy Morgan is not a homophobe?

Morgan has been sacrificed and demonized in a way that interests me. His comments, while ridiculous, were not that unusual. Jokes have long been made about "beating" the gay out of children and the like. Those jokes may be tasteless, but they have frequently been allowed and ignored.

It seems like people are clearly saying that bullying homosexuals will not be allowed, just as there is a pushback against accurately and honestly discussing racial animus. Nobody wants to label anyone a racist, but they are fine and dandy with calling them a homophobe. Everybody can see into the hearts of those who make racist statements, but those who make anti-gay comments are the scum of the Earth based on their actions.

It appears that the country has forgotten that it is entirely possible for more than one injustice to occur and be dealt with. Or, maybe folks are just tired of hearing how often they fail black folks.

They've found a new bogeyman. And he looks a lot like the old bogeyman.

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Paradox Report

2011-06-07T11:40:00.000-05:00

During the Great Migration and Civil Rights movement there arose a phenomenon labeled "The Northern Paradox."

During that period black folks were fleeing the South at historic rates to escape from the violent, stifled lives awaiting them under the steel-toed boot of Jim Crow. By train, bus and automobile, millions and millions of black folks fled oppressive regimes with the goal of reaching Promised Land of the North. With their departure and arrival they reshaped the landscape of this country.

But, as most black folks know, the North was only a Promised Land in the sense that it was nowhere near as horrible as the South. Discrimination, violence and mistreatment were quite prevalent in the North, but the sadistic attitudes of Southerners were thankfully in less prevalent in their northern brethren. Northerners still viewed black people as inferior sub-species unfit for certain jobs, homes and opportunities, but they were less likely to expect the all-encompassing subservience that was the norm in the South.

So, these recent black migrants were confronted with a more subtle form of racism than they were used to. There were no signs telling them their business wasn't wanted in bars, but when they would drink from a glass, the bartender would let them know they weren't welcome by breaking the glass as soon as they finished their beverage. Housing discrimination was the most rampant form of bigotry as the nascent practice of redlining confined black folks to overpriced slums and deprived them of the simplest way to accrue wealth in early American society.

However, it was harder for black of the North to protest these injustices when their Southern brethren were being lynched, attacked by dogs and raped with impunity. The discrimination was clear and obvious, particularly under the modern lens, but during that time it seemed like Northern blacks had a good deal, at least to those white folks who would have had to sacrifice to do better by them.

That was the Northern Paradox, and understanding it is key to understanding the Modern Paradox that black people and all people of color labor under today.

The sliding scale approach to examining racism tends to make it easy for people to ignore persistent and debilitating injustice because there is always someone else doing things a little worse. In modern times, the most outrageous forms of bigotry are often so few and far between that they have been deemed sideshows with little real impact on minority life. Even those forms of discrimination that limit black folks are labeled inconsequential when compared to the advantages we currently have compared to our ancestors.

The meritocracy myth has joined with the Modern Paradox to erect a web of deceit and deprivation whose gossamer strands belie its tremendous strength. Black folks are still bound by the practices of the past, but as we travel farther away from the most heinous crimes of this country's history, it becomes easier to allow them to fade into the Great Beyond while ignoring their present day impact.

That is the paradox of black life in modern America. Surrounded by an oasis of opportunity, but plagued by the persistent feeling that you may never be able to truly find rest.

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My Measuring Stick

2011-06-03T11:29:00.000-05:00

I just found out I'm not middle class.

That may come as a shocker since the "middle class" is the most nebulous grouping of Americans in the country, and the one group that the vast majority of us believe we belong to. And I didn't get this newsflash thanks to new information on economic figures.

Nope, I found out I wasn't middle class thanks to this article.

The piece discusses a new study by a black scholar that says that middle class black people are no longer angry. Apparently, in 1994, despite their jobs, degrees and opportunities, middle class black people were practically seething with rage. They were angry about discrimination, glass ceilings and blatant injustice. That anger has subsided now.

So clearly, given my activities here on the Internet, I can't be middle class. I'm much too angry.

Now to be fair, the article notes that nobody believes discrimination is all gone. They just believe that the spirit-stealing hardships of the past have been cleared up and with a little elbow grease and dedication it's possible to achieve whatever you would like to achieve. Interesting.

It's not that I disagree with this, it's that improvement does not eradicate my anger. It was an improvement in 1994 that black people had nicer jobs and homes compared to 1974.

It was an improvement that in 1994 black people couldn't be beaten with complete impunity by the police like they could in 1984. After all, even the Rodney King beating case went to trial, which wouldn't have happened a decade earlier. That, to some people, is an improvement.

But, improvement is only acceptable in certain situations. Honestly, I don't see an American meritocracy as being particularly hard to attain if people wanted to make it happen.

I don't see the end of prejudice and racism as some unattainable goal. It's not on the same level as living a life free of sin. I don't feel inclined to give brownie points for improvement when the only reason the problem exists is because people are willfully and maliciously mistreating folks who look like me.

Sorry, no gold stickers for you.

Yes, black life is better now than it's ever been, but that just proves how horribly black people have been treated in this country since we were forcibly given a one-way vacation to these shores.

If a husband beats his wife, do we praise him if cuts down from five times a week to twice a week? Do we care if someone reduces their child molestation from an annual endeavor to a bi-annual thing?

No we don't. Some activities are so ridiculous that nothing is acceptable but a complete repudiation. That's how I view racism and discrimination. That is why I'm still angry.

It's all or nothing.

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It's God Work

2011-06-01T14:55:00.000-05:00

I think I've noted before that when I read books, I typically avoid non-fiction because I see reading as a pleasurable enterprise, not something I do to learn. While reading has helped me learn a lot, that's just an added benefit to the main benefit of being entertained.

When I do read non-fiction it typically deals with the history of black folks in America. I'm fascinated by the lives lived by my ancestors, by the evils they overcame and the hardships they endured. I like to get behind the scenes of those pivotal moments in black history and develop a true understanding of just how this minor miracle was accomplished.

Yet, there are drawbacks to that subject matter. Without fail, the more I learn, the harder it becomes to stomach the collection of lies that passes for "common knowledge" in America. It is a constant battle to control my anger, and an even more difficult battle to forgive.

Forgiveness is important to me.

As a Christian, I believe it's my duty and my salvation. I believe that forgiveness of others reinforces Christ's forgiveness of me, and is the only way I can grow into the man I need to become. But, it's so damn hard.

When the tales of injustice and evil are stacked upon each other like so many dead carcasses, it's hard to find the sweet aroma of forgiveness among the stench of decay. At times I wonder if it would be better to remain ignorant of the true history if only to protect my sanity and mental health since I find it increasingly difficult to be cordial to people who make idiotic statements based on a history they don't even know.

Ignorance isn't just bliss, it's absolution. There is no need to forgive if you don't know the crime. There is no need to be angry if you're unaware of the offense. You don't have a duty to spread truth if you're never exposed to it. You can be free.

But, can freedom truly be found in ignorance? Is a man being cuckolded by his wife "free" if he is ignorant of her transgressions, or is he simply unaware of the depths of the evil being done to him? Would abandoning the past and its truth make it easier to succeed in the future, or only doom me to a half-life sopping up lies like country folks with gravy and biscuits?

I don't know. And, that is the question I struggle with as a contemplate the God Work known as forgiveness.

Can I forgive and still remember? Is it possible? Is it smart? Is it required of me?

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Powerful, powerful post. Check it out.

2011-05-20T12:38:00.000-05:00

Daddy Dialectic: A Day at the Park

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Movies, Schools and Homes

2011-05-16T14:42:00.001-05:00

If white people don't see themselves in movies, they don't want to go. So says Salon.

White people also don't like to go to schools where they are the minority. They don't like to buy homes in neighborhoods where they will be the minority for the foreseeable future. They don't like to go to churches that are more than 20 percent "colored" either. Pretty much any time the demographics take a trend towards "colored" and the power dynamic shifts with that change, white folks want out.

That really isn't unusual. Most people like things they can relate to, and most people relate better to groups they are familiar with. In turn, most people are familiar with groups that look like them. Simple really.

But, there are troubling side effect that result from those simple facts of life. Since white people are the default target demographic for most things in America, anything that doesn't target white people will likely be marginalized. That marginalization can impact profitability, which of course is the Holy Grail in a capitalist society. In addition, if white people don't like something, there is a distinct possibility that it will be labeled as inferior. Furthermore, due to their position at the top of the power hierarchy in the world, white people get to create reality.

I guess it's not so simple.

For example, white flight is typically used to describe the way white homeowners fled cities from 1950 to 1990 with the exodus gaining particular fervor in the 1970s and 1980s. Often, this phenomenon is presented as an understandable and unavoidable reaction to growing inner city crime, rather than as a racist reaction to integration and the gradual reduction of government sanctioned discrimination. That's what happens when history is your story.

But, what is rarely discussed today is that white flight was not confined to preserving neighborhood composition. Nor do people tend to acknowledge that the practice never stopped. Simply put, white people were not interested in being minorities back then and they still aren't now.
In fact, in a world where white people are actually minorities compared to non-white people it is no accident that white folks have banded together to form enclaves of power through which they attempt to rule the largely colored world. This isn't just because of the innate human vice of greed, but also because white folks took a look around at reality and decided they wanted something different.

Therefore, it doesn't really matter if a movie is really good, if a school is awesome, or if a neighborhood is to die for. If those things aren't also "white" then white people aren't interested. Things are only worthwhile if they are white, have been verified and approved by white people, and openly solicit the involvement of white people.

These are important concepts to remember. Not only do they temper expectations, they provide much needed context for the actions of white people that seem asinine and hypocritical..

If you understand that many white people are not interested in sacrificing their position of dominance and preference, you will understand their persistent resistance to change. If you understand that white people believe the current state affairs is not only God-ordained, but the result of their own ingenuity and hardwork (instead of avarice and cruelty) you will understand why they get so angry about accusations of bias and impropriety.

Those accusations challenge the existence of the realities many of them have invested blood, sweat and tears into creating, and who among us would be willing to sacrifice our realities without resistance?

It's quite simple actually.

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Role Playing for Coloreds

2011-05-13T12:23:00.000-05:00

“White people have this instinct that is really important: to give off the impression that they’re only going to do the really important work. You’re a quarterback."

Sometimes when people say stuff all you can do is give a single head nod. A succinct affirmation of the undeniable realness of the words they just uttered.

I gave that nod as I perused many of the high points in this story linked to over at Racialicious. The above quote perfectly captures a feeling that many, many minorities, even the model ones, seem to share. On the football team of life, it's quite obvious who the Golden Boy is, and who is the role player.

We all use stereotypes. We all love to lump people into easily identifiable groups that make it easier for our minds to process their existence. Stereotyping is human. But, and this is important, that doesn't make it an optimum behavior. See, the group with a hand in creating many of the dominant stereotypes in this country also is the group hell bent on maintaining its favored position in this country and the world.
And, thus, our stereotypes serve a deeper and darker purpose than just making the world easy to understand. They affirm and reinforce the power of white folks, even when they appear complimentary or inconsequential.

The linked article is about growing up Asian in America, but it speaks to the lives of most non-whites. Few of use ever transcend our non-white status and the stereotypes that accompany it. In small and large ways we deal with the consequences of not making the cut. For Asians, they may reap the benefits of being a "model minority" but they must steal deal with being labeled as largely asexual, or subservient, which diminishes their ability to succeed in America's vaunted and mythical meritocracy.

As the article notes, if academic achievement is supposed to be valued, why do so many Asians see themselves shunted into subordinate positions despite their academic achievements? Why does their success lead to the latest form of white flight, where white people are not fleeing the real and imagined pathologies of the black and brown, but the increased competition of the yellow?

Many of us know the answer. The game is rigged. There is no path designed by white folks that leads to non-white folks usurping their favored position. The path to that goal is something non-white people must find for themselves, or face a life filled with small and large frustrations.

We know the roles that have been set aside for us and we know the casting director. The choice should be simple.

Talking about Thugs Again

2011-05-11T17:01:00.000-05:00

Some folks believe that when you pay attention to racists, you only give them power.

I don't know if this is true, but it sounds like it could be. But those folks who espouse this belief need to explain to me how they control the anger that bubbles up within them when confronted with the most obvious forms of racism and hypocrisy. And if their answer is that they don't have those feelings anymore, then we really don't need to speak anymore.

Really.

I say all that because even though I know Fox News is a bastion of racism and hypocrisy that draws its inspiration from the good old days of America, those bastards still have the power to make me angry. Even when I tell myself to expect the worst, I can still be surprised at how low they will stoop to advance their memes.

Take the recent controversy surrounding rapper Common. I know a little something about Common because he's my best friend's favorite artist. I know a little about his story, and I've listened to most of his albums. And I can say one thing for certain, Common Sense hasn't been a "thug" for quite some time.

But, don't tell that to Fox News. They are convinced he's your typical violent rapper hell bent on overthrowing the police and every other aspect of respectable society. And they believe it figures that President Obama would invite a thug like that to speak about poetry at the White House.

It doesn't matter that Fox has praised Common in the past. It doesn't matter that they have praised artists like Kid Rock an Ted Nugent. What matters is that Common is a nigger who raps and he's easy prey to advance the meme that Obama is a white-hating bastard who should be rubbed out at the first opportunity. That's all that matters.

And while I know it's simplistic and false and will be forgotten in a week, it still eats at me. It eats at me that a man with some complex thoughts could be distilled into such a false image, and then have to watch that false image blasted out to the world. It hurts because I can see how it could happen to me and any other black man so easily. It's so easy to turn us into monsters.

Common talks about burning a bush in a poem spoken in Jamaican patois, and nobody even considers that maybe he's not talking about the president? Nobody thinks that maybe he was saying something else, because what type of Negro would have the mind power to think that creatively, right? It makes me sick

Hell, for many white folks, that's the default setting anyway.

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A Mother's Way

2011-05-09T16:31:00.000-05:00

...She felt a little bit wistful or sad that Barack had essentially moved to Chicago and chosen to take on a really strongly identified black identity,” recalled Don Johnston, Dunham’s colleague at Bank Rakyat Indonesia. That identity, she felt, “had not really been part of who he was when he was growing up.” Dunham thought he was making what Johnston called “a professional choice” to strongly identify as black. “It would be too strong to say that she felt rejection,” he said. But she felt “that he was distancing himself from her...”

That is an excerpt from a story about a new book about President Barack Obama's mother. The full story can be found here.

The book apparently attempts to provide the public with a fuller view of Obama's mother, and to give her an identity more in line with the feminism that dominated her adulthood. I have no plans to read the book, but I did find the excerpt telling in what it appears to reveal about the president's mother.

She honestly thought Obama had a real choice about whether he identified as black.

It is a common mistake for white folks. They often see the poses adopted by black folks as part of one long string of choices. They seem to imagine that we come to a fork in the road and decide whether we'd like to take the black route, or some other path.

Of course, since the black route is fraught with peril and frustration, many white people are surprised that more of us don't change directions. They can't understand why we don't adopt identities more in line with mainstream America. Why we don't listen to different music, wear different clothes and socialize with different friends.

Why we don't work harder to assimilate.

I'm sure the president's mother saw Obama as just as much white as he was black, particularly since it was her family that nurtured and raised him not his absentee African father's family. Moreover, the president spent several of his formative years outside of the country in countries where his blackness was clearly secondary to his American citizenship. (Take that birthers!) It seems that the president's mother thought that Obama had another path he could have trod, and she clearly believed that one was preferable.

Sadly, this just wasn't true. Obama's face proclaimed his blackness. The only way he could have embraced his "white identity" would have been to deny his blackness. The America of the president's youth did not have the term "biracial." It was a world where your racial identity was binary, particularly if you looked like a black man. There were very few opt-out opportunities.

In addition, having read the president's books, I wonder if his mother truly understood what his life was like growing up as a little black boy with white grandparents? She seems unaware or unconcerned about the slights, both large and small, that the president endured thanks to his unique position. Her comments appear to brush off any confusion or frustration he might have felt trying to negotiate the world around him carrying that additional burden.

And trust me, according to the president's writings it often felt like a burden to him. The challenge of trying to relate to his aging white grandparents with certain emotions bubbling within his black mind must have been daunting. The 1970s were a confusing time for white Americans, and I can imagine that his grandparents were just as confused as most people of their generation about what black people were so angry about. And I can imagine that Obama, who looked like a black man to the rest of the world, understood that anger only too well, and was increasingly bothered that his family just didn't get it, even as he loved them to death.

Obama never had a choice about being black if he wanted to be a man of morals and values. Any other path led to the type of assimilation that breeds contempt. Despite all of her many gifts, it is obvious Obama's mother never truly understood what it was like to be black in America, and all the small battles and choices that accompany that designation.. That's no big surprise. Very few white people ever obtain that understanding.

We walk this path because it's the only honorable path. Any other choice affirms the myth of white supremacy that is constantly being pushed upon us. It is sad that Obama's mother may have seen his choice as a rejection of her when it was clearly a rejection of becoming something far worse.

A disgrace to his mother.

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What I See

2011-05-05T12:53:00.001-05:00

There are a lot of white people trying to make this whole race thing better.

I just want to make it clear that I understand that fact. These are folks who could live their lives tightly cocooned within the comforting folks of white supremacy and probably have things a lot easier. Instead, they are trying their best to change the world and confront wrong ideas. I respect and appreciate their efforts.

But sometimes, y'all get on my nerves. (And I'm not picking on you Mi Grant, and I hope you stay around.)

Mr. Goff in the above link seems like a smart guy. And I'm sure there were many black folks who read his comments and nodded their heads at his advice. Sadly, I was not one of them. When I read his words my first thought was "Does this dude live in America?"

See, it's all fine and dandy to want to concentrate on incarceration rates instead of playing Guess Who's a Racist? It sounds wonderful to say you want to eliminate the achievement gap instead of pondering whether Donald Trump uses the word "nigger" when he gets angry at black folks. (My vote is "yes.") But, it's really hard to actually put those ideas into practice. You know why? Because racism is real!

That's right, racists do still exist.

That's important because the education issue, the poverty issue and prison issue are all intertwined with the race issue. They are not separate stand alone topics to be digested at leisure. They are all part of the same foetid mess. Racism is what has caused those problems and is a key component in maintaining their existence. The idea of white supremacy and the systems created to further that idea are why non-white folks get shafted with no vaseline each and every day.

The fact that Gross and his supporters don't see this fact can be quite disillusioning for a black man like me. It's even more bothersome that Gross decides to tell us what he'd rather discuss instead of race and who is a racist. That smacks of a certain arrogance. It's not like Gross is just expressing a preference, it's almost like he's telling us poor backwards peons what's really important, and smugly instructing us to get on board.

Black folks know what's real. We know that throughout this country's history, black people have embraced the self-improvement tenets espoused by folks as varied as Booker T. Washington, Carter G. Woodson and Malcolm X. We know that we've built businesses, built communities and built power. And we've watched as racists have casually demolished all of those things in the name of racism, and scoffed at our pleas to leave race out of the discussion. We know this because this is American history.

Racism trumps rules. You can't encourage people to solve problems for folks they view as inferior beings. Sure, they may dispense a little charity, give a few handouts, but there is no way you are going to convince racists to make the wholescale structural changes needed to correct past wrongs and ensure a just future. That doesn't happen with racists. They aren't interested in that plan.

So yes, identifying racists and racism is still a priority because black folks deserve to be able to point out our enemies and say "You don't want this to work. No matter how you pretend, no matter what promises you make, you don't want this to work." Otherwise, we're wasting our time and energy with folks who are just waiting for the best moment to slip a shiv in the hollow of our backs.

That's what I see.

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Damn Donald

2011-05-03T17:17:00.000-05:00

Man, the more I learn about The Donald, the worse it gets.

Later that year, Trump caught flack for his comments attacking affirmative action on NBC’s two-hour special “The Race,” telling host Bryant Gumbel: “If I was starting off today, I would love to be a well-educated black because I really do believe they have the actual advantage today.” That remark was derided by Orlando Sentinel columnist David D. Porter, who opined: "Too bad Trump can't get his wish. Then he'd see that being educated, black and over 21 isn't the key to the Trump Tower. You see there's still that little ugly problem of racism."

That's just the tip of the iceberg in an article found in a blog at the Huffington Post. Check it out when you get some time.

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Birth of an 'ism

2011-04-28T13:06:00.000-05:00

There was a child.

He was a demon child. Filed with spite and cruelty the boy wreaked havoc on any who dared tread in his path. He had no sympathy, no morality, no kindness. Hatred and anger, lust and greed were all that beat within the putrid confines of his festering heart.

The child's parents knew of his evil, but they blithely ignored it, or downplayed its consequences
"He is improving, look at all the progress he's made," they would say when noting how he moved from maiming human babies to only torturing small animals. They would blame his violent streak on the video games and movies that dominated the media landscape, noting that their baby boy was only a product of his time.

The other children on the street feared the boy.

He did not respect their humanity. They were objects to him, only fit to be manipulated, used or destroyed. If they had something he wanted, he took it. If they lacked something he had, he sneered at their lack.

Yet, the boy's parents remained oblivious. They refused to consider that anything serious was wrong with their little man. Even when they acknowledged his most heinous flaws, they excused them and chastised others for being so negative. They claimed he was the victim of a smear campaign, and that it was no longer safe for a good, honest boy to grow up in America.

Amazingly, they called on every other parent in the neighborhood to solve their son's problems even as they undermined those efforts.

When the other children fought back, they were accused of torturing the little tyrant, and told to practice forgiveness. When other parents scolded him, they were reminded that their own children were not perfect so they needed to be less critical.

The boy's parents said that his problems were too large for them to handle alone, yet any solutions not proposed by them were immediately met with disdain. It was if the parents wanted workers, not partners in their fight to change their son.

Over the years, relations between the boy's parents and everyone else devolved. Common ground was scarce. It seemed that the boy's evil fed and sustained him, and in some ways provided comfort and succor to his parents. They benefited from the money the boy generated through his heinous actions, they basked in the sense of pride they felt when he accomplished great deeds through nefarious means

After a time, the boy's parents were no longer concerned about reigning the boy in, in fact they brushed off most attempts to discuss his actions. He was their son, for better or for worse, and nothing would ever change that fact.

Nothing at all.

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Abandon All Hope

2011-04-27T17:10:00.000-05:00

First off, fuck Donald Trump as a man, politician and a motherfucking crew. And if you down with Donald Trump, fuck you too...

Sorry, I was channeling Tupac right there. I apologize for that outburst. But I was listening to Baratunde go off on Donald Trump, and I felt like I needed to get gangsta after that joint.

Sigh, what else is there to say about the Donald after his victory? I'm saddened that he won, saddened that he can preen and pose like he's a serious person. I'm disappointed that Obama caved, even as I understand why it had to happen.

But, what I'm really, really feeling is validation. I'm feeling validation of my overarching pessimism about the state of race relations in this country, and my long-held belief that this thing is far more serious than most white folks realize.

See, Obama is it. He is the fully-formed realization of all the wet dreams of integrationists across this nation. He is the embodiment of post-racial America. The son of a mixed couple, a product of the best education, a former attorney, and a black man who loathes discussing race. He doesn't blame white folks, hell he loves his mother and grandparents. He isn't interested in righting past wrongs, he just wants to make the future better.

Simply put, if Obama can't make white folks comfortable, the rest of us Negroes, at least those of us with a fully functioning backbone, don't have a shot. With all of our accumulated anger and frustration, we don't have a snowball's chance in hell. There is no way we can ever, ever achieve American success and still not alienate the vast majority of the white population. Sorry, it can't happen.

Thanks for driving that point home Donald.

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Shoes

2011-04-26T12:35:00.001-05:00

Momma used to say "Walk a mile in another man's shoes before you try to tell him about the fit."

Well, actually, my momma never said that, but it sounds like something she would have said given her penchant for useful mantras. What she did say was "One man's tea is another man's poison," which has some of the same key elements.

Basically, we need to really understand that people are different, and it's impossible to comprehend their difference until we start thinking a little like them.

This is a familiar topic around these parts, one I enjoy discussing from an intellectual perspective and a spiritual one. After all, when Jesus exhorted his followers to love their neighbors as they love themselves, what is implicit in that command is the idea that you have to take some time to think about what is the best way to show your neighbor love

For the most part, we're all pretty familiar with our own needs and wants. We live inside our heads, after all. But, with everybody else in the world, we're only guessing about what they need, how they feel and what they want. In order to get a clearer picture of our fellow man, we have to spend some time walking his path.

The problem is that most of us suck at thinking like someone else. Oh, we claim that we're putting other people's needs first, but in reality we're just putting our ideas into their bodies. We're not actually considering their past slights, their fears, their worries, their loves. We're basically saying "If that was me, this is how I would take it."

That is not good enough.

Whether it's talking about race, or dealing with any other relationship, the only path that ends in true enlightenment involves sacrificing a little of ourselves and our interests to see the world from another perspective. That means while black folks have some very justified anger and frustration at the actions of many of our white brethren, we need to understand that their world is so much easier than our own that it is only natural that they would reject changing it.

How many of us can honestly say that if we were able to partake in all the glorious excesses of whiteness that we ourselves would not be loathe to sacrifice our privilege for some nebulous concept of fairness? Would we look at ourselves with disdain for that choice, or just chalk it up to the way the world works?

Conversely, to the few brave white souls who still frequent this site, you all need to stop expecting that all black folks who want to see the world change will be patient and kind when discussing the realities of race and racism, or that we will make a point to acknowledge our white allies at every turn.

Quite honestly, if we were really friends you wouldn't need us to soften every blow to your ego with a pat on the back. Now, it is true that a spoonful sugar does ease the passage of medicine, but there are times when the continual toll of life as a black person in America makes it impossible to really care how ANY white people feel. There is time when the casualness with which white folks reinforce and dismiss their privilege only stirs anger. Deep, dark, violent anger and all we black folks can do is barely suppress that seething which leaves us strength left to play nice with our friends.

Walking in someone's shoes means you acknowledge these realities, and, sometimes, you give other folks a pass. You don't hold them accountable to a lofty standard because you understand just how difficult the climb is to that perch.

You disagree and correct with love because you recognize their humanity just as you understand your own.

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Walk The Line

2011-04-22T12:12:00.000-05:00

I had one of those conversations recently.

Those talks that involve carefully placing each word behind the other, balancing your need to stay true to your feelings without alienating the listener. A conversation where you're always one poorly chosen word away from a serious incident.

A tightrope conversation.

Honestly, I don't have many tightrope conversations about race anymore. Most of the tightrope conversations I have these days involve explaining my worldview to my wife while trying not to piss her off.. All the married men understand what I'm saying.

But, every so often, I find myself trying to explain to a white person a simple fact of black life without using the brash, blunt style I so often employ here on the site. After all, what's cool when talking to your folks, doesn't exactly fly when interacting with The Man, and his representatives. I might not be keeping it revolutionary, but I am keeping it real.

Those tightrope conversations always leave me second guessing myself, and more convinced that certain divides will never be bridged. After all, there are many people that just don't believe in the pervasive nature of racism, whether it be in education, healthcare or law enforcement. And, since they've already made up their minds, they filter all new information through their existing reality. Of course, we're all guilty of that flaw, but in this case, it results in beliefs that quickly diverge from easily verifiable facts.

It would be easier if the folks who hold these sort of beliefs were ignorant ogres, but they're not. Many of them are well-intentioned, respectful and nice people. Yet, they align themselves with viewpoints and talking heads that I find odious to the utmost degree. I'm often struck while talking to folks as part of my job, how the simple realities of being me--a fairly young black male--are so foreign to a huge chunk of the population that they have almost no chance of relating to my worldview.

But, I still see value in walking that tightrope, if only for the chance to see the other side. It is impossible to truly appreciate other folks unless you do your best to put yourself in their shoes, and try to take a few steps. Walking the tightrope makes people comfortable enough to share their true thoughts. It may be frustrating, but it does have its rewards.

As long as you don't fall.

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The Blacks

2011-04-18T16:42:00.000-05:00

Setting: A dimly lit, smoke filled room. Pictures of Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali and assorted revolutionary types dot the walls. There is a tiny incense coffin on a round table in the center of the room with several rickety chairs around it. Near the walls are ragged leather couches with stuffing poking out of the arms. Rolling papers, playing cards, and shot glasse are visble on the table. An older model television rests on a rickety stand, and several black men lounge on the sofa and sit around the table.

Angry Black is watching the television with his lips curled in disgust: Is this cracka Trump serious? First, the bankruptcy loving, television star had the nerve to start up with the birth certificate bullshit again, and now he pulls this? He got the nerve to say "the blacks" love him, like we even care about his dumbass. Man, I'll slap him bald if I catch him the street.

Mr. Black looks up from the card game at Angry Black: A. B., why don't you change the channel and go get some air? Trump is only counting his money, while you over here about to blow a vessel. Why you let a white man like Trump irritate you so much?

Old Black: Yeah Youngblood, you need to, uh, what y'all youngsters say: Take a chill pill.That there man is rich, and rich folks is gonna say what they please. Don't you go worrying about it.

Conservative Black slams downs his cards with a loud sigh of exasperation: Are we going to play, or are you Negroes going to continue to let your ridiculous love for that idiot in the White House blind you to the value of Trump's campaign to protect this country's interests? And no, I'm not talking about birth certificates, you idiots.

Angry Black: What did you say you Duke-loving, Romney-worshipping Uncle Tom? Did you just call me an idiot? Somebody please tell me that Clarence Thomas over here called me an idiot so I can bust his egg-shaped head!

Conservative Black: I'm saying somebody needs to get in power who recognizes that this country was not built on welfare and debt. All you Negroes thought Obama was going to be your lord and savior. How's that hope treating you?

Angry Black: You a coon nigga.

Conservative Black: And you're a nigger, nigger.

Angry Black gets up off the sofa and Conservative Black rises from his chair.

Old Black: Both of y'all niggas need to sit down. Neither of you could bust a grape in a fruit fight, and y'all getting all puffed up. What y'all mad about, both of you telling the truth.
This fake revolutionary over here sounds like an idiot every time he starts a rant about The Man and the Illumnati ruining his life. Nigga, the only thing ruining your life is the fact that you can't iron and don't work.
And Brooks Brothers, you are a Tom. Nigga, you know that. All you do is smile and shuffle for these here white folks. Nigga, I'm surprised you don't have on penny loafers and a glitter glove the way you wanna be white. Everything a white man says is the word of God, while ain't a single black person with good sense in the world, let you tell it...

Mr. Black: O.B.

Old Black: What nigga? What?

Mr. Black: Calm down before you stroke out. You have made thise about the many failings of our flawed friends, but it should be about whether Trump has the right to label himself a friend of "the blacks." We sitting here fighting amongst ourselves, while Trump is running around telling the world about his black friends. Figures.

Angry Black: What you mean it figures? You always think you know something, but you damn near as much of a Tom as Alan Keyes over there. You just hide it better.

Mr. Black: Son, you sound stupider than Jalen Rose at 18. Everybody who doesn't agree with you is a Tom. Anybody who can function in white society is a Tom.
You're sitting here in skinny jeans made by a white man, watching a television show produced by white people, and you live in a studio apartment owned by a white man. How the hell you plan on calling anybody out for being a Tom when you're the one paying all their damn bills!

Conservative Black: Ha, that's telling the fake Huey Newton. How about you get some bonds instead of paying bond?

Mr. Black: Shut up Con. You're just the flip side of the same coin and you don't even see it... Anyway, what right does Trump have to call himself our friend? What has he done for black folks? Hell, didn't he put Omarosa on Kwame's team? Sounds like he is well versed in creating black strife to me.
Trump suffers from delusions of grandeur and a lack of conscience. No man with morals could have hair like that.

Y'all in here fighting and insulting each other when you need to thinking about why so many white folks feel comfortable claiming to love "the blacks," but can't produce proof the first of that love?

Y'all need to be considering what is going to happen when every white person thinks they have done their part, and they begin to wonder when they can stop listening to black folks completely. Basically, y'all need to be wondering what the popularity of a man who looks and sounds like Donald Trump means for black folks.
And y'all can start thinking right after we finish this spades game. Young Black, get over here and catch this beating.

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Five Fingers, Meet Face

2011-04-14T13:36:00.000-05:00

Man, some people are just rude.

Like cops in White Plains, New York, for example.

Bad enough this cop kills a high school kid. But, for the benevolent association to go ahead and name him "Officer of the Year" after the killing is just beyond the pale. And I don't care how impressed the group was with the wayhe carried himself through the Mickey Mouse investigation by his superiors, the award sends a very sad message.

Basically, killing young Negroes gets you an A+.

Well, that's the message I received, along with the message that the police will ALWAYS close ranks around one of their own as long as the officer isn't accused of snitching. Murder, rape, theft, are worthy of protection even after conviction. For some reason, when regular people get arrested, the police automatically assume they are guilty, but when police officers get arrested, that same confidence in the legal system disappears. It's why some folks describe the police as the nation's largest and most powerful gang. Think about it.

Clearly, this benevolent group wanted to send a message to the rest of the world that they didn't care what anybody said or thought abotu that shooting. They believed this officer was worthy of congratulations for taking another life under strange circumstances. A panel of his peers had cleared him, so of course there was nothing to be concerned about. Of course.

It's just another brick in the massive wall between most black folks and law enforcement. There is very little trust on either side, and that lack of trust began because of the actiosn by folks with badges.

That wall isn't coming down any time soon.

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Equality For All

2011-04-12T12:32:00.001-05:00

In the "Parable of the Laborers" Jesus uses a story about the daily operations of a farm to discuss God's sovereign nature and mankind's unworthiness when it comes to eternal salvation. The parable is not one of the more popular earthly examples of God's thought process, but it is one of my favorite and one of the more thought provoking. Not only does Jesus talk about the mechanics of eternal life, but he does so in a way that explains other truths about human beings.

Mainly, the fact that we really don't like equality.

Sure, we claim to love equality. "All men are created equal" and all that jazz. Yet, over the course of human history, ALL human history, that concept has been exposed as a lie. Most of us like feeling superior to someone, and any attempts to "raise" the inferior into a better position will be fiercely fought.

The parable notes that when the workers learned that they were going to be paid onlythe price they agreed upon for work, and not receive a huge bonus, they became angry and questioned why the master would elevate men beneath them to their position. After all, the master was paying those who had worked for an hour, the same as men who toiled for 12 hours. Those workers hired later in the day had been repeatedly ignored because they were clearly "undesirable." To put them on the same pay scale as the workers hired first, who negotiated their own wage, was saying they were just as worthy as their "betters." These people weren't upset because they were being paid unfairly or cheated, they were upset because their sense of superiority had been dashed.

Doesn't that sound like people you know?

How many people get upset when their pedestal is destroyed? In times past, it was said that the only thing a poor white person could take confidence in was that at least he wasn't a nigger. No matter how much a black man acquired, he would always be a nigger, and therefore equality would always be denied him. That gave some folks comfort. And I don't want to pick on white folks because all folks have these sorts of ideas. They may stem from race, or class or profession, but everybody likes to maintain a gulf between themselves and the "undesirables." Hell, even the "undesirables" have their own ranking systems.

Yet, as prevalent as this attitude may be, it's not divinely ordained nor supported. It's not just the way things have to be, it's the way we want them to be. Equality doesn't just mean treating people nice. It means actively supporting the dismantling of systems that create false superiority. It means being willing to sacrifice personal comfort for a nebulous ideal.

Who is equal to that task?

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Does This Mean the Justice System Is Working?

2011-04-07T11:08:00.000-05:00

Someone shared this story with me, and I just had to pass it along. If you're wondering whether you should click on the link, let me give you a teaser:

Juror No. 799, an Asian woman in her 20s who said she works in the garment industry, was up for jury duty in the death penalty trial of Bonanno crime boss Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano.
It didn't take long for her to start looking worse than the defendant.
Asked to name three people she least admired, she wrote on her questionnaire: "African-Americans, Hispanics and Haitians."
When the judge asked why she answered the question that way, she replied, "You always hear about them in the news doing something."

Me, Me, Me

2011-04-04T11:36:00.000-05:00

Emotional reactions.

I have them. You have them. They have them. We all have them.

Moving past the emotion, and seeing the real issue is difficult. For example, I typically have a negative emotional reaction when women discuss "street harassment."

Some men might not know that term. It's the way some women describe the aggressive sexual advances made by men in public. It can range from the simple "Hey, baby you looking good" to "Bitch, you think you better than me?"

Most men pay very little attention to this behavior, and even when we do, we don't deem it harassment. I know I haven't. It was only after listening to women describe the fear and pain these type of encounters brought them that I even considered the term. Sure, I knew that some cats crossed the line and disrespected girls, but I never understood exactly how often it happens, and the way the mere threat of it happening can impact the lives of women. Hearing some of the stories told by women was an eye opener, to say the least.

But, even with my eyes opened, my heart still hasn't changed enough. See, I feel terrible that women feel scared, unsafe and objectified. I don't want men to behave like that. Yet, when I hear women call it harassment, I get defensive. I get angry, and find myself, inside my head, trying to figure out ways to minimize the stories these women are telling. I downplay the threat of violence, I rationalize the disrespect. It all happens in my head, but it still happens.

And I've finally figured out why.

It's about me. I am a man. I objectify women. Since I'm married, I don't try to pick up strangers on the street, but I still examine their body parts with interest. I assess them for sexual attractiveness, and enjoy appreciating their shape. I see this as normal acceptable behavior. I see men trying to get close to them and their shapes as normal, acceptable behavior. While I disagree with the methods, I don't disagree with the mindset.

It makes sense to me.

When I came to this realization, it was easy for me to see why I get defensive. Even though I don't approach women, when I see condemnations of that behavior, I take them as condemnations of me. Even though I can see the larger problem I still get upset at what I consider a condemnation of me because it conflicts with my belief that I'm a "good guy." I know that the women who are sharing their stories are justifiably angry, but since I don't think I deserve their anger, I resent them for it.

I make it all about me.

But, it's not. I only understood this when I substituted "racial harassment" for "street harassment" and began to consider the issue from that angle. I thought about the attitudes of police officers, business owners and regular folks when they see a young black male.

I made it about me, but this time I put myself in the shoes of a group that's been mistreated and disrespected and I asked myself "How would you feel? Would you be kind? Would you be sweet? Would you care about finding terms that make things nicer for folks who look like your oppressor?"

Or would I just want to express my rage, my disgust and my frustration? Would I expect those people who really want to help me to be able to see past those inarticulate emotions to the truth behind them?

How can I have those expectations of others, and not expect them to have those same expectations of me?

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Fantasy Fulfilled

2011-03-30T17:23:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine recently told me he never really liked Tupac Shakur that much because his music didn't speak to him. He explained that as the child of two parents who lived together and raised him in a Christian, middle-class home, Shakur's stories of anger and angst didn't really reflect his life experiences.

At the time, I was confused. I grew up in the same sort of household, and I loved Pac. I still love Pac. Every time I listen to Pac I get hype and mourn his death. My friend also doesn't like Biggie, and I have the same sort of appreciation for Biggie. I can remember listening to Biggie's "Gimme the Loot" and thinking, "Robbing somebody sound kind of fun..."

Which is why I found this story interesting.

The story discusses the rise of Odd Future, a rap group composed of teenaged black males, that has garnered some serious love among white music critics. The article explores how strange it is to see black youth rapping about some of the most gruesome crimes imaginable lauded and championed by the very white folks who would seem to be most offended. Check it out if you get a chance.

But, I don't really want to discuss the merits of Odd Future, or whether they deserve their fanbase. Instead, there was a single quote in the article that caught my eye:

It's this overarching sense of youthful whimsy, this idea that they don't mean most of what they say, that keeps Odd Future in white fans' good graces. Because history has shown that white critics have a very low tolerance for actual, tangible black rage.

Those two sentences packed a powerful punch.

I remember reading about how white folks, mostly liberals, trekked down to "nigger towns" all across this country when segregation was the norm so they could get a taste of the authentic black nightlife. So they could hear the best music, could eat the best food, and generally feel like they were more advanced than their Negro fearing friends.

Only, it was sham. The fear was still there. These same folks didn't want Negroes in their spaces acting like fully formed human beings. They didn't want black folks upsetting their status quo in any way. They just wanted them to stay in their little areas and be ready to perform when it was time to entertain.

I'm not saying that "conservatives" and their value systems that got abandoned as soon as some black vagina was available weren't a problem, but it was the liberals who truly deceived black folks. Black folks knew that racists only wanted to use and abuse them, but liberals liked to dress up as friends when really they were only enemies in disguise. That's more dangerous to the unsuspecting.

Odd Future appears to fill a familiar space in white folks lives. They allow critics to embrace the aspects of black life they find truly scary with the maximum amount of safety. Even more, the connection is controlled completely by listeners, who can engage or not engage as they see fit, which isn't an option in the real world.

In the real world, black people make demands on you. They force you to pay attention and do things that are uncomfortable. You can't hit pause to slow things down, or press fast forward to get to the good song when real life black people are involved. And, if you're not careful, you can get seriously hurt.

That ruins the fantasy.

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Drive-By Posting

2011-03-29T15:58:00.000-05:00

Don't have time to write much, but I stumbled across this blog at Racialicious and just had to share it.

Seriously, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And this story highlights why black folks and other minorities care so much about stereotypes.

They have a lot of power.

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Diversity's Hue

2011-03-22T14:09:00.000-05:00

Diversity.

Tolerance.

Multi-culturalism.

When those buzzwords typically get lobbed around, they are euphemisms for race. Racial diversity, racial tolerance and racial multi-culturalism. Not matter how stridently Americans protest that the world is not about race, sadly, it almost always is.

But, those words lose some of their power when they are only considered in the context of race. Diversity of thought is more important than diversity of race. Tolerating diversity in opinions is far more valuable than allowing black folks to move into your neighborhood. And understanding and appreciating a diversity in true culture does far more good than hanging out in the ethnic part of town. It's about understanding what are real differences and what is superficial.

Despite its importance, race at its core is very superficial. It's quite possible to spend your entire life around people of the same color and never feel like you belong or are appreciated. Sharing a skin color does not guarantee sharing a life experience, nor does it guarantee sharing understanding.

This thought came back to me recently while discussing a hot button news topic with a group of young black men. I realized that all of us brought something different to the intellectual table despite the fact that most of us grew up on the same block. That we all digested the same events differently. That all our perspectives had some value because they all gave a slightly fuller picture of the world. Our shared color did not guarantee shared values. Our minds were our own little sanctuaries, and in them we've created own little worlds.

It is an important lesson to remember..

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Well, What a Surpise!

2011-03-16T16:47:00.001-05:00

Are "Uncle Toms" white folks' concern?

Well, of course on a certain level they have to be, right? After all, the term Uncle Tom is used by black folks typically to describe another black person seen as a toady of white people, or a "favored" black person. So, on that level, you can't have Uncle Toms without white folks, and most of us surely know that the term was coined thanks to a book by a white woman.

That said, if a black person calls another black person an Uncle Tom, is that really something that white folks should be running around spouting their opinion on?

I raise this question because recently, Jalen Rose, a former NBA player and current ESPN analyst, made the comment during a recent documentary about his time at the University of Michigan as a member of the famed Fab Five. Rose wasn't calling anybody a Tom today, instead he was explaining how his teenage self viewed black players recruited by Duke University in 1992.

And his comments have ignited a firestorm.

I won't recap the back and forth, mainly because it's easily accessible for those of you who feel like trawling the web. Instead, I want to discuss the curious fact that this firestorm of discussion on what is really an issue about how black folks view blackness has been largely driven by white folks. White folks have ardently questioned Rose's comments, and what those comments say about the black community. They expressed outrage and disgust at his word choice, and as certain black folks have weighed in with their "I used to get teased for being smart and black" stories, the thing has snowballed.

Honestly, it pisses me off more than a tad.

I meet so many "educated" white folks who avoid racial discussion like the black plague. They have no interest in researching or discussing racial history, no use for in depth conversations about how we got to this point, but let a black man throw out the word "Uncle Tom" and they are all over it. They have theories, and extensive commentary, even as they profess that racial issues aren't typically their cup of tea.

First, that's incredibly arrogant. If you don't typically discuss or focus on racial issues, why would you think it's a good idea to pontificate and argue with those with more experience.? Why would you assume your opinions have merit simply because they are your opinions, regardless of the logical and factual fallacies they contain?

Second, white people jumping to the defense of a black person accused of being a Tom only increases the impression that said black person is, in fact, a Tom. White folks ain't rushing to defend black people they don't feel comfortable with or close to. And for black folks, any black person who is really and truly comfortable and accepted by white folks is automatically suspect. We can't understand any situation where you can gain that level of acceptance without displaying Uncle Tom behavior. That might not be true, but that's exactly how we think.

It's funny to me that white folks have so many thoughts on this topic and that they are sharing them so freely. Sadly, I don't think this will continue in a few weeks when a less juicy example of racism, one that doesn't involve black on black crime, pops up. Instead, I'm sure white folks will be too busy to weigh in.

It figures.

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Sometimes I wonder

2011-03-15T13:31:00.001-05:00

Watched this clip the other day as it was getting passed around Facebook. (Excuse the size. Blogger is tripping. Just Google "white chick insults asians" for a better video.)

As you can see, this busty blond is complaining about Asians at UCLA using their cell phones in the library. She also complains about excessive visits from their relatives, about how much those relatives help them with general housework, about their accents and use of a foreign language, about their presence on campus and about their general lack of manners. Basically, she complains about their existence.

As I watched this young woman spew hatred and bigotry, I found myself getting angry. I'm not Asian, but all I had to do was substitute my "black" for Asian and change up some of the stereotypes, and the woman could have been talking to me.

As she mentioned "real Americans" and people lacking gratitude and social grace, I wanted to reach through the computer and shake her. As she attempted to justify her remarks by ragging on "political correctness" I could almost feel my blood pressure spiking. She is a walking, talking caricature and the worst thing about her is that she is not alone.

People think she has a valid point.

Sometimes I wonder...

Is it that hard to put yourself in someone else's shoes? Is it that difficult to understand that blanket statements involving race are dangerous, particularly when they are derogatory? What's so hard about realizing that it is offensive and insulting to question whether full-fledged citizens are real "Americans"? It's not cool to seclude yourself in a bubble of ignorance. It's just not cool.

This young woman is so convinced of her right to spew ignorance that she actually posted it on the Internet for the world to see. She believes so strongly in her ability to identify authentic Americans, that she had no fear of her classmates and future employers learning her opinions.

And why should she fear? In this country, her thoughts mirror the mindsets of far too many mindless, small-minded drones. She's right in the mainstream. The woman is potentially facing sanctions from UCLA, but I'm sure she'll gain more supporters from being targeted than she would have if she'd been left alone.

That's what's so sad. Ignorance can be a terrible thing, and it's only worse when its shared.

Sigh.

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Monkey See

2011-03-09T15:41:00.000-06:00

Real quick.

How can conservatives get all up in arms about an NPR executive calling the Tea Party racist and saying that NPR would likely be better off without public funding when those comments were gleaned through nefarious means? First, we know both comments are true, but even the truth is not the issue here.

Don't conservatives get mighty pissy when people glean incriminating information about them through underhanded means? Wasn't that the main complaint of the governor of Wisconsin and all his buddies?

Don't Tea Party members complain that the liberal media edits videos and interviews to make them look like ridiculous bigots? Shouldn't they be upset that someone is doing that same thing to someone else in their name?

Nope.

Nobody, on the left or right, seems capable of saying "You know, I think I'm going to actually follow the Golden Rule and stop attempting to justify the means through the end." Instead, everybody uses the bad behavior of their opponents to justify whatever horrible behavior they in turn commit. And then the all pretend they don't see the hypocrisy.

Monkey see, monkey do indeed.

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Wholesome Is What Wholesome Does... Sometimes

2011-03-04T15:17:00.000-06:00

It seems a "wholesome" white child has killed his parents and wounded his siblings in Colorado.

That is terrible news.

Yet, as I read the story I noticed three things. First, despite an act more unwholesome than McDonald's new oatmeal, the boy was still identified as an all-around great guy by everyone. Second, despite being a cold-blooded murderer, the District Attorney does not know if he's going to prosecute the child as an adult. Third, it's good to be white.

Here's why I say that. Wholesome black children do not shoot their parents. Why? Because wholesome black children don't exist. And, even if by some miracle they did exist, which everyone knows is impossible, they would no longer be wholesome if they had the audacity to shoot their parents. Besides, black kids don't have "parents", they have a "parent". Usually a mother on welfare. Everyone knows this, right?

Right.

It is good to be white because any black child who has the audacity to kill another human being automatically gets tried as an adult. Those are the rules of life, just like the sun rising in the East and setting in the West. There is no debate about whether they can handle adult prison, instead the concern is making sure this depraved human being is prevented from ever becoming a danger to, well, white folks. After all, if the child was willing to kill family, Lord knows what the child might do to pure white folks.

The horror.

Was that too harsh? Did those comments overstep the boundaries of acceptable speech? Am I unnecessarily interjecting race into this family's private hell? Maybe.

And maybe not.

It is a shame that this young man committed such a terrible act, but it's more shameful that we handle horrible acts so differently based on the color of the perpetrators. Remember that 14-year old Florida boy forced to stay in adult prison for years after he accidentally killed a 9-year old girl while wrestling? Was he not "wholesome" enough to be spared such a cruel punishment that scarred him for life?

Rants about media coverage are the ultimate long hanging fruit, but they still cannot be avoided. As I read testimonials from the boys family and friends it struck me how the story was clearly written to maximize feelings of disbelief and not disgust. It amazed me that the District Attorney promised to consider the community's wishes when deciding how to handle the case. How often are little black murderers afforded the same consideration?

Never.

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Laws Were Made

2011-03-01T10:53:00.000-06:00

My brother once told me that the "law" is a collection of rules designed to keep power in the hands of those who already possess it.

My brother is a lawyer.

If somebody sworn to uphold the law has such a dreary view of it, that should be a sign to the rest of us. Few people believe that this country's justice system is flawless, but most people still don't understand the extent of its flaws. Moreover, while people claim to support "law and order" they are often willing to cast aside laws whenever those laws constrict the freedoms they feel they should possess. Sometimes this is based on higher ideals, but often it's just based on comfort.

I often find it interesting to examine how laws, both major and minor, bind us and tear us apart. Most of us understand our responsibilities as law-abiding citizens, but all of us break the law on a near daily basis whether it be through minor offenses against traffic and civil ordinances, or more serious acts involving violence, theft or fraud. If you were to poll most Americans I would imagine you would find dire feelings about the state of lawlessness in our society, yet I would bet most people would rate themselves and their family and friends as quite law-abiding.

For example, folks in Texas often feel their state embodies "law and order" in this union, yet months ago those same people, including the state's governor, were openly discussing the seditious possibility of seceding from the United States.

Police officers typically have a derogatory take on lawbreakers and the lenience extended to them by courts and "liberals." Yet, nearly everyday I receive information or actually see officers breaking the law on their own, and these failings are quickly covered up and excused. It would seem that criminals aren't those who break the law, but people who haven't earned the right to break the law.

There is the rub. Many Americans feel that some rights are for all, and some rights are only extended those people who have "earned" them. The only problem is that it seems like "earning" certain rights simply boils down to being born the right color. For some folks, no matter what they've done or suffered they will never earn the right to openly flout the laws of this country. And certain other folks are born with that right and can never lose it.

It's a curious thing when you think about it.

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Sometimes I Get Afraid

2011-02-22T15:02:00.000-06:00

The fears comes
Creeping, slithering, crawling
It comes when I sleep
A concrete wall surrounding the moat that prevents my rest
Not fear for me, not fear for mine
Fear for US
Pink scars cover old wounds, but the pain lingers
Good hair, paper bags and pretty eyes
How easily we despise
US
Beautifully brown, blue-black, beige
US
I fear. I tremble. I dread.
What lurks within
US

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Random Aside

2011-02-21T15:35:00.002-06:00

I read this story and I can't say that it's wrong. But I'm not quitting yet.

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Dangerous Choices

2011-02-18T15:30:00.000-06:00

My family was big on leadership.

I can't remember how many times I had to sit through a speech about "leaders" and "followers" from my mother and father after I or my brother had screwed up. They were convinced that most of the mischief we engaged in was the result of us caving to peer pressure. Some of that was true, but some of it was just the fact that I had the Devil whispering in my ear hard when I was a kid... But I digress.

One of the key principles of leadership was the willingness to deal with the consequences of your choices. My mom always taught me that it was always easier to live with your choices, good or bad, than with those made by someone else for you. Over the years, I've found that piece of knowledge to be incredibly valuable.

I have thought a lot about the lessons of my mother and father recently while discussing the sexual assault of a CBS reporter while covering the Egyptian revolution.

Sexual assault holds a strange position in American culture. Despite the efforts of feminists and intelligent men, people still insist on believing that if victims would act differently they wouldn't be raped. In addition, we all get more excited or agitated about rapes by certain types of people (non-white men) against other types of people (white women) then any other types of rape. That's what makes the Egypt situation such a volatile issue.

I have heard from a few people that CBS was dead wrong for allowing this woman to go over to Egypt when they knew of the potential dangers she could face because of that country's complicated issues with sexual harassment and violence. Those folks believe that women should be barred from certain activities simply because those activities just aren't safe for them.

In addition, there are other people who are using what happened to advance their own views about violent and lawless Muslims hell bent on attacking everything that is sacred to Americans ("Sacred" being represented by a white woman of course) but I won't unpack that issue. Instead, I want to discuss the safety issue.

In my world, any adult who can perform a job competently should be allowed to do that job. Period. Whether it's a male day care worker, or female foreign correspondent, gender should not determine whether someone is allowed to do a job if they have the necessary skills and acumen to perform the work.

From my seat, much of the angst about this woman's ordeal stems from the idea that only if she had done something differently, she wouldn't have been raped. It subtly shifts the blame for the incident from the perpetrators to the victim and her employer. Then, using that blame shift, people are trying to create new rules that would only reinforce the glass ceiling women of all races, but particularly of minority races, still face in corporate America.

Who gets to decide which jobs are safe for women? How will they make the decision? What if the only way to advance in a chosen field is to take jobs that involve danger? Are women then confined to the lowest rungs of their profession? Have the people who advocate protecting women even thought about these questions, and the dozens more that are out there?

I think not.

Instead, they are using a current event to advance a longstanding agenda. And it's sad. It's really sad. This woman's assault is not an opportunity to push some sort of traditional gender role agenda. Hell, she's already lost much of the anonymity that sexual assault victims tend to be provided. Her rape was a terrible ordeal that will leave lasting scars, but so was the beating of Anderson Cooper and the murder of Daniel Pearl. Yet, nobody is telling me their jobs are too dangerous for them.

Nobody is attempting to take away their choices.

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When Free Speech Isn't Free

2011-02-14T13:45:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since we talked, but I read something the other day that has stayed with me.

It was this story in the New York Times about an issue at a California college about the actions of the resident Muslim Students Association, and the response to those actions by the powers that be. The student association interrupted the speech of a visiting Israeli dignitary and had to be escorted from the building by security because the refused to be quiet. However, instead of the issue simply being a school matter, the locak District Attorney's Office decided to press charges against the students for their actions. The story was an interesting look at the freedoms stifled at so-called "liberal" colleges, and how different people can have totally different justifications and reactions to the same events. Good read.

But, near the end of the article there is a quote from the District Attorney's Office where a spokeswoman is attempting to justify the D.A.'s decision to proceed with charging Muslim students for their outbursts at a public speech. The woman says:

"It seems that the basic question is what if we substituted different groups — what if this were the Klu Klux Klan who conspired to silence a speech by Martin Luther King.”

Now, long time readers won't be surprised this pissed me off. You all know that I am guaranteed to get pissed when someone recklessly compares their struggle to the struggle of black folks in any way. Yes, I understand it's an easily understood reference point, but that doesn't make it right. It's tedious to constantly hear every marginally oppressed group use Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks as their rallying cry. Tedious, and infuriating.

But, in this case it's the comparison that really angers me, it's the faulty logic and historical knowledge that annoys me. I'm not sure what American History classes this spokeswoman took, but even the most rudimentary should have taught her that there is no need to speak in hypotheticals when discussing the Klan conspiring to silence a speech by Dr. King.

That's an actual factual.

As soon as Dr. King became the figurehead of the Civil Rights movement, every white supremacist group in America, from the KKK to their uppity masters the White Citizens Council to a slew racist government figures, was attempting to silence him and his rhetoric. Bombs were set off at his house, bricks were thrown through his windows and threats were sent to his mailbox. There is no need to "suppose" what the public and media reaction would be to attempts to silence King, all that is needed is a look at the historical record. And the record shows that the response was: silence.

That's right, silence. There were no serious attempts to protect King, instead he was dependent upon the goodwill of friends and the grace of God. Not only did the public officials and citizens not attempt to protect King's right to speak without intimidation, they actively sanctioned said intimidation as the best means to "keep the peace."

For this spokeswoman to pretend that everyone understands that conspiring to silence a speaker is wrong and that goverment protection of free speech is common is just plain ludicrous. For her to pretend that if Dr. King was speaking everyone would understand that the government should protect him his dishonest. Moreover, this woman is justifying her attempts to silence free speech by saying it's in the interest of protecting someone else's free speech. That's a dangerous argument at best.

Slowly, but surely, people in this country are rewriting its past, and using that newly created past to justify their actions in the present. It's a creeping thing, but it doesn't stop. It just keeps coming and coming. We owe it to our children to stand in its path as often as possible.

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Slave Sounds Better

2011-02-02T11:43:00.000-06:00

Black people have a complicated relationship with slavery.

Some of us cringe when it's mentioned. Others can't get enough of talking about the horrors of that peculiar institution. Some folks pretend that neither they nor their ancestors had any connection to that horrid period in time, and they casually despise those black folks who claim connection with men and women who were once considered beasts.

Unfortunately, as part of our complicated relationship, some of us can't seem to avoid comparing things to slavery. Whether it be football players to field hands, or congressmen to cotten pickers, it doesn't take much for certain black folks to whip out a slavery comparison. Apparently, some folks believe that the only way to truly impress upon people the seriousness of a situation is to compare it to the worst tragedy in American history.

Honestly, it pisses me off. I'm not worried that it makes it harder to discuss "real" problems, or get attention to "real" injustice. I believe that even though lots of folks try to justify their indifference to matters of race by using the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" defense that is bogus. People aren't disinterested because people have made too many false claims of discrimination or racism, they are disinterested because they simply don't want to pay attention. It might be because they don't want to examine their own lives, or because they really don't care that much about what ails black folks. Whatever the reason, I don't think it has anything to do with how often claims of racism are made.

No, why the practice pisses me off is because slavery is slowly undergoing a Martin Luther King-style transformation in popular lore. That transformation allows people to brush aside the terrible truth about the crimes of that era in favor of a neutered storyline that reads a lot like a bad day at summer camp. Torture, rape and inhuman conditions are slowly being edited out of the history in favor of generic words like bad, mean and uncomfortable.

See, comparisons to slavery, even those made in jest and in private, should have some appreciation for just how horrible it was to be a slave. Otherwise, those comparisons are rooted in the worst type of hyperbole, the type that ruins the power of an event. The list of things that are compared to the Holocaust is small even though genocide for political and religious reasons is a fairly common occurrence in the world's history. Holocaust survivors and their descendants are careful about letting that terrible tragedy be demeaned with ridiculous comparisions because they understand that's the first step to re-writing history. Once you re-write history, it's much more difficult for people to see when it's repeating itself.

Black folks would be wise to learn that lesson.

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Justice for Just Us

2011-01-25T17:17:00.000-06:00

The "justice" system is a joke.

It should be called the "Rules are rules for niggers to suffer by" system. Well, I guess that's too long a name, but "justice" shouldn't be any part of the system's name. Nothing about the way the courts work in this country is just. Nothing.

Take this story for example.

I haven't been reading the news that much so I missed it earlier. But, apparently an Ohio mother who used a relative's address to send her kids to a better school was convicted of two felonies, got jail time and probation, along with possibly losing her job prospects. For trying to find a better school for her kids because their neighborhood school is terrible..

The story notes that there was no violence in the crime, nor does the woman have a long criminal record. Yet prosecutors refused to reduce her charges, refused to except a plea to lesser charges and the judge felt compelled to hand down at least some jail time because otherwise it would have undermined the crimes the woman was convicted of committing.

Really.

That's what passes for justice in America. A hard working mother who makes a bad decision while trying to create a better opportunity for her children must spend time in jail, while millionaires and billionaires who defraud and hurt hundreds are allowed to skate. A woman seeking what all parents seek for their children, is punished and afforded no second chance, while these same people lament the fact that most black parents just don't care.

I can't even work up the proper amount of outrage for this story because it doesn't seem real. How could so many people conspire to punish such a decent woman for so petty a crime? How can anyone believe that this would happen to a woman who didn't share her skin color? How can these people sleep at night.

How does this happen?

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We Came From You

2011-01-25T15:40:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I wonder if older black people hate me.

Well, not me personally. Older black people love me. I'm personable, respectful, employed and a Christian. I'm a model Negro.

When I said "me" I meant my generation. The people in and around my age range that I grew up with and who share my life experiences. I also meant some of these young knuckleheads that I still identify with, and understand to a degree.

The bigger "me."

Every day I hear a lament from an older black person about "us."

Whether it's complaining about the dreadlocks, the baby mamas, the criminal tendencies or the ugly tattoos, the litany of things older black people don't like about younger black people is quite extensive. They don't like our walk or our talk. They just don't like us.

Some people might chalk it up to the classic battle between the old and young that is a part of every generation. Oldsters are required to hate youngsters, it might actually be hardwired into their DNA. The ragtime generation hated the blues generation, the blues generation hated the jazz generation, the jazzers hated the R&B crowd, and you know that crowd hates hip-hop heads. The hatred doesn't just involve music, it includes every aspect of the culture that differs from the culture that preceded it.

But, for some reason, what's happening now feels different.

I could be overly sensitive, but I'm frequently confronted by a level of animosity and disgust for my generation that is actually frightening. Some of them seem to view us as failures, as a waste of the blood and tears shed in the past. Even if many of these angry older people weren't active in the Civil Rights movement, they still lay claim to its pain, and they seem deeply offended that my generation has not done more with that legacy.

Yet, I wonder about the metric being used. More black people are graduating from college than ever before. More of them are receiving advanced degrees. Teen pregnancy has dropped substantially The overall crime rate is near its lowest point in 30 years. Black people are becoming the heads of industry, and multi-millionaires. Yet, for many older people, this generation has failed.

True, the black prison population has skyrocketed, but that trend began long ago. Births out of wedlock are ridiculously high, but what can you expect of the grandchildren of "Free Love." Yes, the gap between black youths and the their counterparts of other races when it comes to academics and jobs is large, but it's always been that way. Honestly, it seems like many of the ills of my generation can be directly tied to the decisions and failures of the generations that proceeded it.

And, maybe that's the problem.

Most people hate mirrors that show us in an unflattering light. While older people lament the failings of the youth, maybe in their hearts they recognize that those failings are a reflection of their own shortcomings. Maybe, like those of us who thought the year 2000 would feature flying cars and robotic helpers, older people just expected more. Maybe the successes of this generation pale in comparison to what our forefathers dreamed would exist.

I really don't know. But somebody needs to remind older black people where their descendants came from.

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Been Sick, But Still Alive

2011-01-21T16:06:00.001-06:00

I haven't died, and I will post something soon. Been sick, and the kiddies have been sick as well.

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Cowardly Rock Throwers

2011-01-10T16:55:00.000-06:00

The old cliche is that the biggest lie Satan ever told involved convincing mankind that he didn't exist.

Along those lines, the biggest lie that bigots tell is that their bigotry has no serious impact on the world.

We all know about the shooter in Tucson. While I've been pissed that he hasn't been called a terrorist by every media group reporting on the incident, I am also upset at the reaction to his actions by Tea Party members. Given the Tea Party's rhetoric about violence, blood and liberty, people automatically thought of them when a man shot a congresswoman at a campaign event.

It seems logical to think the shooting and rhetoric are connected. In fact, it's quite similar to the way many people, particularly white people, believe rap music is connected to violence in the black neighborhoods. Rappers don't pull many triggers, but they sure prime the minds of those people who do pull those triggers.

Yet Tea Party members are outraged that anyone would make the connection between their movement and this armed crazy. Could they have really believed that calls for armed revolution, and the watering of the tree of liberty would be taken figuratively and not literally? Did they think showing up at presidential rallies with assault rifles would be taken as purely a symbolic gesture? Could they really have been that naive?

Is Paris Hilton a virgin?

These people knew what they were doing and they just don't want to deal with the backlash for their decision. I've said for years that many racists are cowards who only have the courage to express their beliefs when there is no possibility of retribution. They want to spout hatred and evilness, yet avoid the cost for that choice.

I ain't having it.

These same people have tried to connect President Obama with radical fringe organizations of all kinds despite the most nebulous or non-existent connections and they have the nerve to get upset when they face the same scrutiny. Tough luck, you irresponsible bastards. As Malcolm X once said "the chickens have come home to roost."

Clean up the crap.

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Sigh

2011-01-10T15:29:00.000-06:00

I don't feel like discussing the current definition of terrorism, which appears to be "violence or attempted violence by brown people." All violence committed by crazed and idealistic white folks is not up for consideration at this time.

I can't do it again.

Just imagine I made all the same points about double standards and media coverage and shake your head at how effed up the world is.

That's all I can offer you at this time.

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What's in a "Nigger"?

2011-01-06T16:47:00.001-06:00

Some of y'all may have heard about the brewing controversy about one scholar's plans to publish an edition of Mark Twain's classic "Huckleberry Finn" without certain "inflammatory" words. The new publication is an effort to circumvent the practice of banning the book from certain school libraries. If you haven't heard about it, check out this story.

I've read Huck Finn a few times. It's a cool book. I'll admit that the use of "Nigger Jim" and just "nigger" in general surprised me initially. And I wasn't too thrilled with some of the stereotypes and characterizations for black folks in the book. But, I also realized, even as a child, this was a book written by a white man of a certain time, who was a product of his time no matter how enlightened he has been hailed as being. Viewed through that prism, I could take the good with the not so good and enjoy the book.

Apparently, this scholar doesn't think most kids need to have that experience. I disagree.

I understand the need to expose kids to good books. But, I believe that if you neuter those books to make them more palatable to certain audiences, it becomes questionable whether they remain "good books." I don't remember any black parents at my school complaining about the use of the word nigger in Huck Finn and I doubt it's black school officials pushing for the books banning across the country.

Instead, this feels like another example of white Americans being uncomfortable with the amount of racism and discrimination in this country's past, and not wanting their children to be exposed to the truth about the good ol' days. There has been a systematic attempt in recent years to whitewash this country's past, and I don't like it at all.

After all, black people know that we used to be called niggers everywhere we went. Hell, our grandparents and great grandparents can tell us the stories from their own lives if we've ever wondered about what it was like to be black 50 years ago. We know about widespread discrimination and casual bigotry. It's not a secret, at least not from many of us.

Twain was an artist. He created an artwork that has value and importance the way it is. Changing it would be a shame. A damn shame. Children need to be exposed to reality and they need the chance to understand that people can be wrong about some things and right about others. They need to think about the words we use and why those words have power. And they need to confront the stereotypes that have been applied to black life for centuries so they can understand why so many black people remain angry.

It's not just about a nigger.

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Eff You and Your Little Dog Too

2011-01-03T17:00:00.000-06:00

I'm late to the party, but let a lunatic vent a little bit.

I'm sure most of y'all heard what Tucker Carlson said about Mike Vick, right? Basically, he said that Vick deserved to die for the dogfighting ring he served time for bankrolling. Apparently, two years in the federal pen wasn't enough for Carlson, only death will do.

Fuck him.

Yeah, I don't curse in real life anymore, but the digital me says fuck Tucker Carlson and every thing he stands for. Fuck him if he just said it for ratings, fuck him if he really meant it. Fuck him for his life view, fuck him for mentioning Christianity. Fuck him with the 10-inch dick he spends his nights dreaming about.

Whew.

Sorry about that, but it was bubbling in the pit of my gut and I had to let it spew. Every time I think of Carlson advocating for Vick's death, I want to go on a profanity filled rampage that ends with a reenactment of the curb scene from "American History X" with me as the skinhead and Carlson as the random black victim. Violence begets violence and when you openly say you would have preferred to see a man killed for the pain and death he caused dogs, then I think of violence. Lots and lots of violence.

Michelle Clark-Perry tried to hip folks to the mixed feelings black folks have about dogs in a truncated televison appearance and extended essay, but I think it was a waste of words. The majority of white folks (sorry white folks) don't really want to hear any explanation that involves the words slavery, racism or discrimination. When black folks use any of those three words, all white folks hear is the voice of the teacher from Charlie Brown.

Carlson's comments drew fire, predictably, but in my opinion there wasn't nearly enough outrage. He called for a man's death because he hurt and killed animals. Motherfucker, have you heard of hunting and poultry farms? It doesn't matter if the animals are killed for food and sport, they are still killed. And if you want to see true cruelty against dogs, how about you visit your local dog racing track.

Carlson's comments were distasteful, disrespectful and degrading. He equated Vick's life with the life of a dog, and we all know that wasn't a coincidence. Apparently, the going rate for a black man's life is a few pit bulls, and honestly that shouldn't be much of a surprise.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

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I Got Something Coming

2011-01-03T10:04:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the blog going dark for so long but y'all know how the holidays can be. Anyway, I've been thinking about lots of stuff so I should have some new posts up shortly.

Thanks for you patience.

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Slavery? What Slavery?

2010-12-17T15:48:00.000-06:00

Pop quiz readers.

Why, in the simplest terms, did we fight the Civil War?

If you answered "Because white folks wanted to keep being allowed to own colored folks as property" then you're a liberal, race-baiter hellbent on ruining the good name and reputation of brave Southern soldiers.

No really, I'm serious.

Well, I would be serious if I was one of those folks who used phrases like "The War of Northern Aggression." You know, the folks who like buzzwords like "states' rights" and "legacy" and "heritage" instead of words like "genocide" and "evil."

I grew up in the South, I know how white folks feel about the days of mint juleps, swinging parasols, and darkies in the fields. They swallow that garbage like a black man in the RNC swallows his pride. Gulp.

Some folks really believe the Confederacy was just trying to protect its way of life, and fight off the brazen advances of an unfair federal government. They actually have convinced themselves that slavery was an isolated and often times benign institution. They ignore maps from antebellum times that show that the enslaved population in many Southern states was at 40 to 60 percent of the total population, according to the 1860 census. Yep, they ignore that reality and instead cling to a fantasy that says that Confederate troops were really just good boys caught on the wrong side.

If that's the case, I wonder how they see Iraqi insurgents?

Actually, I don't wonder. I know that white folks are only able to see racial nuances when they want to. I know that certain white folks will twist and corrupt anything to protect themselves from dealing with the true reality of their ancestors' actions. I know that many white folks don't want to know what life was like for black folks in this country 160, 100, or even 50 years ago, and they damn sure don't care how the facts of the past impact our present.

Nah, they want to live in their fantasy world, and hand out their little awards and think about a time when lynching a nigger was just the way you dealt with insolence. They want to remember when it was impossible to rape a nigger wench because everybody knows a nigger wench always wants it. They want to celebrate evil because that evil made life a lot easier for folks who look like them.

I get the message loud and clear, and I understand exactly what it means. When you want to have your wedding at a plantation, and you want to have little marches to celebrate the exploits of Confederate troops, I know exactly what's going on.

I don't have any questions.

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Who Are You Fooling?

2010-12-16T13:48:00.000-06:00

Man, I just stumbled across this story about a youth football coach in Georgia who apparently likes to spread racist insults wider than Keri Hilson's legs.

This cat insulted Latinos (He actually said "Mexicans" but he used it in the way racists use it for all brown, Spanish speakers), Asians and South Asians. I haven't seen anything about black folks, but I'd wager we got hit at some time in the past.

Anyway, what had me tripping was the dude's apology, as well as the tone of the article I linked to above. This AJC article gives far more information and has a far tougher slant on the obvious racism. And the AJC is anything but a "liberal rag."

First, I'm shocked that people believe that stuff posted on a public Internet profile is somehow protected speech, and that they believe that private correspondence shouldn't have public repercussions. Really people, who the hell have you all been talking to?

Your private thoughts impact your public life. If my private thoughts included the idea that I want to murder all white people just for breathing, I'm sure that if the white people at my job found out, that would impact my life. (For the record, I do not want white people dead. Really.) You can't spew ignorance and bile in private and then expect people to give you a pass just because you didn't mean for them to learn what you really thought. Basically, this guy and his supporters want some sort of hypocrite pass. As long as they pretend to non-racists in public, the private reality of their Klan memberships shouldn't matter. Yeah, OK.

Even sadder are the people seeking to paint this whole incident as a smear tactic of disgruntled parents. I'm sure that the people who posted this information weren't fans of the coach, after all his fans just ignored the racism and continued to yuck it up with him. That said, just because they don't love the coach does not mean he didn't write what he wrote. He wrote these words. Nobody spliced them together, or made them up. He actually wrote the comments that parents printed out and passed out, and he's never denied it. His only excuse has been that he has "diverse" friends with a similar sense of humor to his own.

The excuses offered by this coach and his supporters are hilarious to me. It reinforces my belief that racism actually kills brain cells, and for some people they don't even need the racism, breathing is enough to make them stupider. These people are so unwilling to admit to racism, or call someone a racist, that they are willing to make the most asinine excuses for plainly disgusting behavior.

Who do they think they're fooling? Do they think minorities are so stupid, so ignorant that we'll believe these weren't racist rants, that this guy doesn't despise non-whites, and that his protectors don't agree with him? On a larger note, when these type of incidents occur, do people really think they are fooling anyone with their defiance and rationalizations? But, when I think about it, maybe they are.

When I think about how quickly and easily people discount clearly racist behavior, when I think about how they refuse to see how racism is still alive and kicking today, I realize that maybe these people are fooling folks. And if they aren't fooling them, they are giving them just enough of a rationalization that they don't have to step outside of their comfort zones and confront reality.

Maybe I'm the fool for not noticing this earlier.

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What Can You Say

2010-12-13T17:18:00.000-06:00

I read this story recently about this black area in my town that has struggled to rebound from Katrina, not because residents haven't returned, but because businessess haven't followed them.

The area is composed of a wide spectrum of black folks, is quite large, and compared to other areas, fairly prosperous. Yet, it has a dearth of retail shopping and basic amenities like grocery stores and hospitals.

Anyway, the story, done by the local newspaper, spawned a host of racist and insensitive comments as many news stories do these days. Basically, white folks felt these Negroes couldn't get nice things because Negroes always tear stuff up. Sure, none of them actually used those words, but I can understand code words like shoplifting, thugs and welfare.

On a certain level I understand why it's important to combat these prevalent stereotypes among white people. On another level, I simply don't care anymore.

Seriously, I don't care. I've come to realize in my three decades on Earth, that white folks gon' believe what makes them happy. And, believing that black people don't have nice things because they don't deserve them is what makes white folks happy.

That lie absolves them of any blame, of any responsibility, and, most importantly, of any cost. If it's all black folks' fault, then white folks can continue to congratulate themselves on being wonderful, exceptional people. There is no need for a mental reckoning, no need for any personal examination. The world is the way it is because it's a "just world" and black folks have pretty much brought their suffering upon themselves with little outside interference. Any version of history that contradicts that view of the world is the pitiful mewling of soft liberals hell bent on establishing a socialist society.

And honestly, when people think like that, what can you really say?

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Soul Brother Number 1

2010-12-08T14:55:00.000-06:00

Now that President Obama has pissed off much of the Left with his compromise on the tax cuts, it's been interesting to watch how people respond.

I've noticed for quite some time that a certain segment of the population views Obama as a big softie. That segment includes black folks, white folks, liberals, conservatives and everything in between. People peep his demeanor and the way he handles the disrespect constantly lobbed at him, and immediately he becomes a "wimp."

I guess that's normal. As much as people decried President Bush's "cowboy" ways, deep down they want a leader who breathes fire and gives the finger to critics and opponents. They just want that leader to agree with them. Hell, even if they don't agree with said leader, they will still respect him to a certain degree because people respect force and threats of force. They don't respect quiet appeals to unity and compromise.

Classic wimp behavior.

The thing is, what's happened recently is that folks of all shades and political views have used Obama's perceived "wimpiness" as a way to once again critique his "blackness." Honestly, I'd hoped that we'd moved past discussing Obama's black card, but it seems that his education, his appearance and his demeanor are so far removed from the stereotypes that all Americans have subconsciously accepted that his "blackness" will always be questioned. He will never fit the ideal of "true blackness" that has subtly and directly forced down our throats, and whenever he fails to meet that ideal he will be roundly criticized for what is actually our own collective failing.

Just recently, Courtland Milloy, a Washington Post columnist, blasted Obama for not being a true black man because he didn't go hard on his critics and didn't do enough to protect other black folks. Then Bill Maher noted that he thought he was getting a "gangsta" when he voted for the former president of the Harvard Law Review. I've seen many columns lambaste Obama for being a wimp, and at the same time complain that they feel like they received a false bill of goods when they voted for him. After all, given his skin color wasn't there supposed to be a certain level of toughness? If a black man doesn't know how to embrace his angry roots, what good is he?

Stereotypes are powerful, and how no matter how much we fight against them, we still believe them. That's clear from the vast array of women in African nations who adopt European hairstyles as a sign of refinement, and it's evident in the fact that most Americans think an unflappable, compromising, black man can't really be black. Sure black guys can be suave players, but Spock-like calmness isn't supposed to be in our wheelhouse. Our blood is supposed to be hot, and our emotions far too powerful.

What's sad is that most folks don't see the pure idiocy and racism in their comments. They refuse to accept that they could have fallen under the sway of white supremacy and they can't believe they have ingested and digested ridiculous stereotypes and are now regurgitating them for public consumption. We can't see how messed up we all are. We don't truly understand how fully our minds have been corrupted, and how we've been steered to view the world in a particular way. We truly believe in our free will and free thinking, when in reality we're all slaves to our conditioning.

That's what's real.

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Just Say It Homie!

2010-12-01T16:52:00.000-06:00

Urban?

URBAN!

Come on son, just grow a pair and call President Obama black. Better yet, call him a nigger.

You know you want to, just do it.

These cowardly loudmouths get on my nerves. Nut up, say your piece, and take the heat. Don't play these semantics games so you can pretend that the people rightfully calling you a racist are crazy. That's a straight up punk move you paragons of courage. Stand up, be a man, and speak your mind.

Otherwise, you're just another cracker in a hood prowling around at night.

Peckerwood.

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Where Are We?

2010-11-30T17:35:00.000-06:00

I've a been a "nerd" for some time now.

I say "nerd" because by some measures I hardly qualify. I was a football star in high school and fairly popular if not the BMOC. I've dated women, and I have no problem fitting in socially when that's my desire. I love to watch and play sports, and I don't own any "Star Wars" or "Star Trek" paraphernalia.

But, I've also been teased for years for being too smart. Plus, I have a fiendish obsession with fantasy novels and certain science fiction works. I know way too much about the inner workings of Pern, and I'm a little too familiar with the intricacies of the Farseer reign. Those are nerd references for those of you who are confused.

Being a black fantasy fan with decidedly "black" views about the world can make reading most fantasy books an interesting experience. Sure, I love good fantasy because it challenges norms, but when it comes to racial mindsets, many fantasy and sci-fi writers are plagued with a very naive or uninformed view on the world. Hell, most of them know more about God than race, and they don't know that much about God!

My experiences made me knowingly shake my head when I stumbled across this story on one of the sites I visit frequently. It seems that when casting Hobbits for Peter Jackson's new movie "The Hobbit" the casting personnel let it be known that folks with a complexion any darker than "pale" need not apply. Hell, if you read the article, you can see where the casting director obviously realizes he's discriminating, but decides that he has to do it anyway.

The article lead me to wonder why is it that so many white writers have such pale imaginations? Some folks will bristle at that contention, but it's just a fact. White people make up a very small part of the world's population, but when you read books about space, or fantasy worlds, they are ALWAYS the dominant group.

Hell, even when characters are given "black" features, they still behave like white folks in blackface. I guess that fits with the writers' "colorblind"view of the world, but I find it to be unrealistic. Black people and white people may share interests and education, but often our life experiences are divergent in key ways, which gives us very different perspectives. Which again leads me to wonder, what is shaping these writers' imaginary worlds?

Do many white people long for a world free of unsavory and difficult minorities? Do they really find find us to ancillary parts of their lives, and feel like life would move on easily if we weren't around? Do they have an inflated view of their own importance and not realize just how little of the world's population they make up?

I think you could answer yes to all of those questions which is illuminating and disturbing. Many white people do see most minorities as either unimportant background noise or unsavory elements to be avoided. In fact, it's often only minority women who prove to be of interest and then only for the occasional sexual dalliance. It seems that when white people dream of their ideal world, it doesn't include us at all.

We're not in their plans.

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Something Old From Someone New

2010-11-22T17:05:00.000-06:00

Nicholas Sarkozy should run for president.

Sure, France's president already has that title in his home country, but that shouldn't stop him from immigrating to America, ignoring the rules on presidential candidates, and tossing his hat in the ring. Given Sarkozy's views on immigration and "national identity" he would probably give the crowd trying to take their country back recurring nocturnal emissions.

I find Sarkozy interesting because despite all the claims that Europe has "moved past" racism, the actions of the French, English and British prove that's a pipe dream. What should have become obvious to most folks, and was already obvious to me, is that many European nations never dealt with widespread racism within their borders, and it's been allowed to fester and spread. Now, as more and more immigrants from the countries these European powers have screwed over the years attempt to come power seat, this deep-seated racism and xenophobia.

Sarkozy is just the face of the movement.

It was only five years ago when France's slums exploded with riots fueled by the pent-up anger felt by children of many of the country's immigrants. Sarkozy capitalized on the fear those riots created and expanded the country war against what many French believe are uncouth interlopers. He created a "National Identity Ministry" and set out to prove he didn't like foreigners one bit.

It's funny looking at what the French have done and then considering our own country. Tea Party candidates recently rode the wave of anti-immigrant and anti-black sentiment still prevalent in much of the country into Congress, and they're hoping to use those same feelings to take back the White House in 2012. One of the central themes of this new shift in direction has been the discussion of what it means to be a "real" American, and a call for "real" Americans to take their country back.

That's where Sarkozy could really make a mark. A central theme to his election was the idea that France had fallen victim to too much multiculturalism and really, too much diversity. Sarkozy argued that immigrants should be forced to become indelibly French and toss off any affiliations to their old countries. Implied in this message was that any sort of connection or allegiance to another country was a betrayal of French values, and the mere possibility of the existene of this sort of conflict justified pre-emptive action by the French. That pre-emptive action has included banning Muslim headgear in public spaces, and clear discrimination in hiring and education for immigrants.

It's interesting to watch Sarkozy and the French people stammer and stumble around in their moral morass. It's actually quite satisfying since the French love to blast the racism and discrimination in America, but seem to somehow miss the beam in their own eyes.

Yet, it becomes scary when I think that it's not that unlikely that if President Obama fails to get re-elected America might get its on National Identity Agency and I'm not sure black people would be as safe from scrutinyas we assume. Those centuries of enslavement only count so much towards proving our worth. Besides, these past few months have taught me that a sizable portion of this country views any sort of questioning of American ideals and motives by non-white folks as a sign of intense disloyalty and grounds for suspicion.

True, it's only the latest iteration of the "Stay in your place" motif, but things have risen to a pitch not seen since minorities were openly denied equal opportunities. Many whites will bristle at that comparison, but it is what it is.

Sarkozy's views echo something from the not so distant past throughout the Western world, and we see it taking shape in a variety of countries. Many white folks have decided the time has come to rise up and recreate the past that many of them cherish and miss. Sarkozy is just one more cog in that frightening machine.

Something old indeed.

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Obama's Nuts

2010-11-19T16:28:00.000-06:00

Apparently President Barack Obama's testicles are a lot like former President George W. Bush's brains.

Their existence is disputed.

Well, at least James Carville disputes the existence of Obama's cojones. I'm sure some of you remember when Carville questioned Obama's testicular fortitude during the campaign as Carville stumped for Hillary Clinton, and now Carville has decided to revive those comments. If you haven't heard about it, check on this cached page. The page used to be on CNN, but when you click on the link now you're told it no longer exists. Good thing Google does.

Anyway, it's always amazing to me that folks feel like Obama's anatomy and manhood are fair game. Carville has tried to laugh off his comment as a joke, but when you say that a woman is more of a man than a man, you're insulting both the man and the woman. You can't joke that away Mr. Carville.

Folks of a certain hue insist on pretending that Obama lacks a backbone, as if getting mad and throwing a hissy fit is proof that you have a backbone. They ignore the fact that he walked into a room full of Republicans and debated them word for word with no backup or teleprompter. They ignore the fact that he's made unpopular decision after unpopular knowing that they would piss of his base. Hell, he ran for president of the United States and exposed himself and his family to previously unimagined level of scrutiny. That takes a certain type of courage.

Black folks understand that Obama has a different sort of temperament, and that he's a black man operating in a largely white environment. Those of us familiar with that particular tightrope know that the slightest slip up can plunge you into a world of peril. We may not agree with all of his choices, but most of us understand that there's only so much angry black man America can take. Hell, some folks are already pissed because he walks with a "strut"!

These trite attacks on Obama's manhood are tiring and disrespectful and they should not be given a pass, particularly when they come from a public figure.

That's what's nuts.

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The Power Of 12

2010-11-18T11:45:00.000-06:00

I sat on a jury the other day.

It was one of the most interesting and nerve wracking experiences of my life.

In my line of work, I've attended several court trials. I've watched prosecutors and defense attorneys make their arguments and I've often decided in my mind whether someone was guilty or not guilty. But, it was always from the other side of the jury box. Stepping inside that box, becoming one of 12 people charged with dispensing "justice" is a totally different experience.

It's pretty damn scary.

When I went into jury service I wasn't thrilled about the drudgery of the ordeal, but I was excited about the possibility of helping dispense "justice." Notice how I keep putting that word in quotation marks? There is a reason.

In my mind, jury service would be the perfect time to use my superior intellect (insert sarcasm) to convince people of the proper decision to make to keep the world on its proper course. Using my vaunted logic and only slightly biased objectivity, I was certain I would be in the vanguard of protecting this country's legal ideals.

Until I got selected to be a juror in a rape case.

There is no crime like rape. It's no coincidence that rape convictions can carry death sentences, just like murder convictions in some states. Outside of child molestation, no other crime carries the stigma that rape carries, yet rape trials often are very difficult to prosecute. That's especially true when the rape trial is a consent rape case, instead of a forcible rape involving a stranger.

I was asked to decide a consent rape case.

I won't discuss the details of the case because I think that would be an issue. But, the case showed me that the responsibility of being a juror, at least the way it is outlined by prosecutors and defense attorneys, is awesome. I truly found it difficult to come to a firm conclusion on the "facts" of the incident. I struggled with the possibility of freeing a rapist or sending an innocent man to jail. I struggled with watching a woman shed tears relating what she clearly considered one of the worst experiences of her life, and being asked to determine if I believed her account.

I can honestly say that I never, ever, want to do it again.

I don't know if I'll be excused from jury duty the next time I'm called, but I hope I am. I hope I never have to sit in that box and try to determine who deserves freedom or punishment.

I never want that power again.

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Every Time I Think It Can't Get Worse

2010-11-10T16:37:00.000-06:00

Yo, what up blog family? I know I don't post that much anymore, but I saw something that just got my angry lunatic juices flowing.

I'm watching CNN (I know, first mistake) when that dude Jack Cafferty says something like President Obama's tenure may be a short term love affair because he might not get re-elected. Then, to buttress this point, this cat points to a recent poll by somebody where 49 percent of the folks polled think Obama did a better job than Bush.

49 freaking percent!

Man, I don't think it's my job to be Obama's fart-catcher and cheerleader, but somebody has to say something about stuff like this poll. How the hell could any reasonable group of people consider Obama's two year tenure next to Bush's eight-year debacle and seriously come to the conclusion that Bush did a better job? WTH!

Katrina
Iraq
Afghanistan
9/11
The Great Depression
The Patriot Act

That's just a half dozen of Bush's most high profile screw-ups, I'm not even getting into the stuff that happened behind the scenes that most people aren't aware of. That list only includes the stuff that we all know about and all despis,e and depsite those eff-ups people are saying that Obama has done something worse than that?

I feel like slapping TACs right now.

If this ain't the double standard to beat all double standards, then I'm not a black man with anger issues. Bush creates the problems for Obama to inherit and because Obama doesn't solve them in a quarter of the time Bush had in office, Obama is screwing up. Do white people and conservative minorities even see their hypocrisy or are they on their Stevie Wonder thing right now? Really, if these folks think making that kind of statement is a form of intelligent discourse then I weep for the current state and future state of this country.

We are royally and totally fucked.

Point blank period.

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A New Color on the Hood

2010-11-05T11:07:00.000-05:00

Same stuff, different day.

That was my reaction to the story linked above about South Carolina politician Nikki Haley. The story outlines how Haley has used her color and gender to her advantage while at the same time espousing the traditional, hateful conservative message. Basically, she's just donned a different color hood for her Klan robes.

That's honestly how I feel about minorities who try to prove they are more conservative than the most loony Tea Party member. They have the Klansman's spirit wrapped up in a new package. That package allows them to escape scrutiny and dodge questions, but it can't truly hide the poison in their hearts.

Haley, whose given name Nimrata Randhawa, is having success by painting herself as the victim of injustice at the hands of hateful whites and blacks, while also promising to inflict the Tea Party's peculiar brand of pain on as many dark-skinned people as possible. (No, she doesn't promise to target darkies, but she sure knows the codewords.) As the story I linked to notes, it's a common strategy of minorities looking to rise within conservative movements, just as adopting a colorblind strategy is useful for minorities wishing to remain popular among liberals.

In reality, these minorities, be they conservative or liberal, trade on the same stereotype just from different perspectives. Both consevatives and liberals view minorities, particularly black folks, as unrelenting complainers always seeking to take something from well meaning white folks to enhance their own station in life. A savvy minoritiy politician seeking mainstream approval learns quickly that distancing your campaign from that idea by any means necessary is the best move.

That could mean pointing out that minorities are just as capable of racism as anyone else, while at the same time denying that white folks are really even racist anymore. It could mean pushing the idea that race is a played out metric, and what we really need to focus on is poverty and our shared interests. Of course that ignores the reality that while everyone is affected by class, some of us are affected by class and race.

Either way, you don the hood. Any time you embrace racial dishonesty to advance your cause, you don the hood.

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Sarah and The Dummies

2010-11-04T11:48:00.000-05:00

Just read this piece from Politico about how the Republican establishment doesn't want Sarah Palin anywhere near the presidential election in 2012.

The bigwigs fear, rightfully so, that given her appeal with the rank and file, Palin is a good bet to win the Republican nomination if she runs. Unfortunately, given her repeated idiocy and complete lack of qualifications (Yeah, I know she was governor) she's also a good bet to get waxed by President Obama in the general election. Obama may be unpopular, but he's not THAT unpopular just yet.

I showed the article to a friend and she expressed complete confusion at Palin's appeal to Tea Party folks and other staunch conservatives. Given the fact that she's consistently shown herself to be uninformed and uninterested in becoming informed, my friend can't understand why people would be comfortable with her in a position of authority. She noted that Palin's constant attacks on the elite and intelligent only convince her that she's not prepared for the job as the top politician in America.

My response was simple:

"That's because you're not a dummy, and don't like dummies. On the other hand, dummies like their fellow dummies and don't like you eggheads."

That's about it. Dummies stick together like semen-covered balls and thighs.

This reality only confuses folks who lie to themselves about their own motivations and the motivations of human beings in general. We all know about birds of a feather, but we like to pretend that somehow that old cliche doesn't apply most of the time. Newsflash, it's a cliche because it's true almost all the time. That's how you pass the entrance exam for cliche school.

People are comfortable around people like them. It's not always evil, and it's perfectly understandable. The problem is when people decide that only people like them are "good" or "right." That was the impetus behind segregation and discrimination, well along with the need to increase the power of a certain group by cruelly subjugating another group. It's not surprising that the idiot brigade has rallied around their all-powerful leader, it would be shocking if they recognized her idiocy because then they would have to admit their own.

And Lord knows people in America aren't too keen on admitting their flaws.

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Guess We've Got Enough Nigglets

2010-11-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

I used to watch Jon and Kate Plus 8.

Before their family exploded due to the combustible nature of fame and responsibility, I liked to watch two regular people try to cope with a very irregular family. I didn't begrudge them the free trips and substantial salaries they received due to their show. I knew that if I was in the same position I would want the same assistance.

Unfortunately, that assistance isn't provided to every family of multiples.

That's a picture of the McGhee sextuplets, a group of six brothers and sisters born to an Ohio family. For those of you unfamiliar with the cost of car seats, what you're looking at in that picture is about $300 to $500 worth of equipment. Yeah, having babies is hard on your pockets.

I understand that nobody forced this couple to take fertility drugs, or refuse to "reduce" the number of babies they had in utero. (That has to be the worst euphemism I've every heard for abortion. Easily.) It makes sense that if two adults decide they want to get pregnant with multiple babies, they need to make some arrangements to take care of those children on their own. I understand, and support that logic.

That said, I know that there seems to be different attitudes about different multiples. Some families are greeted with appreciation and television deals, while others, like the Octomom and McGhees, are greeted with scorn or indifference. It's the same "miracle" but it seems like folks don't feel as enthralled with every bevy of babies.

Truthfully, I guess that's people's choice. There is no law saying that you have to gawk and support every family that exponentially increases. Yet, it still leaves me with a strange feeling. I have no proof, or statistics to back up my feelings, but I still feel like something is wrong.

I wonder if the indifference to the McGhee's plight is because their family doesn't meet the "cute" criteria or because people just don't feel like this extra large family of black folks is worthy of help? Do companies feel like it's not a worthwhile investment to give these kids free swag, or do schools think it doesn't help their profile to offer them free college tuition?

Those are all freebies that countless other multiples have received, but they've been absent for the McGhees. Is the recession to blame, or is it just a convenient excuse to hide behind? Maybe people no longer consider multiples special, although I do know that another white family just got a new deal with TLC to replace Jon and Kate. Are the McGhee's a victim of circumstance, or just another entry on the crowded log of discrimination in America?

I don't know for sure, but I know which way I'm leaning.
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Exposure

2010-10-26T17:34:00.000-05:00

Darkness cannot stand the light.

Whether it's darkness of the spirit, of the mind, or just plain physical darkness, the light and the dark cannot co-exist. If one is present, the other must depart.

People like darkness in their lives. They may claim to crave truth and honesty, but their actions expose that as a lie. No one wants to have the little lies that underpin their self image removed because they know that without that foundation the entire house of cards crumbles.

Everyday in America, people fight to keep their darkness. They wrap it around their minds and spirits like a dirty shawl, and while it provides inadequate warmth they are afraid to brave the cold world without it. Darkness comforts and soothes. It provides cover for their fears, and justification for their evil.

Bringing light into this darkness filled world is a dangerous proposition. Allegations, enmity and hatred are on the welcoming committee for those seeking to expose. Challenge the status quo and refuse to succumb to the darkness if you must, but be prepared for the backlash. No one, not your spouse, not your family, not your friends, will abandon their darkness without a fight.

Be careful.

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The Bullshit Must Cease

2010-10-22T10:42:00.000-05:00

So, good ol' Uncle Juan got fired?

Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.

He and his cronies over at Fox can complain all they want, but it's not going to change anything. In a free market society, employers can fire employees if they feel they are not properly representing their companies. Or did Fox News forget that page in the capitalism handbook? Juan Williams said that riding on a plane with anybody who calls themselves a Muslim makes him nervous, and now he won't be saying anything on NPR for quite some time.

Normally, I wouldn't even waste the characters necessary to talk about Juan since who he is and what he represents are well-known commodities. But, as I was watching the television news, they showed a segment from "The View" where the ladies were discussing his dismissal.

First, Whoopi went through her whole routine, where she makes excuses for any racism she agrees with or that is practiced by someone she likes, while simultaneously reserving the right to get all huffy about racism she doesn't like. Whoopi has excused Mel Gibson for his "pack of niggers" debacle and she's encouraged Ted Danson to rock black face, I don't think she's qualified to make accurate assessments of what is and is not racist or bigoted. Agreed?

Anyway, Whoopi trots out the ridiculous idea that since Juan was only talking about his "feelings" on Muslims, then his comments shouldn't have gotten him fired. What kind of ridiculous logic is that? Since when did personal feelings become some sort of protected class of utterances? That's some idiotic bullcrap if I've ever heard it. So, if somebody just expresses their "feelings" they can say whatever the hell they want? Like, if I decided to express my "feeling" that black women who encourage their white boyfriends to wear blackface are despicable coons who should be abducted by the Drop Squad and deprogrammed through repeat beatings that would be okay because it's just my "feelings"?

Do people even use their brains anymore?

Not only was Whoopi allowed to spew this idiocy unchallenged and have it beamed into the homes of millions, it appears that stupidity is contagious because her asinine outburst provoked another one. I don't know the actresses' real name, I just know her as "Debra" from "Everybody Loves Raymond." (My editor says her name is Patricia Heaton. I'll stick with Debra.)

Anyway, speaking as if she was dropping some serious knowledge, she opens her lips to say that if Juan Williams had said riding on a plane with Tea Party members made him nervous, he wouldn't have gotten fired. That's what she said.

Well duh, dumbass.

Nobody has accused Tea Party members of being terrorists and plane hijackers, although their sympathizers have committed acts of terror. Nobody associates the Tea Party movement with 9/11. That's been reserved, unfortunately, for Muslims. But guess what, if Juan Williams had said that as a black man whenever he's in the room with two Tea Party members and a rope, he gets mighty nervous and his neck starts itching, then I'll bet there would have been just as much outrage.

The Tea Party may not be associated with terrorism, but they damn sure are associated with racism, and they damn sure don't appreciate having their entire political movement categorized as racist because of the actions of some of the members. They have loudly proclaimed this fact to the world, including going so far as to denounce the NAACP and its recent report on racism in the party's ranks as a "liberal smear campaign."

Yet, these same people who feel it's unfair to judge all them by the actions of a few (which I don't think is happening. The vast majority of those folks look like bigots to me), are defending the right of Juan Williams to express the same idea about Muslims. And this chick on "The View" gave validation to that viewpoint.

This has got to stop.

We have way too many people spewing nonsense into the air and not being challenged on it. Both Whoopi and "Debra" made stupid comments, but the folks sitting with them just nodded their heads politely as if they made sense. Either people are really stupid, or they're so conditioned to avoid conflict and disagreement that they will allow almost anything to be said unchallenged. I see it in the media, I see it in regular interactions. People don't want to discuss ideas or beliefs, they just want to get along.

That bullshit must cease.

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LIttle Stuff

2010-10-19T16:17:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine sent me a link the other day.

It led to the Kohl's website, and was for a Halloween wig called the "Ghetto Fab Wig." I shook my head ruefully at yet another example of the mistakes big corporations make. Shortly after that, a former classmate posted a blog that called out President Obama and another politician for claiming that assimilation is the true American Dream.

Think about how those incidents work together.

We have a wig marketed as Ghetto Fab. It was a simple Afro wig, and the hair looked like something many natural sister rock on a daily basis. But, for its makers, it was Ghetto Fab.

Next to that, we have two politicians telling people that the way to advance in this country is to assimilate. Submerging yourself in the dominant culture is that path to the American Dream.

So, what exactly those assimilation mean?

Does assimilation require adopting all of the dominant values in America? Does that extend to our values about religion, the proper role of minorities and what constitutes beautiful or normal? Because it's quite obvious that if that's what assimilation means, many minorities will have to willingly sacrifice their cultural heritage and no small measure of self respect.

I'll admit that the word "assimilation" gives me the heebie jeebies. I can't help but get this picture of the Borg trying to make me a part of the hive mind. Assimilation, to me, means total and complete capitulation, and that doesn't interest me at least not when we're talking about human beings.

What are the benefits of assimilation? Many many black people have assimilated into American society. Haven't we adopted white values, white mannerisms and white culture at a staggering pace?

Yet, an Afro wig still gets called "Ghetto Fab" even though Afros and natural hair have nothing to do with the ghetto and everything to do with accepting yourself as God made you. If widespread assimilation among black folks can't even protect us from "Ghetto Fab" wigs, I'd like some more information on why it's so beneficial.

It's the little things like this that undercut large arguments. Sweeping theories about the world are nice, but they are often exposed as lies when you get down to the most basic level and see how humans interact. Assimilation is held up as the Golden Path, but the truth is that certain folks will never be assimilated. Not because they refuse the process, but because they don't qualify for assimilation according to the majority.

You would think politicians would understand little stuff like that, you know?

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Thinking About Ordinary

2010-10-15T15:00:00.001-05:00

My wife seemed shocked.

Somehow, the words I'd just spoken really didn't compute. They made sense to me, in fact they even felt like pearls of wisdom. But to her, they were totally foreign.

"I always thought that was weird," she said.

Now it was my turn to be surprised. Weird? How could she see something so sensible, so correct, so ordinary as weird? On what planet would my suggestion be weird? How could any marriage function abiding by any other rules?

I grew watching my parents fight. Not with fists, but with angry, harsh words. I vowed I would never repeat that mistake.

But, I also grew up watching my parents work at staying married. And they weren't shy about telling my brother and I about their work. They explained the compromises, the agreements. I learned mostly through observation and direct questioning. Slowly, a worldview developed, a blueprint for marriage that I took into my union.

Ah, but blueprints are only plans. Wishful thinking some might say.

Reality often differs from our blueprints. In reality, many of the things I assumed were "ordinary" were far from it. In real life, things rarely went as smoothly as I imagined despite my attempts to plan and discuss every possible eventuality. Talking before committing is a must, but words are only words, and it's actions that matter in a marriage.

Marriage has given me a different outlook on life. I'm still surprised when people see the same world I see but see it totally differently, but now I've learned how to deal with it better. That's what forever will teach you. One of the main lessons I've learned is that the unique nature of every family contributes to to unique nature of every person.

My wife and I disagree often over what is ordinary, acceptable and reasonable, and I'm sure that's common for most couples. But, it extends beyond couples. Most of the disagreements we have in life relate to differences of opinion about what is ordinary, acceptable and reasonable. Call it the Oar Effect.

More people need to admit that their worldview is just their worldview. It's important to them, but that doesn't give it any special degree of importance to the rest of the world. If we want other people to respect and appreciate our worldview, we must extend that same courtesy to others. It's ridiculous how many of us refuse to extend the same respect we demand for ourselves.

Let's make that ordinary.

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