Saturday, August 18, 2007

Racism

I've been thinking about the girl in my previous post, and our society, quite a bit lately. So, lets start off with a thesis statement, since I've also been doing a lot of reading in my Lit book lately...

Racism in the United States, while not as rampant as in the past, has not vanished, no matter how much certain elements in our society would like us to think that it had.

Witness little miss racist, and her unapologetic apology. Frankly, the girl makes me want to beat her with a stick. But, she is a valid proof that racism is still here.

I noticed when I read the comments on that post that very few people addressed the racism issue, now, whether ya'll were ignoring it as she probably deserves to be ignored, I dunno. But, it seems to me that its a mirror of our society, so many people working so hard to believe that we're magically past all that crap that they refuse to see that it's still out there. Of course, the reverse is true as well, so many people so rabidly anti-racist that they attack anyone who doesn't precisely toe the PC line.

Hell, after my post of that forward Farmmom sent me, someone insinuated on their blog that I'm a member of the KKK. I ignored it because I didn't figure it was worth trying to explain to someone who has pre-formed an opinion of me that if they actually had thoughts of their own they'd realize that the post was anti-racism in and of itself, its just against all racism, and not just that towards minorities.

Yes, there are those in our country who are racist in the "traditional" way, who join the KKK or the Aryan Brotherhood, and turn "white pride" into something to be ashamed of, in the eyes of the rest of the country.

But, what about the people, members of minority races, who spend most of their free time talking about how bad white people are? Come on people, that is racism too. Just because they've got a coalition or a bunch of lobbyists doesn't mean its not racism. I'm not saying that all people of an off-white or brown skin color do this, so no one jump me in a dark alley or anything, but I have personally witnessed it.

Why is it that our society can't wake up to the fact that racism is racism, regardless of the color of the bigot and the target? Why is it that when I say I'm proud of the heritage that gives me a ghost-like paleness anywhere that I don't regularly get sun, I'm accused of being a racist myself, in spite of the fact that I'm just as proud of that small portion of my heritage that allows me to shrug off sunburns like they're nothing? (Which, by the way, I believe comes from the Native American portion of my heritage... small, but enough.)

Until the day that everyone, not just white people, stop looking at skin color to judge a person's worth, we still have racism in our society.

If white people got together and formed a fraternity that excluded blacks, hispanics, asians, and anyone else who can't put "caucasian" on the "diversity" papers of the school, that thing would be disbanded so fast you'd hear a sonic boom. But fraternities just for blacks are ok? Colleges just for blacks are ok?

And yes, I'm using the word "black" so sue me. Its a descriptor, not a slur. I refuse to use words like "African American" "Asian American" etcetera. Why? Because you're either American or you're not. The only PC title that is even remotely deserved is that of Native American, and thats not even entirely true, because even they immigrated here! They just did it before the Europeans got here.

Stop separating and labeling people. If their skin color is that of a good dark chocolate, and you need to describe that, "black" is the term for it. A white person calling someone an African American doesn't change the fact that when he or she gets home, they're gonna look at their boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/parents/roommate and call themselves black.

I'm calling for an end to the double standard, for as much good as it will do. Our society needs to stop placating people in minorities in order to appear broad minded. It's not broad minded when you treat certain people with respect, civility, and honor, but pretend that other people aren't being insulted in the same way that you were protecting the first group against.

So what say we stop worrying about what PC label is appropriate this week, and start collectively punishing all bigots in the time-honored traditions of society?

Shun them, chastise them, make it clear that as a society we will not tolerate bigotry in any form, from any person.

If they cannot get along in the "mainstream" of society, they will seek out others who agree with them, of course. But at least they won't be slapping us in the face with their offensive behavior.

10 comments:

Farm.Dad said...

Hun if you remove " race " they( they being that segment that does not but speaks a lot ) will find another reason to whine and expressed how " they" are oppressed . Any excuse for not being successful , Never mind Colin Powell , Conda LIsa Rice , ect.. Nigger is a greeting .... unless I use it , but feel free to use " redneck ", or cracker and apply it to me and you, knowing nothing of our racial heritage. The sad fact is that low life folks of all colors are going to whine about how unfair things are , and Liberals ( note folks that is a large L ) are going to fall in line and try and make all of us be pc . Words are not bad , folks are not bad , Trash folk of any color are not good lol .

I think folks who bother to read can tell your attitudes , and as much as they reflect on me i am proud of them and you, after all i had a hand in them lol .

Rebekah said...

You go Girl! we had this very discussion at work this morning. Cincinnati and Indianapolis have "Black Family Reunions" and one of those cities is now having some "Latino" get together.
We are all American. We all have good times, bad times. We all have our successes and failures.

Farm.Dad said...

BTW since there is no easy way to edit a post , bring that " mellinon enhanced " feller you just met on down and show him where he can play here . If he is as neat as you and farmmom think well we can provide a full boat on ranch style entertainment for him . If he wants to ride we can do that , if he wants to shoot we can do that too lol . If he just needs a place to be alone and drink a beer .. we can do that too lol . As with all your " new " friends no matter the color of skin , if they pass your " sniff test" they are welcome down on the homeplace untill and unless they screw the pooch .

FarmGirl said...

I'm thinking bout going and knocking on his door and asking if he wants some down home cookin tomorrow when I come home.

Farm.Dad said...

thatll work hun , and he can help load tack lol

Anonymous said...

Racism swings. Try it you will like it.
Its simply an evolutionary protective instinct. It can never be done away with so live with it.
Tom Metzger

HollyB said...

FG, you and your Dad, expressed things that I have been thinking for a long time.
Thanks.

Dan O. said...

I believe the MSM, for whatever reason, promotes racism by the mere fact that their headlines specify 'black' or 'hispanic' etc. in their headlines, but never 'white'.

The only time those descriptors (including white/caucasian) are necessary are in descriptions given to/from law enforcement for identification purposes. And then it is certainly NOT racism. It is an identifiable characteristic.

Along the same line, 'profiling', that so many rail against, is an identification tool also. If a suspect has been ID'd as being a certain ethnicity, then johnny law shouldn't be chided for pulling over people of that ethnicity.

It's basic logical reasoning. Something that's been thrown out in the PC world.

FarmGirl said...

" Tom Metzger said...

Racism swings. Try it you will like it.
Its simply an evolutionary protective instinct. It can never be done away with so live with it.
Tom Metzger "

Umm... no, thanks. I think I'll take this nice salad of chopped glass and asbestos instead.

As for an evolutionary protective instinct... No. We are (supposedly) programmed instinctively to breed with the strongest male available, (women, that is) the one that will be of the most help in furthering the species. That includes the parenting role, btw. Whether that person is white, black, or pink with purple polka dots is not ingrained in our deep-rooted instincts.

A piece of advice... get over the whole racism thing, we're all human, the only difference is whether our ancestors developed more natural melanin to protect from the sun or not.

Anonymous said...

"As for an evolutionary protective instinct... No. We are (supposedly) programmed instinctively to breed with the strongest male available, (women, that is) the one that will be of the most help in furthering the species. That includes the parenting role, btw. Whether that person is white, black, or pink with purple polka dots is not ingrained in our deep-rooted instincts."

First off, I have nothing against anyone for being a different ethnicity than me. We all had to come from somewhere. What I take exception to... there's a couple of things that come to mind right off.

1- I don't like being called a racist just because I'm white and some blacks want to say "whitey keepin' a brutha down". I've met some real nice black people who don't see me and them that way too.

2- I don't like nasty black guys with baggy pants and gold grills on their teeth. They're usually druggies and gang bangers. This thing about black guys and white girls dating... it may be different in your part of the country, but around Atlanta, those hiphop types are dating the nastiest white girls/women in sight. Not to say who should be with who, but that's not helping further the human race in any positive way... not saying that's what you're saying; just a problem in reality. My sister, just yesterday, was telling me about a black couple who are among her friends... sister mentioned the grill on the teeth and the black couple both recoiled in disgust. To me, that means it's not racism.

The supposed hardwiring to breed with the strongest guy available... there's not so many minority group members of any ethnicity around here; this is a mostly white county. In the past, it's been an almost totally white area. Now, I see mixed race couples as well as couples where both are of the same race. Myself, I'm not a bigot, but I'd rather date/marry a white woman. Don't take this as whinin', but I don't see any women who'll admit they want to associate with me that way. I've talked about having my disability... I'm thinking in my local situation that's probably a bigger problem than racism is. It may or may not be, but I just don't see that much racial problem applying. Well, I've seen some real pretty Mexican women at the restraunt time to time, but it seems mostly they're already married.

mustanger