Racism... Unfortunately Alive and Well
Category Opinion
Bookmark :
I have posted recently about my vote for the U.S. Presidential election - Barack Obama. I am proud of my choice, and I am very happy with my vote, and that Obama won the election. And while it is hopeful and optimistic to think that our country has changed - changed for the better, moved past a society of caste and divisivness based simply on the color of a person's skin.
And then something happens. Something snaps me back to reality, and the hopeful dreams I had of a better, higher society are blown away like fall leaves on a blustery day.
My "blustery day" happened a few days ago. I don't want to mention where I was, nor do I want to mention why I was there because I believe it is irrelevant. Just suffice it to say that I happened to be in the presence of a few white, Southern people of various ages - from mid-life to senior citizens. We were in a room with a TV, and a news commercial came on. This commercial was for a story about President-elect Obama's two girls, and how they said that they were excited about decorating their new rooms. For those of you who don't have girls, I can tell you that this is the normal response for girls of their age (10 and 8, I think - somewhere around there). Normal for any girls who come from a loving family structure, who are middle class or so. It is a cute, loving comment that all parents would easily recognize and find charming.
Or so I thought.
These people were all parents (some even grandparents). Their first response was something like, "Well, you know what will be the first thing they'll hang over their beds - a big ol' picture of Martin Luther King." And this was said with disdain.
But I kept my mouth shut - at least initially. The reason I didn't say anything is that this is not a bad thing. Why not honor Dr. King? Anyway, I let that go, because I could just see them saying the exact same thing - that they "didn't mean nothin' by it".
But they kept going.
One of the women said something to the effect of, "Hey, Dr. King was a prophet" (or something to that effect).
The immediate response came from a couple of people. One said, "Prophet my ass! He was an idiot." The other said, "He's just a n***** like the rest of 'em."
I became very angry; but I couldn't do anything, because I will have to run into these people in the future. The only thing I did was I immediately got up, and walked directly towards the door. I was ask, from behind, "What, does that bug you? Are you a..."
I immediately cut him off and said, "Don't. Just don't. I don't like what you're saying, and I don't agree with you AT ALL, because it is wrong. So I'll just leave."
And I just can't shake this - this feeling of frustration, of embarrassment, of... well, ANGER at this mindset. I had actually thought that we, as a nation, may have moved past this. Don't get me wrong; I know that there will always be a fringe element of idiots, of every shape, sex, and color, who will continually hate some other group of people. It comes with us being human - there is ALWAYS someone at each end of the bell curve. But, being a white Southerner, I continue to hear crap like this. I hear (or overhear) comments like this in convenience stores, gas stations, certain shops, and so on. It is always spoken quietly, and it is always amongst other white Southerners. It seems that people (OK, white people in the South), to this day, believe that if you're white and if you have a Southern accent, you are a racist asshole.
I'm not. Sigh. Maybe I'm in the minority. Maybe I'm being silly in thinking that the Southern culture could move past hatred as a foundation of our people. Maybe it is too soon - I just don't know.
It isn't just uneducated people, either. It is even a part of our political leaders! Did you see the news reports of an idiot Congressman from GA who compared Obama to a NAZI?!? You can't make this crap up. His name is Paul Broun, and here's a recording of what he said.
If our elected leaders are racist idiots, then what can we expect from our people? This is a great example of a Southern white guy taking something Obama said - a small snippet - reading something totally different into a harmless statement (Obama actually was talking about a CIVILIAN "good works" force where young people can volunteer, and by doing so can work off some of their college debt; he also mentioned expanding the Peace Corps in the same speech), because he really fears a black man in charge. And obviously if a black man is in charge he's going to try to overthrow the government!! Give me a damn break.
So, I'm pretty embarrassed by "my (supposed) people". It appears that we, as a society, have not learned from the mistakes, crimes, and atrocities of our forbears.
I love being Southern; but moreso I am saddened that my embarrassment that comes from the words and actions of my bretheren is a stronger emotion than my love.
Those of you who are not from the South, I hope that you do realize that there are many of us down here who are NOT represented by these people. There are many of us that support our President-elect, are thankful that Bush and the far-right Republicans are out of power, and are looking forward to our country being more centrist in nature and being a better member of the world in which we live.
As for me, I just have to keep changing what I can change - which is primarily devoted to teaching my children that hatred is a strong emotion, and you should judge others "by the content of their character, not the color of their skin".
Rock
Blog Roll
Comments
Posted by Roberto Boccadoro At 04:19:27 AM On 11/17/2008 | - Website - |
As someone else who has grown up in the South, I have seen what you've seen in the way of racial prejudice. The good news is that when I see it today, it is almost always done by older people and that younger people pretty much know better.
As far as Paul Broun is concerned, I think he makes a very bad comparison, but one that people like to make about those they oppose. Google "Bush Nazi" and you'll get over 400k hits. But while I disagree with his comparison, I fail to see what is racist about it.
Posted by Timothy Briley At 05:03:24 PM On 11/14/2008 | - Website - |
For those of you who chided me for calling Rep. Paul Broun a racist - you are right. Calling him a racist is out of bounds; calling him alarmist is probably more accurate, and even hysterical may fit. But I cannot know what is in his heart, and calling him a racist is overreaching.
My apologies.
OK, time to read the rest of these...
Rock
Posted by Rock At 10:47:27 AM On 11/15/2008 | - Website - |
I think (hope) it's a largely generational thing. At least on this side of the country (and among the gay community), folks are really focused on California's Prop 8 (banning gay marriage). One of the interesting things I saw in the voter breakdowns was the people under 40 voted overwhelmingly against Prop 8 (supporting gay marriage). The older folks were, the more likely they were to support Prop 8. That seems to indicate that younger people are more open and unthreatened by the idea of gay marriage.
I wonder if racism is similar - where older folks are more likely to be racist and younger people are more open. I hope that these types of discrimination are dying off. Certainly, by teaching your children to judge people on who they are and not these other types of criteria will help move us in that direction.
Posted by Amy Blumenfield At 10:25:08 PM On 11/14/2008 | - Website - |
What I also hate is that if ANY white person from the south has anything negative to say about Obama we're labeled as racists. I see it way too often Rock. You even labeled this congressman a racist because he said something (stupid) accusing Obama of being a Nazi. Hey, do you think all the Democrats who equated Bush to Hitler are also racist? NO! It's the double-standard, but that's another story...
Please, if you're going to label someone a racist, do so because they were making blatant racist remarks like the people you were hanging out with. I'm glad you stood up to them, btw - more people need to do that! But if you're going to read into this congressman's heart and mind by saying he fears blacks in charge because he said something that had nothing to do with blacks, then that's your own call to be judgmental of him. Also, I don't recall any of the German Nazis being black (or at least not any of their leaders), so accusing him of racism by that statement is pretty far off base man - you can do better than that. Hey, we've seen time and again in the election that if anyone called Obama skinny or talked about his associations, or any other number of things that we're racist. It's time for that to stop as well, do you not agree? Let's have an honest debate here and get past thinking all white southerners are racists. You're not, I'm not, and I know tons more who aren't. In fact, a lot of white southerners DID vote for Obama. Yes, there are still a lot of people of a certain age who ARE racist and we have to deal with that. But, please, I ask you not to make such blanket statements Rock - you can do a LOT better than that.
Posted by Chris Whisonant At 04:56:37 PM On 11/14/2008 | - Website - |
However, I have found a disturbing trend in the current "Republicans" down here in the South - unfortunately I have found that may of them in the RURAL South TEND to be racist. Are all of them racist? Obviously not. But I cannot tell you how many have come out of the woodwork since Obama began running. I hear comments about Obama with VERY racist and disparaging remarks quite a bit. So, let me restate this one more time, so you don't read it wrong - I believe, based on first-hand incidents that I have seen, that MANY (not most, because I don't know that) rural white Republicans ARE racist. And this bothers me.
As far as your comments about Obama, let's see what his ACTIONS are, Chris. Remember, the argument that Republicans are for "small government" is pretty hollow, based on Bush 43's record (he grew the government more than anyone, EVER). So, let's let Obama get in office and see what his ACTIONS are before we begin slamming him, ok?
Oh, and one more thing about Bush 43 and the Republican party. I would love to see a Republican party that was fiscally conservative, that promoted and endorsed the rights of all citizens, that was more moderate and centrist, and left religion to the churches. I would VOTE for that type of candidate. I think, as I've said before, that the Republican party has gone WAY too far right, has promoted the extreme right as its "base", has followed Bush 43 until it was too late, and has ultimately lost its way. The Republican party needs to regroup, come back towards the middle, and be ready to re-emerge strong when the time comes. Maybe it will be in four years. Maybe Obama will be as bad as Chris W. believes. If so, then this regrouped and moderate Republican party can put forth a candidate that we can ALL believe in (OK, most of us).
One more thing: Remember, I am like most of the country - I am a centrist overall. I lean left on some things, and I lean right on others; but overall I am a centrist. People like me are the ones the Republican party should be targeting, because - as proven in this most recent election - 1/2 of this country is CENTRIST. 1/4 are extreme liberals, 1/4 are extreme conservative. If the Republican party swings back towards the middle, they will be ready to lead when the time is right.
At least that's how I see it.
Rock
Posted by Rock At 11:08:17 AM On 11/15/2008 | - Website - |
@5 - Tim, glad I wasn't the only one who found the flaw in the "Nazi" argument.
@Rock, After reading your post again, I think I find the following paragraph the most telling regarding your beliefs and how it appears you really think about the people in the South who voted for McCain:
Those of you who are not from the South, I hope that you do realize that there are many of us down here who are NOT represented by these people. There are many of us that support our President-elect, are thankful that Bush and the far-right Republicans are out of power, and are looking forward to our country being more centrist in nature and being a better member of the world in which we live.
In what could have been a great statement about how even though there are a minority of people who are racists in the South and that we mostly feel we all belong to the human race, you completely missed the mark. Instead of offering a truly centrist view (as you purport to desire), you begin well by saying there are many NOT represented this way. But then you go on to define the "many" who don't hold these racist views as being the ones who voted for Obama, wanted Bush out of office, and want to be centrist. None of those things really represent me, but I can assure you that I'm no racist. Why do you feel that you need to label all of the Republicans in the South as bigots? That's actually a bigoted statement in its own right, and that paragraph really upsets me. Maybe you let your emotions get the best of you and wrote what was just from your gut, but that's still a VERY broad statement against "us".
And to say that we're going to be more centrist with Obama is outlandish. Unless he decides to take a far right turn in his Cabinet selections from here on out, the prospects of leftists like Senators Clinton (just right of Obama in Senate voting!) or Kerry possibly having Sec. of State position or Emmanuel as Chief of Staff (he's the left-wing version of Rove pal...), or any of the other re-hashes of the Clinton Administration, I really am not seeing any reaching out to moderates or right-of-center folks by his administration. I'm sorry, but in a game of "which one of these is not like the other" with the words centrist, Reid, Pelosi, Clinton, Emmanuel, and Obama, it's a clear choice as to which term doesn't fit.
Posted by Chris Whisonant At 07:10:07 PM On 11/14/2008 | - Website - |
You challenged them, which probably made them feel at least a little uncomfortable. Keep doing that, and they'll think twice before spewing. Most people only say crap like that out loud because they think they're in a "friendly" environment.
BTW, I was just listening to an NPR call-in showabout the economic "crisis" (blah blah), and some idiot got on the air and started talking about how all the government officials and bankers who were responsible for the mess were Jewish. Really!
Let's never forget that it's all OVER the place. Don't let it go unchallenged!
Posted by Bob Balaban At 07:16:39 AM On 11/15/2008 | - Website - |
I've seen a couple of people suggest the same thing about all the people buying guns while Bush is still in office, but I don't see it. They *could* be racists, they *could* be plotting to overthrow the government (good luck with that), they *could* be planning an assassination (say hello to the nice man from the Secret Service, everyone!), they *could* have lots of reasons to buy extra guns. I tend to take them at their word, though, that they expect the Democrats to crack down on gun rights. I think they're wrong about that, but believing it wouldn't make them racist (reactionary, maybe, but that's a different question).
Calling Obama a socialist isn't racist (it's wildly inaccurate, but again - different question). Saying he's a terrorist-sympathizer isn't racist, either (though it may possibly indicate bigotry towards Muslims, since that's usually the - false - connection drawn).
Racism is alive and well, don't get me wrong. Telling jokes about how we won't be able to call it the "White House" if Obama wins? That's racist. Saying "the blacks" will all riot and burn down the cities if he doesn't win? That's racist. Putting his face on a monkey and selling it at a political convention? That's racist. As were the folks you wound up dealing with. And I'm impressed that you walked out on them. Not surprised, but impressed. Most people who disagree with racism still don't do so in public. People don't like contradicting the people they're surrounded by. So kudos, Rock.
Posted by Rob McDonagh At 06:23:14 PM On 11/14/2008 | - Website - |
I explained to my daughter that this proof of exactly what I believe. I believe that racism tends to be borne from socio-economic level, not color of the skin. When blacks were oppressed and pushed down to menial jobs, living in ghettos, and not having the same education (and subsequently chances) to prosper they were the slighted race.
Now blacks are (for the most part) viewed as peers. The majority of blacks are in the middle class, and since their socio-economic level is on par with whites, the amount of oppression and racism has dropped considerably.
Now the latinos are in that lower level; and they are experiencing many of the same challenges that blacks once faced in this country.
So I have been trying to teach my kids about this phenomenon. I explained that my generation saw blacks being persecuted and racism ran rampant when we were young - just like latinos are treated by many in their generation. I think that my kids get it - at least I hope so. Since they were very young my wife and I have tried to teach them to judge people by their actions, not by where they live or what they look like.
So far, so good.
Thanks for mentioning that Andy - it is a great point.
Rock
Posted by Rock At 11:20:45 AM On 11/17/2008 | - Website - |
{ Link }
Posted by Mike At 04:26:18 PM On 11/14/2008 | - Website - |
I've been in the same kind of position Rock. I'm in the deep, deep South. Baldwin County, Alabama - which went 73% for McCain.... but I do think that this is a problem that is dying out as the older generation dies out. I won't say we don't have racial issues in the schools or among young people in the South but I see much less animosity on both sides than when I was in high school.
Many southerners who lived through the 1960s and the civil rights movement have a chip on their shoulder. White southerners got singled out as the racist oppressors when really economic and social conditions for African Americans were pretty horrid across the board. The riots in Boston and other northern cities when busing finally made its way there were as bad as they were here. Add to that the fact that both your state and mine have been pretty solidly Republican ever since Regan's first term and you get a mix of old grudges and sour grapes and it comes out stronger than it is.
I'm not going to be an apologist for southern racists... or northern racists... but I do hold out hope that a lot of our tolerance issues are working themselves out as our kids grow up and hopefully take us to a better place.
Posted by Chuck Dean At 07:02:48 PM On 11/14/2008 | - Website - |
Posted by Finn L. Knudsen At 04:57:06 PM On 11/14/2008 | - Website - |
No longer do I hear comments about the blacks, but rather now they are about Hispanics.
And it is sad, very sad.
Posted by Andy Broyles At 11:03:07 AM On 11/17/2008 | - Website - |
It's not a southern white thing. I currently live in balmy NH and there are <n> generation NH natives up here who have problems with blacks and with Obama being president.
The south gets a bad rap for race relations but I can tell you that I've run into it everywhere I've lived; FL, MD, NJ, OH, NH, CA, even Okinawa.
On the other hand, I've met totally colorblind people in all those places as well.
Be true to yourself and don't let the assholes get you down.
Posted by Doug Finner At 08:39:37 PM On 11/14/2008 | - Website - |
Posted by Finn L. Knudsen At 04:56:57 PM On 11/14/2008 | - Website - |