The Leap into True Communication
Racism is ugly.
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espect and Truth
Yesterday's post drew a couple of comments that deserve a detailed response, so here it is. Basically, my feeling is that whenever a White criticizes anything to do with anything Black, the whole burden of history is laid on his/her back.
Despite our society's penchant for calling Whites racist who criticize Blacks or, again, anything to do with Blacks or Black culture, this should not deter anyone from being honest. This blog is about truth. I don't write the blog to be loved. I don't write it to be politically correct. I write it to tell the truth. If you want me to patronize you, you're at the wrong blog.
I owe you, my Reader, whether you are White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, whatever, only two things: respect, and the truth. I respect you, but I can only treat you as an equal, which is what I want to do, by speaking what for me is the truth. I'm not like the patronizing liberals who tell you everything you want to hear. I tell it like it is. You can handle it. You are adults, and we need to battle these things out, with words. Here are my comments to Anonymous from yesterday's post about Kwanzaa.Dear Anonymous
Anonymous, thanks for your comments. You said:
My man, I have to take serious exception to your criticisms of Kwanzaa, not due to your opinions of course, but due to your gross misunderstandings of the holiday.
I'm willing to listen, although I got my info directly from Wickepedia, among other sources, hardly a conservative source, and usually accurate.
1. "The emphasis ought to be on being Americans." Would you tell an American Jew that the emphasis of Hanukah celebrations in America "ought to emphasize being American?" or that they should speak in English during their prayers rather than Hebrew?
Actually, I do have issues with any sect totally walling themselves off from others. I've seen orthodox religious of all religions do this. Of course I want to be tolerant and let people behave as they want. On the other hand, I think it would be ideal if people could both practice their individuality and separateness, plus contribute to society as a whole, and to the country they live in.
Racism ought NOT exist and had America as a whole been kinder towards Black people historically, this wouldn't be an issue. Kwanzaa emphasizes the celebration of African heritage, not a separation from America.
In the interest of fairness, I'm open to hearing this. I sense otherwise, though. It appears that the prevailing belief among some Blacks is that Whites are so bad that they need to insulate themselves from them. As I said, which you seem to ignore, Kwanzaa does seem to have many beautiful things about it, and these I applaud.Eyes on the Prize
2. It wasn't/isn't African Americans who had/have a misunderstanding of e pluribus unam. Remember the 60's now- the fire hoses, the German Shepards, the fire bombings, the KKK, the impossible poll tests, the segregation, the economic oppression, lynchings, etc, etc, etc. At a time when most Black people were actively TRYING to become equal partners in American society and live out the true meaning of "e pluribus unam" it was racist/prejudice White people and American GOVERNMENTS at the federal, state and local levels who fought vehemently to keep us separate and socially/economically disenfranchised.
Hey, you've identified yourself a bit, as African-American, which I like. I understand what you're saying, but I think things have changed dramatically in the U.S., and that Blacks actually had a better way of seeing the world back then. Unfortunately, you're right—this better attitude I remember and see on all the news footage, movies, shows, etc. got "beaten" out of much of the Black race in America. They gave up or changed tactics, more towards Malcolm X and away from Martin Luther King. These tactics worked, but they are no longer useful. I also don't think there is any further use for seeking out racism everywhere anymore either. Things have changed.
The need for certain organizations grows and wanes, depending on the threat. We don't so much need to separate ourselves anymore. That maybe was good for a time. Now, it has the opposite effect—making things worse.FestivusA Holiday for the Rest of Us
Kwanzaa is not a "movement" nor is it separatist. The holiday came about to instill historical pride and forge a culturally African holiday tradition that had up to that point been missing from Black homes. You and 98% of the White people living in the US can trace your family ancestry to a specific country of origin and relate to it's culture in some way, even visit distant relatives in Europe if you want. You have the CHOICE to celebrate a Polish/Irish/Italian/English/German version of holiday traditions if you wish and take historical pride in it, but for 98% of Black people that's not even an option. Kwanzaa and it's African traditions are the closest Black people will come to a "traditional" holiday celebration.
Black people are welcome to participate in Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, the Fourth of July, and even President's Day. They can even drink green beer on St. Patrick's Day. They are welcome at all our holidays. These holidays are their holidays. If not, then I guess we ought to have "White" holidays too, just for Whites. Kwanzaa, though, as I've said, is welcome. If any group wants a holiday, that is their right. We all need a Festivus I guess, for the rest of us.click to show/hide the rest of the postclick to hide most of this postHow to Succeed in America Today
Let me tell you the "Secret of Success in America" in the 21st century.
You take any man or woman—any man or woman—put him/her in good looking clothes, put a smile on his/her face, have them talk intelligently and respectfully, have them study and work hard; then—I guarantee you—I bet you my life savings on it—that this man or woman will succeed—REGARDLESS OF COLOR.
Have that same man or woman wear sloppy clothes, earrings in their nose, tattoos, with a frown on his/her face, talking with bad grammar and disrespectfully, with a chip on their shoulder, avoiding study and hard work; then—I guarantee you—I bet you my life savings on it—that this man or woman will fail—REGARDLESS OF COLOR.
The only racism I see where I live these days, is reverse racism. I know this isn't true all over the nation, but it sure is in the media, including radio, TV, print, and most of the Internet; on the streets where I walk; and at the workplaces I frequent.
I hate racism period, reverse or forward. God does not approve of it, and neither do I.
Happy Kwanzaa. Rock(
*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)
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"Paz, every time a White Democrat goes into a Black church or speaks to a Black audience and agrees with the audience that there is widespread racism against Blacks...this is pandering and enabling"
How is this any different than a "conservative" politician speaking in front of a Evangelist Christian audience and saying that there are wide-spread anti-Christian activities, the government is anti-family values and gays shouldn't be able to get married. Isn't THAT what the audience would want to hear in order for them to support that lawmaker seeking election? Politicians of both sides pander to get support- that's what they do BEST. Isn't that how Bush and A LOT of Republicans got elected in 2000/2004- pandering to jaded religious conservatives? In fact I would argue that the folks in office who DON'T pander are vastly in the minority.
You have a point here. Bush does pander. When I've seen him do it I've cringed. Yet, he genuinely likes Blacks too, and he's proven it. Again, he's given them real power. As far as issues like anti-Christian activities, anti-family values, and gays not being able to be married, yes, these are wedge issues. The Republicans do use them when they are in trouble in elections. They did it in 2006 and it didn't work. The idea that all politicians pander might be true for most politicians, but we can always hope for a true leader. I don't see one at present.
I've noticed more Black republican strategists and spokespeople on CNN and Fox "news" over the past few years. Could giving Republicans more color on television be perceived as gratuitous pandering? Maybe.
How cynical, paz. This means that FOX can never win in your eyes. Whites can never win. If you ignore Blacks you are racist. If you include them you're racist. Give me a break. Again, this is the liberal tendency, whether you classify yourself as liberal or not, to place so much emphasis on motive. Forget motives. You can't read people's minds. Pay attention to their behaviors. If they include Blacks, be happy, no matter the motivation.
Pandering means doing or saying things just to gain favor, while abandoning core values. If you are anti-Black and you honor Blacks, who cares? If this is the way they "pander" then pray for more pandering! Destructive pandering is when a politician says to Blacks, "You haven't a chance to succeed in this racist society," gaining votes, but causing real psychological harm to his audience.
You cannot ever watch FOX news and find any concrete evidence of any anti-Black sentiment. In fact, they are very inclusive. To accuse them of pandering by having Blacks on the program is absurd, and an example of reaching to find discrimination. A real paranoia.
"Historically, the Republican Party was founded on an anti-slavery platform, as opposed to the slave-holding and pro-slavery Democrats."
And historically, Black people overwhelmingly supported Republicans- that is until the late 30's when most overwhelmingly shifted to the Democratic party, due in large part to the lack of REAL social change since Reconstruction and feelings of political abandonment. Democrats as a whole weren't opposed to civil rights as you claim- you're referring to the so-called racist Dixiecrats of the 50's who were "democrats" by name, but didn't embrace the ideals of their noble predecessors. They obviously had NO support from Black folks. And just a side note, the most vehement Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond became a (gasp) Republican in 1964-right in the heart of the civil rights movement. I'm sure that helped bring Black people back into the Republican folds.
I disagree with your facts and conclusions. See my post comments. You ignore many of the points I brought up. You label Democrats who were racists as "Dixiecrats." Yes, that's what they were called, but they were registered Democrats, and racists. Period. You can't just disown them from the party. While the Northern Republicans fought the Civil War to free the slaves, Blacks after the Civil War won seats in legislatures and statehouses, and these Blacks were removed, and the election laws were changed. By whom? By Democrats.
Hey, the Dems have Rob Byrd (among others), the Repubs have George Allen (among others)...
You compare Robert Byrd's leadership in the Ku Klux Klan with George Allen's faux pax? How insulting, and how absurd.
"Again, "trickle-down Reaganomics" did work, as evidenced in the Clinton years"
As your reliable Wikipedia says, Reagan's economic success is still being debated (just like global warming, no?). All I know is that when Black people talk of the 80's, not much positive is said about it. I can agree that Clinton may have benefited from Reagan's policies, but the perception is that Black prosperity was hindered in the 80's, not helped.
Again, wrong perceptions are what I am fighting.
By the way, if you haven't noticed, Wikepedia veers far left. It is not reliable in its politics; it is dead wrong. Every article has a leftist slant. So, I never trust its conclusions. However, it is pretty good on facts. So, when it concludes something like, "global warming is caused by human pollution," they are in the hysteria, cuckoo, twilight zone. But, when they say that the earth has been warming, a fact, I trust them.
"Katrina.... This was not a race thing, paz. This was an incompetence thing."
Grand ole Katrina. I didn't say that Bush's incompetence was racially based, I was saying the PERCEPTION is that it was and another "example" of Republicans not caring about the welfare of Black people. Regardless, it's hard for be to believe that if Beverly Hills had been flooded that it would have taken almost a week for help to arrive- hmmm....
Bush took the same time to respond in Mississippi. You don't hear about any Bush "racism" in Mississippi, though, because that state had a competent governor and local governments that did not have busses left unused. The equally incompetent Mayor and Governor of Louisiana pass unscathed with your criticism. Are they racist?
"Lincoln, Eisenhower, and Bush are three presidents who have made great contributions to Black advancement."
2 out of 3 aren't bad. It's hard to say what contribution Bush has had on Black advancement. Yes he has high ranking Black members of his cabinet- some of the smartest people in US government I might add, but don't you think it's a bit too early to tell how it will effect Blacks in the future?
Appointing Blacks to high office can't hurt. Plus, the perception that he is racist, if anyone believes this, is absurd.
I know how much you love the guy, but we'll be able to judge in say 20 years, but not now.
I don't love the guy. Sarge Charlie loves him, and I understand why he does. I am personally disappointed in him. He is too much a panderer for my taste, too much of a "good guy" in Iraq, and has given away our country with his immigration policies. I like him because of his War on Terror, and invading Iraq, and keeping taxes low. Otherwise, he is a leftist or a panderer, and an ineffective communicator.