Racism for Heck

[Westside Steve]

Heck:

Steve, all I can say is, holy xxxx.

Yes, Tawana Brawley vs. slavery/lynchings/beatings/Jim Crow/racism.

Yep, we're about even. It's all the same. Both sides do it. Holy xxxx.

Every time I want to give you some credit, you show me just how you're just another resentful white guy cheering for the white team. That's all you do, ever. Not one word otherwise that I can recall. Not even a mention. Not once.

Keep on keeping on.

Heck, this is one of the most obnoxious traits of your party and you in particular.

Sure I realize it’s in the playbook.

You hate everybody who isn’t an Obama (or Democrat party) acolyte.

We get it.

And one of the ways to marginalize the opposition is blather on how stupid they are and then brag ad nauseum about how enlightened you are.

We get it.

But the constant drone of racism really should embarrass you. Seriously.

We understand you don’t like the tea party protesters though they seem like pretty mainstream people compared to most protesters.

Like just about every economist from either camp they’re concerned about the exploding debt.

But, and here’s my point (before you run down a rathole of tax debate)

When you guys hate someone you invariably play the race card.

I don’t love me no Obama; I’m a racist.

Lets say one of the TP guys did call somebody a N*****.

That’s your focus. Bingo. The entire movement is discredited.

Of course when it happens on your side it’s no big deal.

Somebody suggests (like ME) that slavery Jim Crow etc shouldn’t give an entire race a free pass and immediately you toss out the racism accusation.

Even though Obama’s pal Minister Farrakhan himself is a proponent of separate but equal (does that sound like Jim Crow to you Heck?)

And you want to compare the actions of the 19th century with today?

You ready to go to war with third world countries that still have slavery?

I never had any slaves.

No ancestor of mine in the last century had any.

If you feel guilty send somebody a check.

Lynchings in the south years ago? Terrible thing.

Take a look at the black on white crime stats today Heck.

Or black on black. That isn’t terrible? Is that justified in your fu*ked up view?

And no Heck, I don’t think affirmative action does much good for anybody.

Not the person who gets shortchanged or artificially promoted based on skin color.

And no Heck I don’t think it should be a worse crime to rape beat or murder a minority than you or your family.

And yes Heck, I think a greater percent of what passes for “black culture” is offensive.

Gangsta rap is a big seller, and it really is offensive.

And yes ebonics makes people of any race sound sounds stupid to me.

Black humor spends half the time making fun of white people.

And yes, Heck, I find a lot of it funny.

But there’s a clear double standard but I figure I don’t have a constitutional protection from being offended.

But just making those statements gives you the opportunity to call someone racist and win the debate in your own sick brain. Fever swamp? Please.

See most people don’t care about race and those that make a big deal are usually doing so for power or profit or both.

See Jackson, Sharpton, Wright, Obama........

Hypocrites.

So rather than spew your phony outrage at me, why not spend your time figuring out why balkanizing the entire race as you on the left love to do has made things worse.

And when you do, try to figure out why and how or if it can be reversed.

Yeah I know, more taxes.

But I’m sure you can find something here to misquote or mischaracterize and bleat away.

Have at it.

WSS

[Chicopee John]

Not to get in the middle of this, just for the record:

Both sides of my family came to the United States in the early 20th Century. One Grandfather from Greece and the other from Portugal.

My Greek Grandfather wasn't allowed to marry my Grandmother in a Catholic Church so they basically slipped a guy in NY $20 to give them a marriage license.

My other Grandfather dies in his early 30s and left behind 6 kids - it was a busy and productive 30 years, you could say.

Bottom line is when folks start talking about why I should be ashamed about Slavery, etc. etc. I point out that it was, unfortunately, a way for agricultural societies to get labor. It is horrible to think about - especially now.

HOWEVER, my family had nothing to do with Slavery. They weren't here. I will not even begin to make comparisons but my Grandfathers and my very Irish Catholic Grandmother weren't exactly met with open arms by Anglo Protestant America.

Thankfully all such things have - at least - abated from those times. But I see no reason why I EVER should have to pay restitution for certain acts - slavery, in this instance. I haven't been asked so what I just said is a hypothetical?

Am I racist? Members of my family say I am - I like to play on certain stereotypes once in a while. At the same time, I will stack up minority friends, colleagues, etc. against any of theirs.

[Kosar_For_President]

Who cares. I'm Irish and Jamaican, I already have 2 strikes against me. Actions speak louder then words.

[Chicopee John]

@kosar_for_president said:

Who cares. I'm Irish and Jamaican, I already have 2 strikes against me. Actions speak louder then words.

Unfortunately, Kosar, I don't give a rat's asp. Unfortunately some people do. Those on one side are called racists and those on the other 'can't be blamed because THEY have been through so much'.

Noting gets my blood boiling more than a suggestion of racism - For the record, nobody on this board ever did.

[Kosar_For_President]

@chicopee-john said:

Unfortunately, Kosar, I don't give a rat's asp. Unfortunately some people do. Those on one side are called racists and those on the other 'can't be blamed because THEY have been through so much'.

Noting gets my blood boiling more than a suggestion of racism - For the record, nobody on this board ever did.

There is a difference with people joking around, making fun of the sterotypes put forth in our society vs. Billy Bob wanting to lynch someone because he thinks THIS land belongs to him. I hate when either "side" pulls the race card. In the words of the great Beastie Boys:

Good Times Gone But You Feed It

Hate's Grown Strong You Feel You Need It

Just One Thing Do You Know

What You Think That The World Owes You

What's Gonna Set You Free

Look Inside And You'll See

When You've Got So Much To Say

It's Called Gratitude, And That's Right

[Chicopee John]

@kosar_for_president said:

There is a difference with people joking around, making fun of the sterotypes put forth in our society vs. Billy Bob wanting to lynch someone......

There you go again..................

You know the difference between a joke or two and an ingraned hatred/fear. I wish more folks did. Unfortunately, many people - especially on the left/guilt side of the aisle cannot or will not make that distinction.

Aks around.

[heckofajobbrownie]

What a silly rant. And what a ridiculous discussion about reparations and "free passes" this will become. And of Farrakhan. You know, Obama's buddy. (Jesus.) As if you needed to type all of that. Believe me, I know how you feel. It's all review.

If you're asking me if I think you're racist, Steve, the answer is ...well, yes. Kind of. I'd probably prefer to use another description that's less loaded, because no one talks about anything once that word gets thrown out. And you're right that it shouldn't be tossed out lightly. I'd think a better way to describe it would be that you relentlessly stereotype blacks in negative ways, and often seem to enjoy doing it. And yes, that's a type of racism.

What you want is for me and the rest of the world to allow you to resent blacks as a group, but to believe you're doing it for reasons unrelated to their race. You think they've earned your low opinion of them, so you should get to keep it. I get it. And you can keep it.

What I don't think you get is that your low opinions of blacks in general are horrible and largely inaccurate stereotypes that color your ability to see situations for what they are. And that's what's offensive.

Think about it: for all the appeals for me not to focus on the worst of what the Tea Partiers are, you always focus on the worst in the black community, and nothing else, and have been doing so since I've known you. And you just did it again. Some 38 million of your fellow Americans are somehow all described in the same ways - they talk funny, they're illiterate criminals on welfare, they're always whining about their problems, they suck off the government teet, they want a free pass, black culture is offensive, rap music is offensive, and you despise their race-hustling leaders. And then you actually have the complete lack of self-awareness to then suggest that you don't care about race.

I know! Clearly you don't notice it at all!

It's as if you've never met an actual black person, and instead have formed your opinion of them from watching NWA videos from the 80s. Add into that all that you've written over the years, some of which had clear racist overtones and would get you instantly fired from any public job, as we've discussed, and I can only come to the conclusion that you resent blacks as a group, and feel very little kinship with them as individual people or fellow Americans; rather, you see them as a different tribe that's trying to soak your tribe, all with the help of guilt-ridden liberals. This comes through over and over again, just like in this last bit. And that's fine, I suppose. That's what you think is true.

I don't, however, suspect that you treat blacks any different on an individual level. I also don't suspect that you run into many. After all, your notions of what constitutes black America are rather silly. They're gross stereotypes.

The fact that you're not descended from slave owners, or that John isn't, or that I'm not, isn't the point. At all. I don't talk about reparations in here, and I don't support them. They're just a right-wing obsession that has no real support in Congress, and is never going anywhere. It's just talk-show fodder for disenfranchised whites. Talking about closing black/white achievement gaps in schools, or addressing the problems of the urban poor, are not reparations discussions. Or even "backdoor reparations" discussions. Unless you're a "race-hustler" for whites.

Which you seem to have no problem with whatsoever.

[Mr. T]

Going back a few years, right out of HS, and I was listening to tv news and the radio and they were stating racism is at an alltime high, this was 1980. I was thinking to myself who the hell determined this propaganda? I attended R Nelson snider in Ft. Wayne IN. We didn't have any problems whatsoever, unlike it was while I was in Jr. high when the black folks started rioting the school because they didn't want to be bused into a white neighborhood.

IMO: Folks just want to be left alone, you cannot force desegregation, if so people will segragate themselves from others. Even during the riots there was not any animosity between the students white on black or black on white. They were ticked off at the politicians and nothing more, because everyone actually got along well and respected each other.

[Kosar_For_President]

It's funny listening to a bunch of white boys fight over what is right and wrong with racism. JK, I AM JOKING.

[Mr. T]

I think the point that most are trying to make is that there are political groups that promote racism, this is how they get their power. Without it they are nothing more than an empty suit.

[Chicopee John]

@mr.-t said:

Going back a few years, right out of HS, and I was listening to tv news and the radio and they were stating racism is at an alltime high, this was 1980. I was thinking to myself who the hell determined this propaganda? I attended R Nelson snider in Ft. Wayne IN. We didn't have any problems whatsoever, unlike it was while I was in Jr. high when the black folks started rioting the school because they didn't want to be bused into a white neighborhood.

IMO: Folks just want to be left alone, you cannot force desegregation, if so people will segragate themselves from others. Even during the riots there was not any animosity between the students white on black or black on white. They were ticked off at the politicians and nothing more, because everyone actually got along well and respected each other.

There is an excellent book written by Michael McDonald (sp), called "All Souls Day". It focuses on the turbulent times that I happened to live in Boston and it centered on life in South Boston (sometimes called Southie) and the attempt to institute bussing in Boston.

McDonald's statement won't come as a surprise given his political leanings and association with Professor Howard Zinn.

He stated that bussing was an experiment invented by eletists and used the poorest segments of society as pawns in this game (Southie Whites and Boston Blacks).

The book is very good and it touches on a number of facets of Boston in the early 70s. Will make you laugh and it will make you cry as he leaves a chilling picture in our minds.

[Westside Steve]

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h40/show

Talking about closing black/white achievement gaps in schools, or addressing the problems of the urban poor, are not reparations discussions.

Only if the way to bridge that gap is to give or take away credit from either group.

But the fact that there's no real basis for it?

Look at the list of co sponsors on HR 40.

More later.

WSS

[heckofajobbrownie]

@westside-steve said:

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h40/show

Talking about closing black/white achievement gaps in schools, or addressing the problems of the urban poor, are not reparations discussions.

Only if the way to bridge that gap is to give or take away credit from either group.

But the fact that there's no real basis for it?

Look at the list of co sponsors on HR 40.

More later.

WSS

Oh, my GOD!!! It's happening!

[DieHardBrownsFan]

As a brotha, I finds Hecks remarks admirabull.

[Chicopee John]

Just curious, Heck, have you read, "All Souls Day"?

At most you were probably a toddler then, but McDonald does an excellent job in defining and describing life in and around Southie. Characters like Louise Day Hicks, Dapper O'Neill, Whitey Bulger are quite present.

[heckofajobbrownie]

I have not.

But I grew up around there. I've got friends and relatives from Southie. If you want a lesson in what white provincialism looks like, it's a nice place to start.

Common Ground is a great book about that area. Won the Pulitzer. Highly recommend.

[VaporTrail]

Very, very applicable.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-apri...010/tea-america

I know it's the daily show, but I think everyone'll appreciate it.

[Chicopee John]

@heckofajobbrownie said:

Common Ground is a great book about that area. Won the Pulitzer. Highly recommend.

Thanks, Heck, I will check it out - the abstract looks god - and will let you know what I think.

One very fond memory of that turbulent 'Judge Garrity' era was Stevie Wonder's wonderful and heartfelt concert at the Boston Garden. Given the hightened sensitivity of that time and despite calls from the likes of Mayor Kevin White to NOT appear, Wonder thought he HAD to appear.

Coupling the political times with Wonder's masterful "Innervisions" album of that time was something I will always remember. That, and his call for calming of racial tensions and fostering relationships across all socioeconomic and ethnic groups.

Wonder was the right guy at the right place at the right time.

[heckofajobbrownie]

@vaportrail said:

Very, very applicable.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-apri...010/tea-america

I know it's the daily show, but I think everyone'll appreciate it.

Vapor, they can post all sorts of nonsense they want, day after day, from sites you've never heard of, but if you post Jon Stewart for some reason they get upset.

[heckofajobbrownie]

I just watched that clip. I don't think it's one of his better efforts. His mugging for the camera gets old real fast.

This is a much better takedown of Fox.