Category Archives: racisim

It’s A Combination Of Remembering (AND reading) ~ Late Evening Thoughts…

Posted on by
Reply

By now, we all know the cover that uncovered a huge stream of hate/hysteria ….

I'd also direct your attention to the Willie Nelson story in the left hand corner ...

I’d also direct your attention to the Willie Nelson story in the left hand corner …

. Now, I have no argument that the picture is one of a self-confident, somewhat attractive youth.  The look of a lot of college students.  But, even as the picture hit the internet, before distribution – the flames began to fly.   OK, here’s where one of my points comes … IF the cover was only to glorify the bomber, then I don’t think they would have included this statement:

hmmmm4

The article itself – which hopefully some people read online – while not exactly the world’s greatest journalism – attempted to deal with the question – why would someone who seeming had everything going for him do something such as this?  What failed him? Did his brother “turn him to the dark side”.  Some of these questions we may only get answers to at the trial…if ever,

I want to wander back in recent history a bit, and take a look at a moment in time and TIME magazine.  When this cover was published, TIME was pretty much everywhere and if not in most homes, was probably read somewhere by someone in that home.

Here’s a cover about Timothy McVey ….

The explosion killed 168 people, including 19 children in the day care center on the second floor, and injured 450 others.

The explosion killed 168 people, including 19 children in the day care center on the second floor, and injured 450 others.

Here’s a good-looking fellow, who lit an explosion that killed 168 people, including 19 children in the day care center on the second floor, and injured 450 others. And TIME is having a debate about should he die.  I don’t recall a huge uproar over the photo or the story.  I don’t recall people wanting to burn the issue or stores refusing to carry it.  It was published, distributed and seemingly “forgotten” as a major issue for people to deal with …

OK, let’s go to another TIME issue a little more recent…Osama Bin Laden

3,460: Approximate number of people killed in the 9/11 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., including firefighters and paramedics (New York Magazine /Guardian ) 20: Percentage of Americans who knew someone “hurt or killed” at the World Trade Center (New York Magazine ) 422,000: Estimated number of New Yorkers with symptoms of PTSD post-9/11 (New York Magazine )

3,460: Approximate number of people killed in the 9/11 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., including firefighters and paramedics (New York Magazine /Guardian )
20: Percentage of Americans who knew someone “hurt or killed” at the World Trade Center (New York Magazine )
422,000: Estimated number of New Yorkers with symptoms of PTSD post-9/11 (New York Magazine )

So, just looking at the photo as a photo, here’s a fairly handsome person with a slight smile, piercing eyes – and to my untrained eye – has been slightly airbrushed.  Just slightly. And yet –

  • 3,460: Approximate number of people killed in the 9/11 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., including firefighters and paramedics (New York Magazine /Guardian )
  • 20: Percentage of Americans who knew someone “hurt or killed” at the World Trade Center (New York Magazine )
  •  422,000: Estimated number of New Yorkers with symptoms of PTSD post-9/11 (New York Magazine )

Now, admittedly you might think I’m begging the question with this one, but in a sense, it was presenting a very pretty picture of a very evil person …

Which brings me to the Rolling Stone cover … warts and all.  One of the Boston Police was so upset at the cover he released some shots of the capture (which has now gotten him suspended) .  Sgt. Sean Murphy, Massachusetts State Police photographer really might not have wanted his photos to be used as the cover but was trying to counter-act what he perceived as the glorification of the bomber.  Here’s his picture … and my comments below ..

caused injuries and death totaling 3 spectators killed and 264 casualties whose injuries were treated in 27 local hospitals

caused injuries and death totaling 3 spectators killed and 264 casualties whose injuries were treated in 27 local hospitals

There actually people today demanding (on Facebook and other places) that Rolling Stone should reissue the magazine with this picture on the cover.  Here’s my problem with that.  Go ahead, enlarge the picture for a moment…. I’ll wait …

This picture does as much to glorify him as the other might.  You have the handsome – albeit blood spattered – youth, with his shirt pulled up above his abs and a laser target on his forehead.  For an arrest photo, it’s also quite well-lit. It could actually pass as a fashion advertisement in a glossy magazine. [if you didn’t know who it was] Certainly, nothing that would tell you “this is an evil, scary killer” …

Here’s where I’m at with this … people didn’t like the photo because it didn’t reach their preconceived notions of what a killer should look like.  It also struck deep into the biases and dislikes that people have.  And sadly, there is no arguing with that.  Let me repeat that – there is no arguing with folks who are biased, discriminatory or yes, even racist.

S. I Hayakawa in his landmark book “Language In Thought And Action” talked about the idea that once we have cast someone in the role of the enemy all communications and actions are immediately suspect and forced to fit the narrative we’ve given them.

Seem familiar? We’ve seen it at two MLB events in the last couple of weeks.  I was watching on Twitter someone attempting to counter someones frankly bigoted argument with the truth Puerto Ricans indeed are US Citizens (have been since I think 1917). the discussion went about as well as you would think … nowhere.

More on this anon ….

Cyclic Cynical ~ Late Evening Thoughts

Posted on by
1

Every so often it comes over me. It’s a feeling not of despair or hopelessness ~ but one of deep cynicism. It is not a pleasant feeling or way of thinking. If allowed to run free, it begins to color so many areas of life. . . relationships, friendships and way of life.

As I was trying to track down where this was coming from or being “fed” by, I realized that the political arena was mostly to blame. I was surprised because usually my reaction politically is a heartfelt “Meh” (a new word in the dictionary) or a rather disgusted “Oh well . . . “. It seems that this time the political circus has moved beyond the annoying to emulating the Keystone Kops!

It started with Mr Pay-for-Play Rod Blagojevich, who, until we actually have a chance to hear/read the transcripts of the recorded conversations, seems to be guilty of nothing more than stupidity and babbling bluster. However, that was until the Senate leadership, in its infinite leadership wisdom entered the act. With extreme posturing ~ even by political standards ~ announcing that no one appointed by the governor would be seated in the Senate to replace President-Elect Obama. At first blush it seemed reasonable enough, however with some reflection I remembered there was a court case where the House was told by the Supreme Court no less, That Congress lacked power to fashion its own standards for admittance (back in 1967, involving Adam Clayton Powell ~ race surely coincidental). Of course, the Governor did exactly that . . . he appointed Roland Burris who one article described as someone who: “never lacked in self-esteem or retreated from long-odds challenges.”

This appointment boxed the Senate leadership into a nice corner of their own making.

Then, I read in chigacotribune.com this priceless bit of information ~

“ While the process slogs along, it’s also possible that Burris could take on some limited trappings of office.

Past practice (cue music from Fiddler on the Roof here) in the Senate has been to grant a senator whose credentials are disputed office space and payroll for a staff, as well as floor privileges—but not a Senate seat—until the situation is resolved. So Burris potentially could be allowed to enter the exclusive club, but not as a full member, without the ability to vote, speak or even literally sit at a senator’s desk.“

At that point, my cynical meter was almost on overload. Everything but the ability to vote or have a seat on the senate floor? Are you kidding me?

It no longer is a surprise to me that Congress is unable to get anything done. They’re too busy living on tradition or trying to outdo or outshout anyone else.

However, all that paled when my cynic (OK, B.S.) meter finally exploded. I had heard this before, but it wasn’t until tonight that any of the anchors seemed to make a point of it . . . The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had evidently called Mr. Blogojevich to tell him who NOT to appoint (evidently) because they would not be “electable” in the 2010 elections!! No name politicians such as: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones. Now, this has moved from the Keystone Kops to The Perils of Pauline!

While I am using the political situation as a “set-up” this is not basically a political two-part post. Tomorrow I’m going to explore what this cynical attitude can do to me and to those around me … after all:

“What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900)

“The opposite of creativity is cynicism”
—Esa Saarinen

“A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.”
—H. L. Mencken (1880 – 1956)

A Disappointment ~ Early Evening Thoughts

Posted on by
Reply

I was so hoping that we had moved beyond certain backwater behaviors, that some how we as a people had gotten beyond certain things in our lives that hold us back from reaching our own potential and allowing all others to reach the potential within themselves.

How wrong I was …

I’ve been following the controversy over Rick Warren – fed in part by Rachel Maddow (who might be heading down the road of becoming the Ann Coulter of the left). I’d been reading about Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich being guilty and defiant at the least of idiotic conversations and possibly more.

But these paled in comparison to the stories about Republican Chip Saltsman, a candidate for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee distributing as CD titled “We Hate the USA” and includes songs referencing former presidential candidate John Edwards and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, among other targets.

According to The Hill, other song titles were: “John Edwards’ Poverty Tour,” “Wright place, wrong pastor,” “Love Client #9,” “Ivory and Ebony” and “The Star Spanglish Banner.”

The big main song according to reports was “Barack, the Magic Negro.” (to the tune of “Puff, the Magic Dragon)

Saltsman’s lame excuse was “political satire” and “I think RNC members understand that.”

Sorry sir ~ They might, I do not. It certainly didn’t make it any easier when I found out that the Rush Limbaugh ‘s radio show had played it first back in 2007. While this is the kind of racist behavior I would expect from Rush and gang, for someone who wants to be considered a serious contender for Chairmanship of the ailing RNC and the ailing party, it certainly was not one of the better ideas he might have had.

The song had it’s genesis in an article by David Ehrenstein (who’s Father was a Jew and Mother an African American with white Irish roots) who often writes about homosexuality in cinema and in the article talks about the “magic Negro” of cinema and somehow Mr. Ehrenstein makes the leap from the silver screeen to the politcal stage. You can read the article —>here<— And he certainly would have been upset if someone had written about the "Magic Jew" problem…given his ethnic background.

All this was coupled with realizing that we as a people, have NOT really progressed to where we should be in this day and age ~ and I’m including BOTH sides of the ethnic divide. I hear African Americans say things in public that if someone else were to say them would cause immediate backlash of all kinds. I have gotten e-mails from people I really love containing Obama jokes that not only are tasteless, but border on racist. These kind of things hold someone up to ridicule and show how little we hold them in regard.

SIDE BAR: I need to say here that I do understand satire and political satire…those are both vibrant and valid forms of expression and speech. What is involved here is neither. Satire really doesn’t work when it only involves characteristics that someone can no change. For example, Barack Obama can NOT change the color of his skin or his ethnic heritage. Jokes about either are not satire..they are more the old saying of “keeping the uppity in their place.” (THAT ring a bell for anyone around in the 60;s?) The fact that Prince Charles ears are rather large and obvious serves as “quick identification” in satire, but if was the only thrust of the story or sketch would not be satire, but rather cruelty.

If goes back to what I have written about before, this kind of behavior simply allows “us” a sense of “control” over the person we have labled as “the enemy.” And allows “us” to label them, put them in a box and decide how all behavior toward them will be.

All it does is belittle, cut down and move toward humiliation of people. And for those that are listening (especially children or youth), they form the idea that it’s perfectly acceptable to behave in a similar manner. And why shouldn’t they? After all they see/hear the actions, speech and “satire” , so it must be alright. It must be “cool.”

This reminded me of the lyrics of “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught” from South Pacific and I think they are more true today than when they were written:

You’ve got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught
From year to year,
It’s got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff’rent shade,
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You’ve got to be carefully taught!

Is there a place for satire and political satire? Absolutely!! Satire is a wonderful lens to hold up the mistakes and foibles that the great and near-great and the not-so-hot make. But merely denegrating someone or holding them up to contempt for my own amusment or sense of control isn’t.

Dear Lord ~ January 20th can’t come soon enough and according to a poll just released 75% of the people asked can hardly wait for the 20th as well!!!