how do you think us white folks are doing? do you think the white folks are enlightened enough to change and eradicate racism? are the white folks moving fast enough for you, and in the right direction?
i'd say our record hasn't been so good since the neodixiecrat carter administration. that's going on thirty years. remember how jesus ... i mean "jimmy" carter's church didn't allow black members? (that rabbit who chased him had the right idea.) what i've been seeing these past 30 years reminds me so much of a latter day replay of Reconstruction, with a few new twists.
but i'd much rather hear your opinion, and the opinions of others.
it's OK focusing on white folks and their attitudes and actions. in fact, it's essential. but i believe there also are elements in the black community that need attention, non-dominant or not.
a sample list: 1. clarence thomas 2. condi rice 3. ward connerly in calif and on the road 4. the NAACP's failure to get the phony felon list in florida destroyed, despite winning the lawsuit 5. colon powell 6. several other opportunistic black republicans, who believe getting ahead is being republican 7. last but not least, the "black" president, bill clinton. i haven't read his autobiography. to anyone who has read that pointless tome: is there anything in it about race? remember how the "black" president was dead set against changing the law to make charges for possession of crack equivalent to powder cocaine charges? "No," was his response when asked if he'd even bring it up.
you see, the reason i think these areas (just a token few) need attention is that whenever the white folks who aren't so enlightened look at race, they listen to wealthy, successful afro-american "spokes persons" who say things are just fine in the black community and everyone's happy; that programs like affirmative action aren't necessary -- and, in fact, are an insult to the afro-american people; that "reformed" (thanks to the republicans, neoDixicrats and the "black" president) welfare mothers benefit from working two jobs and still being under the poverty line; that blacks who are willing to work are doing well but the rest are lazy, shiftless, resort to a life of crime and violence, and deserve what they get. and so forth.
as a reflection of the attitudes fostered by ignorant whites and self-serving black republicans, people on the list may know that just a few days ago an unarmed black man was beaten by Los Angeles Police peace officers after surrendering. much like the rodney king beating of a few years ago, if you're familiar with that. the beating, like the king beating, was caught on video tape and aired, over and over again, on TV. over and over so people who are afraid of blacks and who get off on TV programs like Cops, where blacks are the bad guys, can enjoy that vicarious thrill of watching an unarmed, defenseless black guy get the shit beat out of him.
the police chief, a former new yorker, is making mostly the right moves ... it seems. yet, one thing that stuck in my mind regarding the PR follow-up to this crime and civil rights horror was the story about how the LA chief of police had turned to religious leaders in the black community for ... who knows what. this rings of exactly the way whites and black religious leaders always got together to control people in the black community during the jim crow era. plus ca change, plus ca meme chose.
at this point, i'm wondering if it's at all possible to have a fully candid discussion of racism on this list. or if that's even the purpose of the list. doug will have to weigh in on the latter if he chooses.
R
----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles Brown" <cbrown at michiganlegal.org> To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org> Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 9:38 AM Subject: [lbo-talk] Comment on F-9/11
I have focussed for a number of years now on white people discussing and acting to change and eradicate racism. Black people , being non-dominant, do not have the social wherewithal to make the anti-racist revolution in America.
Charles
From: Jon Johanning
On Jun 27, 2004, at 11:48 PM, R wrote:
> if this board is going to have a discussion on race -- which i can't
> imagine
> happening soon since i get the impression most members are from the
> dominant
> culture or connect with it one way or another
By which, do you mean that people from the "dominant culture" (i.e., whites) have nothing to contribute to such a discussion, or that we (since I belong to that category) have a habit of squelching such discussion?
I for one would like there to be an extended discussion on this important subject; I'm all ears. I not only agree with everything in your post, but I have heard it many times, for quite a few years. Is there anything new to be said on the subject? That's what I'd like to see.
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