> Can anyone explain in 100 words or less just why this topic is so
> popular? In the past numerous writers have tried to draw a line of
> demarcation between contexts in which speaking of "blacks" as a single
> (coherent?) entity could make sense and contexts in which it made no
> sense. For example, it makes no sense to speak of "blacks" as a category
> in reference to the mythical "average intelligence." In respect to that
> one can only speak intelligibly of individuals, independently of group
> characteristics. To speak of the average intelligence of "blacks" is to
> reveal oneself as a slimy racist who ought to be denied the company of
> decent men and women. I have only sampled this thread and have no desire
> to read much further, but unless there is strong evidence to the
> contrary, I would suspect that the question of black homophobia _as_
> _black_ homophobia is as racist as the question of black intelligence. I
> would welcome (short) rebuttals of this feeling.
>
> Carrol
Now this is a more interesting point. How can we talk about "blacks" as a coherent group? How can we differentiate "them" from the rest of society?
To be honest, and I'll be as honest as I possibly can, I'm completely divided on this issue. On the one hand there is absolutely NO divide between the African-American doing "bad" things in the ghetto and the African-American ruling the White House at present, and yet there apparently is. To try and divide the population by skin colour is almost like trying to divide the population by head size...
But on the other there certainly IS a culture/class aspect running through America. My point is that there absolutely IS a black culture.
Good God! say the liberals, what an awful thing to say. But is it really. I would say: no. I would say that this is, in a way, racist from the get-go. It tends to try and apply a pejoritive judgement from the very start. Lets look at history instead.
The African-American population in the US were an extremely potent force in the West. Were they "subjected" or "oppresed"? Yes and no. They were an incredibly creative force within our society. This "oppresed" minority gave us wonderful music, blues, rap, jazz; among other things. And yet we continue to pass our judgement on them...
"Oh, why we love your input, but please adhere to our moral framework..."
This is nonsense. This is repulsive and this is digusting. I won't even try and apply the fact that African-Americans have been suppressed economiclly or socially; although both are true, this is simply culturally disgusting. Anyone who disagrees with me ask yourself this question:
"How do I dare leech off other peoples culture while not recognising the imperfections therein?"
Take your puritanism elsewhere...