On Friday, one of my students, a young woman who is Black and a Freedman, told me that, a week or so ago, her brother drove to Arkansas just as he’d done many, many times before – with one difference: this time, he was chased out of a convenience store and called the most vile of names. As he pulled out, the perpetrators threw rocks at him.
Earlier today, I paid my usual Saturday morning visit to the Psychotic Farmers Forum, a homesteading forum I’ve visited for years, only to find the owner of the forum, one flaming wingnut named Chuck Holton, had posted a thread claiming if the Blacks don’t get their way, they were planning to throw a hissy fit and start rioting, just like they always do.
And now on CNN, I hear that Anne Presley has died as a result of the attack which, no doubt, resulted from her appearance in “W.”
And I am boiling mad.
4 Comments
I can understand your anger about the experience of that young man in Arkansas. But, how can you think that Anne Presley’s murder had anything to do with her role in “W”? I thought she had little more than a brief moment on-screen? Was “W” that inflammatory a film? I haven’t seen it.
It hasn’t really been that long ago that flagrant racism was socially acceptable in polite society, unfortunately. I think we in the U.S. don’t realize just what a true social experiment our country is. When compared to countries in the European Union, the diversity of our society is unparalleled. Even though countries like the Netherlands may seem very tolerant, their immigrant populations are not fully integrated into larger society; immigrants there do not participate fully as Dutch citizens. No where else has a country made such an effort to overcome race-based hatred as the U.S.
And it’s a very large hurdle to overcome. We have only legislated against segregation and Jim Crow in my lifetime – and as old as I am, that is not a very long time in history’s view.
I am sorry that your young friend’s brother was treated so badly. I hate it that the McCain/Palin campaign has made an issue out of Obama’s race. But, what other issue could they run with? The Republicans are so wrong on every other issue, the race card is the only one left in their deck.
We have had at least 18 years of hate radio with Rush and Shawn and Bill-O and Neal Bortz and Lars Larson and Michael ‘Weiner’ Savage and all the other local hate mongers. Radio is something that anyone can get for free and it feeds into our ego and gives us strength. This hate has a price, though. Our minds are festering in a pool of racist and tribal thoughts. Us against them-us against the liberals. It has spilled over into McCain-Palin.
Rush Limbaugh makes $40 MILLION a Year
Shawn Hannity makes $23 MILLION a Year
Bill O’Reilley makes $10 MILLION a Year
all that money and they just spew hate and divisiveness.
Whose side do you really think they are on?
Oh exactly. I knew it would all start coming to a head at some point, but I guess I didn’t anticipate how angry it would make me.
I think drchelo has stated what I was unable to say perfectly. It was inevitable that it would all bubble to the surface at some point.
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