when you are constantly seeking out racism in every situation, you shouldn't be suprised that you seem to always find it. a sad little by-product of your "us against them" mindset.
I think I found the great white hope! Pastor Of Gun-Toter At Obama Event Prayed For Obama To Die I'm wondering if we're going to be seeing endless loops of this freak's sermons.
I'm sure this guy was just using a local colloquialism too? Rex Rammell, Idaho GOPer, Jokes About Hunting Obama BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho Republican gubernatorial hopeful insists he was only joking when he said he'd buy a license to hunt President Barack Obama. Rex Rammell, a former elk rancher slated to run against incumbent C.L. "Butch" Otter in the May 2010 GOP primary, made the comment at a Republican rally Tuesday in Twin Falls where talk turned to the state's planned wolf hunt, for which hunters must purchase an $11.50 wolf tag. When an audience member shouted a question about "Obama tags," Rammell responded, "The Obama tags? We'd buy some of those."
Yes, I sought out the front page of Yahoo.com and the headline about a white Republican in Kansas, the practical home of the Guns, God, and Gays movement, at a political event using the racially charged phrase "Great White Hope" in reference to the lack of Republican leadership in stopping the political agenda of our first black President. Obviously that's me and my us against them mindset at work since I was the one giving the speech rather than the one commenting on it. The now common and convenient ploy by "personal responsibility" conservatives to explain that they can't control the ignorant things that come out of their mouths and therefore holding them accountable is just rude.
I'm not going to say that this person is a racist, but the lengths to defend the comment are strange. The phrase "Great White Hope" has always been a racist phrase. It was never an innocent phrase. It was the name of the search for a white person to take the heavy weight boxing title away from the first black champion. It's always been racist. For her to use it while we have the first black president was certainly poor choice. She may be stupid enough to not know the history of the phrase, and thus may not be racist. Either way it's stupid of her. Also given the history of the phrase it is asinine to act surprised that some would believe this lady to be racist.
A "wise Latina" coming to a "better decision than a white man who has not lived that life" is perfectly ok. A "great white hope" is racist. Double standard much?
I'm surprised. One of the reasons I knew it was because of the play "The Great White Hope". They made a movie of it as well, I think. I give her the benefit of the doubt to, and said in my initial post that I wasn't calling her a racist. The only thing I don't understand is the people who act like anyone who would believe her to be a racist are just making things up out of the blue or stretching. Given the history of the phrase I could see the racism conclusion as reasonable as any other.
Yes, especially in the context where the 'wise latina' was made. It was made in a speech which actually spoke against favoring any one race. But at the same time the uproar against the "wise Latina" is in itself questionable. It assumes that her experiences as a Latina would make her biased, while other white judges experience as a white person would be totally unbiased. The phrase "wise Latina" wasn't initially conceived as a racist statement. The phrase "great white hope" was always racist, and never been anything different. It was meant to signify a search for a white person to snatch the heavyweight boxing title from the first black champion. That's racist from the very beginning in it's intent. It has never been a statement that wasn't racist. It is possible, and I believe likely that the congressman didn't know history of the statement.
I was looking for the Great White Hype trailer, but I found the 'original'.... and it was funny enough. <object width="580" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FurPAdBNWBQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FurPAdBNWBQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="580" height="360"></embed></object>
I too am curious as to when the term "Great White Hope" meant anything other than a white person who could take down a black person that white people were jealous of? The original phrase was given to James J. Jeffries who said this: "I am going into this fight for the sole purpose of proving that a white man is better than a Negro." So please, anybody, tell me what other meaning that phrase has ever had. I think it was a Freudian slip.
who's double standarding in this thread? most people have suggested it was just a bad use of a metaphor.
There is a very long continuum between being racist and not being a racist. Holding incorrect or intolerant beliefs about other cultures or races does not de facto make one a racist. I do not believe her statement makes her a de facto racist, but it definitely speaks to her mindset. To my knowledge, there is no other context for the phrase "great white hope" other than it's application to finding a white man to replace a black man (specifically, boxer Jack Johnson).
"So Great! ..." LOL. I know it looks cheesy, but it's really a good film. James Earl Jones FTW... (except for the boxing scenes, oy.)
i had never seen james earl jones as young man until I saw a bit of this movie a few years ago. I was astounded at the weight difference
I recommend watching the full film collection of James Earl Jones from his young days through the present. The man is a phenomenal actor.
just an aside: You think that was amazing, go back and watch a young Laurence Fishburne in Apocalypse Now. I saw the director's cut a couple of nights ago and I forgot he was in that. and how completely different he looked.
