One race card issue that hasn't been played is the BS idea that every prominent black figure must denounce Farrakhan. That's just idiotic when I don't see any white political figures called on to denounce Rush, or Beck, or Bush's former head of the civil rights division, Bradley Schlozman who was himself a racist, or the other racist Bush appointee John Tanner who was also in the justice department. These guys had way more influence over public policy and civil rights than Farrakhan ever has. Yet there is a big uproar if any black public figure doesn't denounce Farrakhan in strong enough terms, but there is no uproar if white politicians don't denounce the guys I mentioned above. Where is the equality? Why do only black pols have to denounce a black controversial leader?
I agree here. People are really ignorant about the depths to which race has been used against people. A week or two ago I was watching the book review thing on CSPAN2 and the book was about how black families in 1950's Chicago were scammed right and left by bankers and real estate folks. Sometimes paying four and five times the value for a house under much stricter guidelines than their white counterparts. Even today there are studies that show that black folks continue to pay more than their white counterparts for loans despite having identical credit scores. You could imagine how that affects the net worth of a family. This racism is so deep that it's just crazy when people talk about the race card. If all of us were really informed on how deep the racism is there wouldn't be any rational people asking this question. Heck even the District Attorney of the City of Houston was caught sending racist emails at work. If he's doing that, how many cases were dealt with differently because of the races involved? How many jurors have been dismissed over the years because they were "Canadian", ie black? How many hundreds and thousands of cases might have had different outcomes if not for this racism? If this is happening in a major city like Houston, what the hell is happening in the rest of Texas? People really don't talk about the depths of how racism affects society. The depth of racism just makes it impossible to give black people their due. And on the flip side, racism is so pervasive that it's virtually impossible for minorities to really know when someone is being a racist or just being rude or an idiot or what have you. I know when my father and I get passed over for seats in a restaurant or get really crap service we suspect it's because my father is dark skinned and because it happens so often it's probably true but maybe sometimes it's because a waiter made a mistake or just forgot about us or was having a bad day? How can you really know for sure?
I think the race card is overplayed. The GOP right wingers went after Bill Clinton in a very similar fashion. It does seem easier for them to turn out crowds against Obamaso. Racism does make it easier. Most of the teabaggers etc. are folks that have been hurt by 40 years of resistribution of wealth from the lower and middle classes to the upper classes that was initiated by Reagan. They are hurting and don't know who to blame. Fox their news source tells them to blame those even lower on the economic scale, minorities, undocumented folks, ACORN etc. and never blame the corporate elite. Their pain is understandable, but they have the wrong targets. Mussolini I believe turned out similarly disaffected crowds for his poitical purposes.
Quoted for Truth I think alot of folx who are UNAFFECTED by racism It is easy to quote THAT TIME they were wrongly mistyped as a racist How it hurt how wrong it was How the race card was wrongly play Yet they ignore that the person branding them a racist had been the victim of racism hundreds of times before that moment because honestly . . . to be really honest. . . Most DON'T CARE THEY ARE HURT FROM BEING MISTYPED . . THAT IS IMPORTANT what made the person mistype them is really not important sympathy and empathy are not used It is easy in the ABSTRACT to say you take every situation on a per situational basis .. . but the reality is far less easy The Getting passed over in a restuarant thing Happens all the time . . .with regularity If I b**** about it. .. I am playing the race card If I don't . . . . .Why should it change. . no one is complaining about it and the other folx are unaffected. . .so why should they care? I am Expected to swallow it for THE GOOD OF SOCIETY AND SOCIAL TRANQUILITY not *MY* tranquility, sanity, etc. . . OTHER FOLX's Tranquility Glynch - I agree. the Classism is an issue The BAIT AND SWITCH is on . . . Rather than blaming companies that will break the law, bend rules and pay illegals. . . . we blame the illegals Rather than telling Joe - he didn't get the job because he didn't have the right education. . . . we tell him we gave it to the other guy because Affirmative Action. Rocket River
Wow...comparing Republicans to Mussolini? Why didn't you just invoke the name of Hitler? A really weak move.
Of course, there have been companies that have had to feel the pain of hiring illegals. Shipley Donuts was shut down for a few days because if it. I agree that if we are serious about enforcing the immigration laws, there needs to be serious penalties paid by the companies that knowingly hire illegals. If we are not serious about enforcing the immigration laws, we need to find a better way to know who is here and make sure that they are paying into the system and that they can take from the system like any other LPR (long-term permanent resident).
Good post. We have had 30 plus years of redistribution of wealth from the poor and lower middle class to the upper classes under GOP economics. People are hurting and don't know who to blame. They don't know who to blame. It doesn't help that a significant part of the Dem party has been captured by the wealthy corporate interests as we see with the Blue Dogs and lobbyist controlled guys like Baucus.
Maybe it's not being overplayed??? <object width="512" height="296"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/21322W4E8zPHAtXwN4xa2A"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/21322W4E8zPHAtXwN4xa2A" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" width="512" height="296"></embed></object>
