Osler's Razor

People don't talk about it much because we have much bigger problems now. To a large degree, it is less of a problem than in the past.
 

Bigger problems....
No.
Equal problems...maybe....
Yeah....I think the safe thing to do was to not mention it....
The edgy thing to do was 'name' it....and know that it is the exposed truth....which makes everyone feel vulnerable....
BUT...you gotta wait for it...the timing....
And when you do 'name' it...it will be meaningful...and it will cause the axis to change in some peoples' minds...hopefully....
And then....well...there is the awakening....
Hopefully.
And that's all you can hope for....
 

Not naming it,it seems to me,is exactly how racism is perpetuated. I think racism here is still rampant. For many years,because of the political correctness vogue,people were able to keep their racism hidden. Having an African American president has stoked these hidden inner fires to wildfire stage. This is why,though John McCain was apparently not born in the U.S.,it was Barack Obama who was continuously harassed about his birthplace. We still pretty much live in separate neighborhoods,with some living in places where they are not safe...ever. Racism is alive and well. The Tea-partiers wave placards with the President pictured as Hitler or as some throwback to the minstrel shows. It ain't over.
 

Racism is alive and well here in Southeast Texas. I always assumed Jasper and Vidor had been unfairly painted by the actions of a few bad eggs. After living here and working for one of the most influential members of the black community, seeing the divisiveness in the school districts and the cities and the counties, I can say that racism is rampant here. As we forge ahead to bring home our adopted son from Rwanda, I am hopeful that things will get better. But right now we have an election to change the make-up of the school board from all single member districts to 5 single member and 2 at-large positions. It has become completely a racial election. Both sides are guilty of racism. The most interesting thing is that both sides point out the racism of the other position without ever admitting the racial predispositions of their own position.
Then when I go into the voting booth, i feel this weird emotion (white guilt) that makes me want to vote in a way that would be least racist even if I disagree with it. But I don't know if I disagree with the proposition because all I can think about now is whether it is racist to vote for or against it. Racism (and "reverse-racism") taints our ability to do the right thing. But talking about it constructively with people of other races can help us see the non-race issues more clearly.
Ramble on!
All that to say, I think the one sentence would have been racist. It warrants a full discussion. One I am certain you are able and worthy to put forth. I look forward to reading it.
 

"The Tea-partiers wave placards with the President pictured as Hitler or as some throwback to the minstrel shows."

I mean, I knew this would come up, but this is why we don't have open discussions about race. First, "tea-partiers wave placards with the President pictured as Hitler..." And at best that means you can accuse them of being no better than loons on the left that compared George W. Bush to the Nazis and Hitler at every opportunity they got. I have in my possession now a shirt that has a picture of W included amongst pictures of Stalin, Hitler, and Mao. I can't even imagine how it is that comparing Obama to Hitler is racist. It is stupid. But it isn't racist.

"...or as some throwback to the minstrel shows." Have you ever actually watched "Amos and Andy", or any of the other real life minstrel shows? If you have, then you couldn't possibly consider what the tea party does to be the equivalent to those shows. I mean, yes, it makes for a cute rhetorical trick: throw out something we all know we find disagreeable (minstrel shows), compare it to the tea party, race card played.

Is there racism in America? Yes. Is that a problem? Yes. But Renee's comment is the kind of thing that prevents us from ever getting to an honest discussion about race. Because as long as certain people use cries of "racism" as a sword with which to chop off the heads of those with whom they disagree then we will silence voices and waste time arguing about false charges of racism instead of dealing with actual racism.
 

RRL--

I agree with you that meaningful racism is actually found at deeper levels than the random tea partier (and you are right about the Bush stuff, too).

So, where is it, then? What is the cost?

DiaDelKendall--

That's wonderful about the adoption. I really admire that.
 

For me, the discussion begins with honesty. Honestly telling others how we view race. Honestly looking and the affects of how we were raised. Honestly confronting our elders who we love but disagree with instead of just accepting as unchangeable their views. Honestly praising how far we've come. Honestly asking questions of people of other races without fear of offense. Honestly seeing the offenses of the past for the horrors that they were. Honestly facing the MANY challenges present and those that will come. Honestly confronting race-baiting and reverse-racism as a distraction from the issues as well. And honestly embracing, enjoying and even laughing about our differences.
 

DDKendall, I think you will be wrestling with many of these issues and get a whole new perspective as the white father of a black child.
 

Indeed, Anon 11:02. I hope that we all are. As we began this journey, the first thing I did was go to my black friends and ask them how it would be perceived and discuss the challenges. They, along with other inter-racial families and "wise counsel" have helped me begin to prepare for this journey.
 

DiaDelKendall--

I'm interested... what did those friends tell you, if you don't mind sharing?
 

I need to flesh this out on my blog instead of hijacking this one. Maybe if it has a focus, I will use it more. One of the best conversations was about adopting a boy vs. a girl. AMAZING things I would not have considered. We attended a private school at the time. My friend talked about how his sons had a difficult time dating in private middle school because as nice as everyone was, they didn't want their daughters dating a black boy. And the suspicion a black male is constantly under as far as entering stores at the mall and the like. he said it was more difficult being an upper-class black male than an upper-class black female in this part of the world.
We have still chosen to adopt a son for a myriad of reasons, but we are aware of that challenge and can discuss it with him early on.

The best blogger on these issues that I have found is found here.
http://mymindonpaper.wordpress.com/
If you have some time, give it a look. My take on honesty finds company in this post...
http://mymindonpaper.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/should-transracial-families-another-child-of-color/
 

Many years ago I was riding the A train, I had been in this country only a few months...from Eastern Europe straight to NYC, you could call that a very clean slate every each way you look at it. In Harlem a mother, her son and a friend get on and sit right next to me. The son was very cute and I looked at him like anybody would look at a cute kid, the fact that they were black didn’t even factor in for me, when the mother turned to me viciously and speaking to her friend said “what the f..k is she looking at!?!” all along staring at me. Needless to say I was shocked and completely confused and I thought what the hell is HER problem…she has a cute kid! Fast forward this many years later and I still have trouble understanding why and how racial tension is being perpetuated, another example being a fairly recent incident just outside my building. It is past midnight and a group of teenagers are hanging out just outside my apartment, they are extremely loud and rowdy. I get out and I confront them , they don’t contribute to my rent, so they cannot dictate when I should have some peace and quiet in my own apartment, they all happen to be black and one of them steps up and tells me “you say that because we are black” I couldn’t believe he just said that to me, but I did reply “I say that because you are loud and it is past midnight and I want to sleep and you don’t let me” ...Now, that begs the question for me: how is the chip on that kid’s shoulder there to begin with. NYC is a rainbow of cultures, races and everything you want and don’t want. One could even venture to say that it should be the ideal place to lose the racial stigma, but it just doesn’t happen.
 

I was raised in Southeastern Washington state. The people of color there were predominantly Latinos.There were two African American men in my high school,from the same family.When I moved to Seattle to attend the University in the 60's this changed.And when I moved to Minneapolis to start my career in the airlines. Marta is very fortunate. Because of how I was raised,I still see color. I am aware of it now and confront myself when I do. I fight it. I think it is difficult to grow up in this country and not have racist attitudes. I feel that since Obama came to office,people seem unstoppable in their quest to tell me racist jokes. Placards upset me because of the demeaning ridiculing attitude they reveal. Here racism is not hidden. I don't attack the placards because Tea Party members are holding them,but because of the sickening feeling I get in the pit of my stomach when I think of what they represent.I wonder what African Americans think when they see these placards or hear of these jokes?
 

prtwmn50:

"I wonder what African Americans think when they see these placards...?"

Well, I hope when they see the placards they are smart enough to realize that this happens to every president. Every single one. I hope they understand that these people, at least in large measure think Obama is wrong and black, but don't think that Obama is wrong BECAUSE he is black. And if they don't understand that then they are part of the problem because they want to blame literally everything on race, and as long as that goes on we will never have an open and honest discussion about race. We will instead be mired in fostering an attitude where being a victim, whether real or just perceived, gives you an excuse for any shortcoming you may experience in your life.

Osler:

Where is racism? It is in our education system. It is evidenced by white upper class parents that are sending their children to privileged private schools, and then complain about the quality of public education after leaving it behind. It is in those same parents fighting against school choice programs that would give inner city children the same opportunities as the upper class kids from the suburbs. It is evidenced in the hordes of whites still fleeing further and further from cities, leaving poor, underserved neighborhoods behind them. It is evidenced in the judicial system, and our jails, but not because minorities are targeted (not that it doesn't occur) but because racism has created socio-economic conditions in this country that has led to the epidemic of crime in largely minority inner cities. It is also in the soft racism of low expectations and paternalism fostered by a welfare state. And then there are just those that plain hate. And they are everywhere.

What is the cost? There are human costs. Dignity. Pride. Cultural integrity. Tradition. And in some cases liberty. There are economic costs, as we have allowed housing and education for so many in this country to become an unmitigated disaster it effects all of us. From the very personal stories like Kendall, to how our country operates on a daily basis.
 

People are tribalistic. Real discrimination and hatred still exists. What worries me the most, is the culture of victimhood and entitlement which is present in every American community. There are real victims and oppressed people in our culture, but if you only evey see yourself as an oppressed person and not a child of God, then you will never go anywhere in life or have a happy existence.
 

i agree with RRL on several points, one of which is a sort of agree-- that minorities are targeted more than whites. (white people are arrested at three times the rate of black people in texas, according to fbi uniform crime report.)
that would seem to indicate that police are arresting based on offense, rather than skin color.
however, whites make up 70 percent of the state's population, yet comprise only 30.5 percent of the state's prison and jail inmate population. blacks, on the other hand, are 11.5 percent of texas' population, yet represent 31.8 percent of the prison/jail inmate population.
does that mean the racism exists in the judicial system, and minorities are targeted post-arrest, moreso than whites? or is that statistic simply a reflection of socioeconomic factors?
 

forgive me-- in my first paragraph on the previous post, i meant to say that my "sort of agree" point with rrl is that minorities are not targeted more than whites-- at least as far as arrest figures show-- rather than "minorities are targeted more than whites."

kinda changes the whole point, huh?