Jack and Jill Politics - Latest Comments in Is America Addicted to Bigotry and Racism?

Re: Is America Addicted to Bigotry and Racism?

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:34:00 -0000

It's the media. The media fuels racism. There is virtually no diversity in the mainstream media. They might have one or two tokens, and they will be more conservative leaning than liberal. The media perpertrates the negative images and sterotypes. Before Imus made the remark about Jones "color", remember what he said about the club? "He said their were drugs, drinking and women there".

Remember when there were quality African American shows on TV? Not anymore. The only way African Americans might get a TV show is to be gay. Speaking of gays, remember Isiah Washington from Grey's Anatomy. He started off playing a strong confident black man and ended up being wimp over an Asian woman. He was fired because he supposedly said the F word to a homosexual actor, who wasn't playing one on TV.

I would advise everyone to get a copy of Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moore to refresh your memory of how the media fuels racism

It's the media, stupid.

Re: Is America Addicted to Bigotry and Racism?

KarmiCommunist — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:40:00 -0000

“The question is how do we cut America off from her drug of bigotry and racism? How do we get her into recovery? What do we do to keep her from a relapse? How do we force her past denial of her addiction, or allow her to keep making excuses for it?”

Recognize your own addiction first, and then work on that. Barack and Michelle spent 20 years following the racist and bigotry doctrine of Black Liberation Theology. No one would’ve noticed, until Rev. Wright spoke at the National Press Club…the audience clapped and laughed in approval of Wright’s words and actions. At first – yes, briefly - much of the ‘Afrosphere and/or Black-o-sphere and/or Black Blogosphere’ supported what Wright had said.

Here is the text of that - ‘Visit’, if anyone cares to read it. One excerpt: Whilst Wright was busy pointing his finger at whites, he then mentioned – “Black learning styles are different from European and European- American learning styles. They are not deficient; they are just different.” The meaning of that statement can be found from his earlier speech to the NAACP - “Let me help you with fifty cent words…Left brain is logical and analytical…African and African-American children have a different way of learning…They are right brained, subject oriented in their learning style. Right brain that means creative and intuitive.” Sheesh!!!

The “Race Issue” will never be solved, until ‘African-Americans’ recognize their own addiction to “Bigotry and Racism”, IMHO.

B-Serious makes some great points, in his earlier post, especially on not allowing the likes of an Imus to take up too much focus or energy. Example, in the Imus thread, a commenter focuses on Rush saying “"wacko fringe kook" base of the democratic party”, as if that is a racist statement!? BTW, Rush has never said the disgusting stuff that Imus is renowned for saying, and Rush is not a bigot or racist.

Stop the finger pointing, drop the Al Sharpton’s and Jesse Jackson’s, and find a new way of “focusing on matters of social, economic and political awareness through education (re-education), self-affirmation and cultural expression.” (That is B-Serious quote.)

Re: Is America Addicted to Bigotry and Racism?

The Christian Progressive Libe — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:01:00 -0000

Well, just like a virus is a symptom of a disease, addiction is the actual disease itself, B-Serious. And just like you treat the disease by administering the antibiotic that kills the source, we may have to identify racism and bigotry in the same manner and kill it the same way.

Self-empowerment is always a good cure, but there are people who don't want to do the work to get there and are comfortable being sick (i. e. Armstrong Williams, et al).

Others, like Imus and crew, are afraid of having to live in a world where they can no longer have bigotry or racism to hide behind as a means of covering up their own deficiencies. It's easier to take everyone else's inventory than to take one's own and learn about those character defects, much less become willing to have them removed.

And yeah, everything did stop at 1968, because Martin got assassinated before he could show the rest of Black America how to link integration with demanding equality in jobs and education. On the last day of his life, he did tell his associates that rather than feeling proud of the accomplishments of the civil rights movement thus far, he felt he'd integrated us right into a burning house, meaning, integration and being allowed to go where white people went, meant nothing if we didn't have the economic wherewithal to get there and stay there.

Re: Is America Addicted to Bigotry and Racism?

pauly — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:42:00 -0000

Black accomplishments did end in the late 1960s because civil rights and racial equality (good) got all mixed up with "black" meaning welfare and socialism (very bad) and so since then anyone who disses socialism is accused of being racist, even blacks. Gotta separate the two. Just sayin.

Re: Is America Addicted to Bigotry and Racism?

B-Serious — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:43:00 -0000

Hey CPL. Great post. Racism as an addiction is a very interesting concept.

I've always gone with those who say that racism is a virus. It adapts to its surrounding environment. . . and has the potential to only get stronger in the process. Thus, the more things change, the more they stay the same. As that virus evolves, there's a need for new methods to fight it. . . kind of like an antibiotic.

"The question is how do we cut America off from her drug of bigotry and racism? How do we get her into recovery? What do we do to keep her from a relapse? How do we force her past denial of her addiction, or allow her to keep making excuses for it?

Good questions. I think the focus should remain on black empowerment and self-determination. I can't force someone to like and/or respect me. But I can fight for the basics. Just look at the Black Panthers' 10-point platform from the 1960s. Those are very specific and focused requests that we've shirked in exchange for more ambiguous fights like "diversity" etc. For example, what counts for "diversity?" What is the critical mass . . . one black person? Two? 25?

@HeartsandFlowers, you said, "Also I think hindsight is 20/20 and Civil Rights fought for integration but not for equality. Or at least all of the assassinations discouraged a continued dialog, those that we left began looking out for themselves, got used to having a little bit of power for becoming overseers, people were left behind and here we are.

Excellent! I've always wondered why black history seems to STOP at 1968. The black community has a rich political history. But look at the History books and you're left with no conclusion but to think that this history died with king and got buried with the death of black nationalism. There's a distinct gap between that generation and mine. We've got to fill it in.

Re: Is America Addicted to Bigotry and Racism?

Craig Hickman — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:36:00 -0000

Schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder can certainly cause addiction.

Just saying.

Re: Is America Addicted to Bigotry and Racism?

evita — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:29:00 -0000

As diseases go I think the United States is schizophrenic about race.

Re: Is America Addicted to Bigotry and Racism?

marc — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:14:00 -0000

well, no. it is not addiction. this country was founded on genocide and build up by slave labor.

on the other hand, officially it's the beacon of freedom and democracy.

so it's not addiction, it's dissociative identity disorder at best, and a continuation of past criminal behavior at worst.

pick your choice.

Re: Is America Addicted to Bigotry and Racism?

heartsandflowers — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:01:00 -0000

I honestly have no idea. As long as there is profit to be made by inflicting pain on other people will things ever stop? They have lessened in many aspects but while the changes have elevated us it has encouraged a coordinated pushback. It's the same corporations that will take our money but use others to denigrate us. We don't have an established infrastructure set up to bypass them either. Also I think hindsight is 20/20 and Civil Rights fought for integration but not for equality. Or at least all of the assassinations discouraged a continued dialog, those that we left began looking out for themselves, got used to having a little bit of power for becoming overseers, people were left behind and here we are.