It's really interesting how the conservative movement has jumped on Harry Reid's racial observations regarding Barack Obama's candidacy. They feel that Reid made some type of faux pas. Senator Reid was making a candid observation about racial attitudes in America. For many Americans, dark skin and the Negro dialect are a definite negative when considering a political candidate. Those attributes are associated with all of the negative stereo types of blacks that have become part of America's history.
The conservatives are trying to say that those statements by Reid are the equivalent to Trent Lott's praise for the racist segregationist presidential campaign of Strom Thurmond. There is no rational way that speaking about racial attitudes that have been in play since the beginning of our nation is the equivalent of endorsing a racist presidential candidate. But the conservatives insist it's a match. Go figure. I hope Mr. Reid continues to lead the Dems successfully. The conservatives will continue to live in their fantasy world.
I think what Sen. Reid said was right. If you are light skinned and have little trace of stereotypical "negro" traits then you have a better chance of advancing. For those that seek to make a mountain out of a mole hill then i suggest you keep trying b/c Sen. Reid's comments were in no way even close to being the same as Sen. Lott's comments.
Leave Harry alone and deal with the real problems of America. Stop Nitpicking and playing wag the dog.
It is telling that Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell was rushing to Reid's defense yesterday. I believe the Republicans got worried that their campaign would succeed -- and realized that Reid's weak leadership is an asset they can't afford to lose.
j/k
So, all you enlightened Conservative Whites who suddenly got so outraged and disturbed by Sen. Reid's comments, take a closer look at America, and get just as angry at worse things that happen every day.
Conservatives getting made because Reid used the word "Negro" are like Animal Rights folks who eat Hamburgers...
"We defend our boy and condemn their boy"
...until the popular tide is too strong to ignore or the political oppurtunity to gain more power at my guy's expense presents itself, THEENN it's...
"I must say I have deep respect for the leader on many levels, but his insensitivity in this matter shows that he may not have what it takes to be an effective leader moving forward so perhaps its time he step down"
...then said politician wrings his/her hands together "fly Like" and thinks: (...and someone more willing to sling cash toward my district can be put in the leader's chair... heh-heh-heehh!)
A kind, very distinguished gentleman one morning spoke to me with great curiosity concerning a high tech instrumentation camera that I was testing at Drake Stadium for a photographic assignment. He said, “I have really seen a lot of cameras, but never one like that!” I replied, “Very few people will ever see a camera like this one. Every time the space shuttle is launched two of these cameras are in the craft. When the gentleman turned his head to look at Bill Cosby I realized that I was talking to Sidney Poitier. Mr. Poitier was pleasantly surprised, and happily conversed with me about my camera equipment for a long time.
That weekend a Caucasian cinematographer with conventional camera equipment, and fluid head tripod had a very different attitude at the athletic event. His first question was, “Where did you ever see cinematography equipment like that, and learn how to use it? When you come out with camera equipment like that there is no need for anyone else to be here with a camera.” American attitudes, and behavior are much deeper than antiquated ethnic labels!
But the real problem is that Reid is an ineffective leader, and he suffers the Daschle syndrome: He's a Democrat elected against the grain from a Republican state, meaning he is ALWAYS at risk.
http://jelanicobb.com/content/view/21/30/
the fact that it is TRUE is what should be offensive.
read my full post: "Negro", Please -- more whites should be like harry reid : http://thepollitikat.com/
Are you serious? Have you ever heard of Ebonics? It refers to African American vernacular English and is considered by many to be a language in and of itself. There have even been suggestions that it should be designated as a formal English-based dialect used in schools and universities. This isn't some fantasy and that facts that a large number of blacks either speak or are very familiar with Ebonics would indicate they don't see it as offensive. I welcome comments from African American posters with thoughts on this. See below for the definition of Ebonics.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Ebonics
there IS. i was raised speaking it and do to this day.
the problem with your perception seems to be: when some thing of "negro dialect" they ONLY think of ebonics.
not the case.
i listened to an interview with a howard university linguist who explained the differences and the characteristics of a dialect as opposed to slang.
most successful blacks have the ability to code-switch.
no one wants to touch that, not even the president - despite accuracy and the research.
but then again, some folks are trying to compare reids fact-based assessment of a political reality and trent lott lamenting the loss of a segregationist....who fathered a black child.
Research? Seriously? What research went into the belief that there is a certain way that black people speak?
not factual.
FYI: "black" is not a race; it's a color
"white" is not a race; it is also a color.
Caucasian (or caucasoid) *is* a race, *Negro* or negroid is a race,
and *Mongoloid* is a race.
"Asian" and "European" and North American
are adjectives to describes people places or things that
pertain to Europe, Asia or North America -and thsoe terms
do not denote their actual race
which could be any of the aforementioned
To suggest that it's better to call people of
*certain* races by their skin color rather than their actual race
is a racst concept in and of itself.
1. A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
2. A group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographic distribution: the German race.
3. A genealogical line; a lineage.
4. Humans considered as a group.
5. Biology
a. An interbreeding, usually geographically isolated population of organisms differing from other populations of the same species in the frequency of hereditary traits. A race that has been given formal taxonomic recognition is known as a subspecies.
b. A breed or strain, as of domestic animals.
6. A distinguishing or characteristic quality, such as the flavor of a wine.
I couldn't find any reference that indicated members of one race couldn't reproduce with members of another race, so that doesn't appear to be a criteria for race. Can you provide your resource?