I Just Hate Black People

There's a scene in Escape from Alcatraz in which Frank Morris, played by Clint Eastwood, and English, played by Paul Benjamin have a brief conversation about race.

English: Now you didn't sit down for two reasons, either you're scared or you just hate [black people].

Frank Morris: I'm not scared,
[sits down next to black inmates]
Frank Morris: I just hate [black people].

I paraphrased the entire conversation to avoid a wing-nut storm of outrage from both sides. One side aghast that I could use such a word and the other enraged that they can't.

There's something to be said for being in touch and honest with your emotions. Even if those emotions are unfounded hate. At least it's not overly dramatic feigned denial, which is all we've been seeing from the wing-nuts since NBC released a clip of Jimmy Carter's assessment of Joe Wilson's outburst and the antics of the Tea Baggers and anti-Obama protesters.

Many of the reactions we're seeing to Carter's assessment of what motivates the protests is like watching a cheating spouse being questioned.

"I am aghast and in shock that you would suggest such a thing. How could you even think something like that? I'm offended that a thought like that would even cross your mind. You really have serious issues and should seek help."

That anyone could categorically deny that what is being touted as genuine social and political concerns isn't racially motivated is a bit outlandish. Maybe the initial motives of a few are social and political but plenty of racist whack-jobs are jumping on the crazy train for their own message. It's a little difficult to overlook Glenn Beck's use of a watermelon to illustrate a point about two black guys - one of which is the President, or this "Tea Party" leader trying to convince Anderson Cooper, James Carville, and David Gergen that Obama dressed as a witch doctor or calling him an Indonesian Muslim and "Racist in Chief" has nothing to do with the color of his skin.

There's no doubt that Carter's sound bite was released early in the spirit of sensationalism and because it was more interesting than how he answered Brian Williams' questions about Israel or what it was like to be a peanut farmer, but the timing certainly could have been better. Like maybe bringing it up after the health care debate, the Wall Street clean up, and world peace had been addressed.

The problem is, there is no good time to bring up the issue of race in this country because it simply can't be talked about until people admit it exists. We dance and tip toe around the issue because everyone is too afraid to discuss it and to bring it up. In addition, it's nothing anyone wants to accuse someone of or to be accused of. It's become such a taboo that winning an argument or having a discussion about race has become impossible.

To illustrate my point I picked a fight with my wife last night.

I walked into the room and declared, "Toots, you're a racist!"

That's right, I call her Toots. I'm a sexist, but at least I'm not a racist.

Here's the rest of the conversation:

Toots: I am not a racist.

Me: It's just like a racist to deny being a racist.

Toots: I voted for Obama.

Me: You only voted for Obama to relieve your guilt of being a racist. It's like saying I have black friends or the Chairman of the RNC is black, so I can't be racist.

Toots: What's wrong with you? I'm not talking about this anymore. Maybe you're the racist, you seem to know a lot about racism.

Me: Hah, just like a liberal to throw the race card when they're losing.

See? It's a losing battle no matter what side you're on. The "discussion" went on like that until I almost slept on the couch.

It's difficult to say whether Wilson or the rest of the screamers are racists or motivated by racism since the issue is so difficult to address. In Wilson's case it could be that the previous administration did so much to disrespect the office of the President that this is just collateral damage.

As for the tea baggers and protesters holding witch doctor signs, pulling their kids out of school, questioning Obama's citizenship, warning us about socialism, communism, fascism, Hitler and Marx all at once, it'd be easier to process and more comforting to know that those sentiments were in fact racially motivated.

As it stands right now it just seems like they're a bunch of whack jobs making stuff up and repeating what they're told by other whack jobs who hate the fact that their side lost an election and that's more concerning than, "I just hate [black people]".

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Comments

[Skiptracer01]

When MLK day arrived, my son had borrowed a book from his teacher. My parents were visiting and my son was reading the book to my father. My son looked up at him and asked why anyone would want to harm him. My father explained that some people didn't like him because he was a black man who wanted to change things. My son said he didn't understand why anyone wouldn't like someone just because their skin color was different. Then he asked my dad if he had ever felt that way. My dad cleared his throat, thought a moment and then said yes. To this day I will never forget the look in my son's eyes. Then my father explained that he no longer feels that way. He told my son about the night my son almost died and how "Bob" had saved his life. Then he said " How could I ever hate the man who saved my grandson's life".

I have never heard my father use the "N" word, make a raciest joke or shun anyone for insignificant differences. That one act changed my dad. He has many good and dear friends now of all hues. I've often wondered why dad felt the way he did when I was growing up. He isn't afraid of anything. He is very intelligent. He wasn't raised to be a bigot.

So, I still do not understand racism.


(Sorry the post is in three segments)

[Skiptracer01]

When my son was a toddler he suffered a severe seizure. Everything I learned in CPR class was instantly forgotten. The only thing I could think of was to call 911 and get my neighbor next door ... he was a medic. This man saved my son. Gave him the breath of life until we could get to the hospital. The next morning I called my parents to tell them their grandson was in the hospital. Before I got off the phone I told them that "Bob" had saved my son's life. Things changed in my father after that.

As my son grew older he began attending the neighborhood school. It was an awesome school with children from over 112 different countries. What began in the home and the neighborhood continued in the school.



cont ..

[Skiptracer01]

Honestly, I don't understand racism. Is it fear? Ignorance? Learned? Hereditary? It is is easy to pigeon hole someone into a category but unless we understand why ... will we ever learn?

Growing up I heard my father use the N word many times. He told jokes at their expense. Moved to the country when the first black couple moved into our little town. Never socialized with anyone who wasn't lilly white. On the otherhand my mother didn't have a prejudiced bone in her body. Walked away when the jokes were told and told me to "not pay attention". I was young, and this was the only perception I ever had of black people until I went to college. Obviously, that changed.

When I married and moved to the south I bought my first home based not on demographics but on the fact that it was a cute house, affordable, close to where my husband worked and shopping. The fact that I had eight houses on my street of which we would be the second white family was not even on the radar. We had the greatest neighbors ... black, japanese, hispanic and Indonesian. Each family brought a unique "gift" to the neighborhood which we shared with each family. My father was aghast that I would pick such a neighborhood. I told him I loved my neighbors and most importantly my children had made good friends.

cont ...

[ChangeRequired]

Racism will be gone when we all say, for example, "I saw a man on television driving a car." instead of "I saw a black man on television driving a car." It's not just the overt actions, it's embedded in the thought processes.

[Mortifyd]

While I was brought up to agree with your point, some discussion of that very way of speaking with some AA people made it clear that not everyone prefers that OR sees it as non-racial. Some of the people in the conversation *wanted* their colour to be acknowledged because it's a signifigant part of their personal identity.

I think the real goal should be that you can say "I saw a black man driving a green car" and no one thinks he stole it.

[Richard Zombeck - Huffpost Blogger]

Beautiful!
" 'I saw a black man driving a green car' and no one thinks he stole it."

I liked that comment so much I wished I had said it..