Between DeLay's indictment and the opening of "formal" investigation into Frist's Martha Stewart redux, I really, really wanted to celebrate today, but Bill Bennett's remark about how aborting all black babies would curtail the crime rate in this country has flushed my joy down the toilet.
So I decided to write my very first diary on dKos, however incoherent this may end up becoming.
Now, I'm not an expert on race-relations in America, but I did grow up in the south - deeeeep south (Mississippi. Now residing in SoCal...PRAISE THE LORD!) - and have witnessed discreet, blatant and tacit acts of racism alike firsthand. Couple that with my *ahem* background in sociology, the picture becomes very clear, for me, anyway:
America is a racist country and the conservatives know it, embrace it and spread it.
Many issues and topics of "what's ailing America" on dKos are virtually irrelevant in the south, the "heartlands," and much of America in between the two coasts. As a matter of fact, issues like the government corruption don't mean jack to a voting Joe Blow in Texas or for that matter, Dick Smith in Ohio or Christian Jones in Orange County, California. What these people fear the most about their country first and foremost is this obscure notion that minorities (often blacks and more recently, hispanics) are taking over this country.
Some might say that this is because the republicans are better at selling fear and hatred than the democrats are at selling diversity and inclusion. But I beg to differ. People are more willing to embrace the idea - consciously or subconsciously - that they're better than whomever they are pitted against. And whenever their sheltered "belief systems" about their own race are challenged or threatened in any way, they bite back with irrational yet powerful hatred. Simply put, they're driven by pride and fear because that's all they've got.
If you travel across this great country - I have done it a dozen times - you'll notice that the vast majority of whites are piss poor. Yet, these vast majority of whites, many of who live on a paycheck-to-paycheck basis, consistently vote against their economic interest by going with the republican party. They have nothing to gain by doing this, yet, it happens in every election. Why? Again, because of pride and fear: proud that regardless of how little they have, they're still better and more "blessed" than colored-skin folks; and fear the idea that however little they have are now being threatened by "anti-whites" laws like the affirmative action. Naturally, these people don't like seeing rich black celebrities and/or athletes and are always the first to follow the finger that points to Hollywood for what they perceive as a decline in moral values.
Such coded phrases like "moral values" are all bullshit and they know it and embrace it. Why? Because hatred is not only prevalent, but also a legacy in our society.
When assholes like Bennett makes a stupid remark about race, he's not treating us to a glimpse into the black hole that is his soul. Rather, he's tacitly speaking to the white majority who identify crimes - mostly petty crimes, I might add - with black males who, god forbid, may date their daughters, sisters and/or moms. And when George W stands before the nation and declares in one of the most important speeches of his presidency that the South, err, I mean, "New Orleans will rise again," he's simply appealing to his base and reminding them that he's still "their" president.
But what's lost in this "discourse" is the far-greater damage being done to our society by white-collar criminals. It's these white-collar criminals who truly threaten to destroy the fabric of our society and drive more people into poverty each year. But rampant white-collar crimes and their impact on our individual lives are often difficult, if not impossible, to explain to a tobacco-chewing redneck at your local billard. Therefore, they never grasp or connect the dots. What they do often see or hear are black and hispanic young men constantly getting pulled over by cops; a homeless black man begging for a quarter at a local 7-11; a black man selling dope; a black man killing another black man and whatever else TV shows like "COPS" choose to depict.
But wait! What about the educated ones? What about those who know, or have the resources to know better? How do you explain "them"?
Well, it's a vicious cycle. Education never equals wisdom. And those in positions to "hire" need cheap labor a lot more often than they need a competitor with new ideas. So to those educated, well-off whities, economic becomes the biggest factor in feeding the racism machine. By pitting the poor whites against minorities who are poorer, they're able to divide, conquer, sustain their cheap labor force and get elected on wedge issues all at the same time.
As for the non-governing, non-hiring upper/middle-class white people who still vote republicans...again, education never equals wisdom. These are sick, twisted individuals who denounce racism in public while showing their true colors at the voting booth. When top 10% controls the vast majority of wealth in this country, I refuse to believe that the majority of 90% are voting on tax cuts, faith-based initiatives and so forth. To them, it's about keeping their "American Order" intact: the Whites first, the Colors later.
And those white folks who are or aren't rich yet still know better? Well, pat yourself on the back because you are a rare breed in this country. If you still don't get it, well, I'm sorry. You're living in a bubble.
Before I end my very first diary, I admit that I have my own prejudices. For instance, I would never take a stroll into South Central LA or Snoop Doggy Dogg's old LBC at any point during the day or night. And if my sister ever wanted to marry a "Malcolm," I'd probably say, "well, as long as you're not moving to Nebraska..." But would I dare raise such a concern if it were a "Mark"?
Still, wisdom, which eradicates stupid ideologies like racism, is learned and if you're still reading this, you probably realized by now that I haven't come in full circle just yet. What's my excuse? I'm still learning. But the majority of white Americans - 70% of those who said that race had nothing to do with FEMA's lack of relief effort - have been asleep their whole lives on the issue of race. So I'm giving myself a pat on the back because well...I'm wiser than 70% of whities!
Now if I can just find a way to keep those 70% down on the wisdom scale...I'd rule!