I have had enough of this. I have had enough of the "virtual" lynching of Black people that takes place in the mainstream American media on a DAILY BASIS. The archetype of the Black person as "violent criminal" is consistently promoted on local newscasts and in national coverage.
The Ashley Todd story is a watershed moment in this election season. I feel that it deserves serious consideration.
Yesterday afternoon, Matt Drudge, racial arsonist, began to run with a story of a 20-year old white woman being attacked by a big, black man. Oh God, I thought.... we've been here before.
The story was made for TV. She was a McCain volunteer who had been assaulted and mutilated. The big, black man who allegedly committed this heinous crime was a "Barack Obama" supporter who was apparently so passionate that he decided to carve a backwards "B" on her face. Obviously, no story like this would be complete without highlighting the fact that this black man must also have been illiterate.
As soon as the news broke, I was flooded with e-mails and calls from my Black friends. "Here we go again," some lamented. "This is B.S." still others cried. Not ONE black person that I talked to yesterday believed that this was true. However, there was an equal sense of resignation that it wouldn't matter even if she were proven to be a liar. The damage had already been done.
False, racially-charged allegations of violence by white people against blacks is a FACT of history and life in the United States. None of us can forget about Charles Stuart in Boston or Susan Smith. Emmett Till was falsely accused of whistling at a white woman and found himself at the bottom of a ravine in the 1950s. History is replete with examples of black people (in particular black men) falsely accused by white people (many times white women) for various "crimes." The history of "lynching" is almost one continuous loop of false charges justifying the systematic killing of black and brown people in the United States.
This is serious stuff and yet I come to Kos today to find some people making light of this story seemingly unable to understand the real "violence" that stories like these do to the psyche of Black people across this country. This story demands "outrage" on the part of "liberals and progressives." It demands LOUD CONDEMNATION.
Keith Adkins writing exasperatingly and eloquently on Friday morning offered a psychic CRY about this incident. His post was published before Ashley Todd recanted her story. He reiterated a sentiment that I had heard from almost every Black person the night before...
Obviously, I don't know this woman, so I'm not judging her on a personal tip, but my "white women crying wolf" suspicion flag is waving. And as we know, two things could come out of this. If it's true, the McCain-Palin posse could send the hounds after Obama and his warped followers and the country will be outraged. And if it's not true, then I'm going to personally fly out to Pittsburgh, knock on this woman's door just to say: Leave Black men alone! We're sick and tired of being the center piece in the American blame game. And if somebody sat on your face and took the time to carve a perfect backwards B into your cheek... then why can't you remember anything else about him except HIS SHINY SHOES?!
I warned you.
Here is his complete post for those who are interested in reading it.
http://blogs.theroot.com/...
Barack is fond of saying "ENOUGH is ENOUGH." Well, I say "ENOUGH" to this kind of psychological TERRORISM. Black people have had ENOUGH of the stoking of primitive racial-sexual fears deployed against our men and our communities like WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
John McCain and Sarah Palin were quick to rush to support this "young woman." I wonder if they will be equally quick to condemn her blatant racial arson. I hope that the good people of Pennsylvania can use this incident as a way to assess the state of race relations in their communities. I hope that all of America follows suit. ENOUGH!
UPDATE: Well, well according to TPM, it looks like the McCain campaign was DIRECTLY involved in stoking the FLAMES of this story... TRULY VILE.
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpoi...