It was just another rainy Saturday here in Tennessee when I opened my email. There was a note from a former student - actually about a fifth generation forwarding of one of those awful e-screeds. This one read as follows:
This is great. I have been wondering about why Whites are racists, and no other race is.
Proud to be White - Michael Richards makes his point...
Michael Richards better known as Kramer from TVs Seinfeld does Make a good point. This was his defense speech speech in court after making racial comments in his comedy act. He makes some very interesting points....
Someone finally said it... How many are actually paying attention to this? There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc. And then here are just Americans.
You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction. You call me 'White boy,' 'Cracker,' 'Honkey,' 'Whitey,' 'Caveman' ... And that's OK.
But when I cal l you, Nigger, Kike, Towel head, Sand-nigger, Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink ... You call me a racist. You say that Whites commit a lot of violence against you... So why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?
You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin Luther King Day. You have Black History Month. You have Cesar Chavez Day. You have Yom Hashoah. You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi. You have the NAACP. You have BET... If we had WET (White Entertainment (White Entertainment Television), we'd be racists..
If we had a White Pride Day, you would call us racists. If we Had White History Month, we'd be racists.
If we had any organization for only whites to 'advance' OUR, Lives we'd be racists.
We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce. Wonder who pays for that??
A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American pageant, But any color can be in the Miss America pageant.
If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships. You know we'd be racists.
There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US.. Yet if there were 'White colleges' They would be racist colleges.
In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching For your race and rights.
If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us Racists.
You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're Not afraid to announce it.. But when we announce our white pride, you call us racist!
You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. But, when a white Police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist.
I am proud... But you call me a racist. Why is it that only whites can be racists?
There is nothing improper about this e-mail. Let's see which of you are proud enough to send it on. I sadly don't think many will. That's why we have lost most of OUR RIGHTS in this Country. We won't stand up for ourselves!
BE PROUD TO BE WHITE!
It's not a crime yet ... But getting real close!
Well my first cup of coffee about came out of my ears in steam, and I began to reply with a mass-email to everyone on all five generations of the forward. But I stopped myself. Because I saw a teachable moment.
To back up a bit, the young man who sent it was a student of mine last year, at a high school where I was teaching advanced-placement communications. It was a great class, and the kids were very bright and lots of fun. But it is the south.
Among the little groups in my class was a table with three young men. All very bright. All very polite. All very "right." We had a great time all semester, and sparred over many issues, but race was not one of them - although the "code words" certainly showed up. That embitteredness which Lee Atwater so capitalized upon, fanning the flames of racism for another generation or more.
And the young man who forwarded the email was one of those three. Now a college freshman, at a small Christian college, studying, he hopes, for the ministry. And if he succeeds in his career goal, he will one day have a pulpit, and a regular audience. And since the class ended, we have enjoyed the occasional e-joust.
So I stifled myself for a moment, and did not return the spam. Instead, I just sent this
Not so great, IMHO. We should discuss. But first, here's a terrific speech
But the lesson is not over, and so I come here to the community, asking for help in crafting a thoughtful response. I don't expect to change attitudes all at once. I may never succeed, but if I don't try, I will surely never open a heart or mind.