Let me tell you a few things. I am very glad that Senator Barack Obama had the guts to address issues of race in this country. It is far better than the canned and false sympathy-laden statements Mr. Bush uttered (with a smirk) all through his "tenure" as President of the United States.
One thing, however, needs to be pointed out.
Mr. Obama had touched upon many of the racial attitudes that have been lingering over the years. It touched upon the taboo that "everyone knows" but does not speak. His forthright candor translated into many wonderful writings here and elsewhere in a heartening, relevant and inspiring manner. However, there are still those who think that "race should not be discussed" and that Mr Obama "should not bring this up any more".
I wrote in another discussion for a diary on DKos that I get a little "perturbed" whenever there are folks who call for "race to disappear". Their solution for making race persona no grata in such conversations is to highlight the bothersome nature of its presence. Stereotypes are also reiterated in order as if to convince the uncomfortable that what they would be embarking on is dangerous territory and up to no good.
What it amounts to is that race (and culture in a similar construct), is problematic and uncomfortable for some when their ideas, assumptions and perceptions are challenged by persons who belong to "disenfranchised" communities. It is easier to frighten other participants in a discourse about race into silence. To keep the peace and preserve tidy discourse it should not be talked about at all. In other words, their calls for silence reinforces a sense of balance and control on their terms, but not necessarily others.
The demand that anyone who talks about race stays "silent" reflects self-centeredness. It is as if that type of demand is called when the truth exposes the carefully maintained lie that racism in America does not exist. For the lie to be maintained, it allows for folks to be "good Germans", especially when they witness discrimination happening before their eyes. It is appalling.
I wonder how the "good Germans" of race relations can pretend such acts don't happen? What also boggles my mind is how one can say that they believe "people are people", yet when it comes down to it, they still openly ignore the plight of "people different from them"? Why is that?
It is as if they feel that their interpretation of "race relations" is the sum and total of all racial experiences in America and that the ideas of people of color do not count. Therefore, our experiences are dismissed, ridiculed or waved off as being "troubling" and unintelligible. In the end, the experiences of persons of color are ignored or treated in an angry fashion.
What is also problematic is that the same folks who use this line of "stopping racial talk" almost always say that they are colorblind. Don't get me wrong. It is wonderful for people to treat people as people. But what is ignored "for the sake of being color-blind" is that racial discrimination happens everyday that causes social disparity in almost every aspect of life. Didn't Hurricane Katrina give them a clue that something is wrong in America?
Testiness aside, I'll just proceed with the hook,line and sinker of this particular diary: it is high time to put an end to all this ridiculousness of performative dishonesty in race talk. Mr. Obama did the American public a service in raising their consciousness in this issue and now it has to be done right. It cannot be tampered with by people who refuse to deal with their own uncomfortable nature regarding race.
And in the vein of a previous diary, I ask for people to be honest and open-minded. Please don't be silent. If you are uncomfortable, admit it. But, don't shut anyone out with trying to stop the conversation in its tracks. For people who love their First Amendment Rights, it has always puzzled me why they go out of their way to stop the free expression of ideas of another when it comes to discussions of race and culture.
In the end, silence equals repression. It needs to be stopped.
--politicalceci
P.S. Even if you don't comment, please participate in my survey. It would be nice to get a plethora of opinions on this issue. Thank you.