This is my first official dailykos entry and I’m not sure why this topic over other important social issues compelled me to write today, but I do know I am angry. While our politicians have addressed many important issues in the recent debates, they are not addressing a major internal problem in our country right now: the tinder box we call race relations. Why is it not on the agenda? Keeping the focus on terrorism and Iran and the need for a "safe" America where we can all live in pursuit of happiness, allows us to conveniently forget the problem of racism in this country. But a recent incident in Pasadena, Texas, has ignited a match.
Earlier last month, a white man named Joe Horn spied two young black men robbing his neighbor’s house. He did the correct thing and called 9-1-1. But Horn became increasingly upset and despite hearing the operator implore him several times to stay inside, Horn cocked his shotgun, walked out and blew the two men away. He has been hailed as a hero by his community, and as of Dec. 5, 2007, had not been charged with any crime. Later, in protest, about a dozen black activists peacefully marched the streets of Pasadena. The march, however, was anything but peaceful. Angry neighbors hurled racial slurs at the men, carried signs that said "GO HOME" and prevented the leaders from speaking by revving their motorcycle engines.
Liberal pluralistic rhetoric conceals real problems in this country. And we do it unknowingly all the time. The neighbors shouted "USA-USA-USA" at the marchers, as if condemning these black leaders for daring to bring attention to myths we are fed every day about equal and blind justice in this country. These activists have been labeled as "angry," which is entirely logical if you believe in the American Dream—after all, only an irrational angry person would be unhappy with the current system.
When mainstream media tells us "this isn’t about race" they are invoking this rhetoric. They tell us it’s about gun rights and the 2nd Amendment and interpreting the right we have to defend our property. "Color doesn’t matter," they tell us. Anyone that believes color doesn’t matter needs to simply watch the reaction from the neighbors to the black leaders who marched down the streets. The racial slurs, hatred and vitriol thrown at these peaceful marchers is startling. The gleeful looks on the faces of the children is even more troubling as the event will certainly be a lesson in ideology for their young minds.
What is it going to take to get race relations on the political agenda? Our leaders talk about the need to secure our borders and protect Americans. Again, more "democratic" rhetoric that conceals the real issues with immigration: racism. English as the national language? Nothing more than code for keeping those Spanish-speaking folk out of here.
These aren’t isolated incidents. Before the Jena Six there were the San Francisco Eight. In 1971 members of the Black Panther party were mercilessly interrogated after a white police officer was found murdered. They only confessed to the murder after countless hours of being tortured. In 1975 the case was thrown out by a judge because it was decided that torture is not the American way. Why is this relevant now? On Dec. 4 the San Francisco Eight, now all old and gray and at least somewhat physically recovered from their trauma, were hauled back in court and re-charged with the murder, a crime that they only admitted to after finally succumbing to the unbearable physical and emotional pain from the torture.
I’m not happy with the situation in Iraq. President Bush’s response to the report on Iran was infuriating. But let’s keep space in the public discourse for our own internal problems. They are there. They are real. Just ask the San Francisco Eight.