Friday, July 31, 2009

In the Deep End


Saying, “I don’t know why I continue to do things like listen to Glenn Beck,” seems the easy way to begin this but it wouldn’t be true. I know why I do. It’s the same reason I write this blog. I have ideas that formulate a mind frame, and in order to maintain perspective, I search out dissenting opinions and offer mine, to try to keep a balance. I am making a feeble effort to ensure I don’t drift over the edge, even though many are convinced I have already done so.

“Brother” Beck would be one to think I didn’t drift but dove. He went on TV proclaiming his belief that our President is a racist. He isn’t the first person I have heard say that. He cites Obama’s calling of the actions by a Boston police office “stupid”, his attending Rev Wright’s church, and…….? Beck has reached a conclusion and now he is preaching it. Glenn, what do you really know about this stuff? I would really like the answer to this question.
I listened to Beck go on a rant, citing scripture, that a man must be punished for his OWN sins, and not those of his father. He insinuates that the racial divide that exists today is caused by black people wanting to punish white people for historical instances. He moaned about how he has done nothing and now the govt., now our president, wants to punish and blame him for everything.


Really?


Mr. Beck is this about you? I got t o thinking about a series of things that I have seen or read somewhat recently, NOT delving into history. I would ask what in this list of things has to do with Mr. Beck, or the greater white aka “American” people he speaks to and for?

Ask yourself how equal is today’s playing field?


Can you be arrested in your own home if the only thing you have done is insult a police officer?


A bunch of kids were instantly kicked out of a private pool for “safety” reasons. The initial concern was the “complexion and atmosphere” of the club’s pool. A member of the club asked “why are all these black kids here”.


Black Phila police officers are suing the website domelight.com, an online forum for Phila police officers, for hosting racist comments. The owner says it has nothing to do with who comments and refused to edit racist commenters. The website was/is a bastion of racist remarks and only open to Police officers.


A PA state senator, who happens to be a former police officer, while waiting in traffic, saw an old man being arrested. He saw the officer pull a stack of money out of the suspects pocket, place it on the hood where the wind proceeded to blow it away. The senator got out and asked if he could help. The officer told him to get his black a—back in his car. The senator informed the cop he wasn’t the right person to talk to that way and so the cop arrested him for disorderly conduct. Turns out the old man was being arrested for driving a “stolen” car… which he owned and the money was his cashed paycheck.


My wife while driving with her sister was pulled over for having a broken taillight. The officer told her both her lights weren’t working, crumpled the ticket in his hand, and threw it at her through the window.


Audra Shay is elected chair of the young Republicans after she posted “you tell ‘em” to a wall post urging us to take our country back from all these coons on Facebook.


In Jersey the Republican candidate was involved in a dispute with neighbors where he was quoted as saying “if you want to act like Ni---- go back to Paulsboro.” When asked about the incident he responded that he did say that, he added that it’s his freedom of speech, and nothing is wrong with what he said under certain circumstances.


Pat Buchanan said on MSNBC that he has no problem with the majority of supreme court judges being white because white men built this country and white men died invading Normandy. He claimed Sonia was unqualified for the supreme court because she was just an affirmative action selection.


I watched a fox and friends host say that Americans are less happy because they are not a pure race like the Swedes, because Americans marry other “species”.


Jack Wiswall, who just retired as the luxury products division pres of Lo’real, was successfully sued for ordering the firing of a black counter manager. When questioned on this order due to the managers superior performance, he retorted “Da—n it” get me one that looks like this ” pointing to a blonde counter manager.


Sheri Goforth, an executive assistant to Republican senator Diane Black received complaints after sending an email forward from her office entitled “Historical Keepsake Photo” that displayed a picture of every president from Washington to W. Bush, then a black square with two Scooby Doo eyeballs in Obama’s place. When asked if she regretted sending it or could see what was wrong with it, she replied she only regretted sending it to the wrong email list. She received no disciplinary action.


Rusty DePas,a Republican activist responded to a news story about an escaped gorilla by commenting that the gorilla was “probably one of Michele Obama’s ancestors”. When questioned on his comparison he responded “that was her comment, not mine”. Efforts to uncover any comments by Mrs. Obama regarding gorillas were unsuccessful.


Obama curious George T-shirts sells out at a Georgia bar.


Political cartoon depicts a cop shooting a gorilla and remarking “now someone else will have to write the stimulus package.”


I watched a video of an Oakland cop shooting an unarmed black man who was sitting helpless on a train platform while others watched. It was possibly the most disturbing thing I have ever watched.


I watched a video of Phila police officers entering a corner store, locating all the security cameras and cutting the power chords, (except the one they missed that recorded it all). The team of officers then proceeded to take the money from the register and various snacks.


A Phila police officer lost his job after using the N word regularly in talking about black people to a college reporter who was riding along for the day.


It may seem I am picking on Republicans and Cops here, but rather than pointing out a slant in the examples provided, pause a moment and realize all these were taken from mainline news sources. Say what you want about media bias, these things still happened, the reporters didn’t commit the acts.


What conclusion would you come to observing these things? Is Mr. Beck really the one who should be upset and feel besieged?
What do you think?

13 comments:

kg said...

I saw the headline about Brother Beck on MSN, cringed and thought to myself, "why, Beck, WHY?"

Corbie said...

So, I'm going to take you at your word and assume you will welcome a dissenting opinion (or at least one that opens Pandora's box). Glenn Beck's own religion - your religion - is as insulting to race as anything I have come across. I know I've mentioned it before but the Glenn Beck post struck a nerve because, to be honest, anytime I hear any of his obnoxious rants, I think to myself "well, when your own religion tells you that blacks' skin will be made white and delightsome according to their level of faithfulness, what else is that ding dong supposed to spew from his ignorant mouth?".

I know you feel strongly about your faith and I also know you feel strongly about race issues. I respect the latter immensely but I think the former is in direct contradiction. No Father, no Jesus, no God that I would subscribe to would make a human being feel (or even insinuate that they are) inferior because of the level of melanin in their skin.

My intention is not to offend you, though I make no apologies for my strong opinions on the matter. I also do not intend to engage in any sort of debate with your readers here (as I know one is likely to surface as a result of my comment). I know the facts, I've researched them heavily, and I cannot be sufficiently convinced by any of the stock answers that are so often given.

brohammas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
brohammas said...

Corbie, that is fair game and I promise to write an entire post on this, just for you. If, just for now, we try to stick with this, I will say that his, our, religion is a large part of what upsets me. This guy sets himself as a voice on a mountain, and tries to connect it with my religion, which upsets me because people associate the two when I, who have been involved in the religion longer than he, have taken it's teachings and come to a seperate conclusion. His views do in fact NOT represent mine, nor my religion's opinions or views. That being said there is a huge difference between religious and cultural Mormonism. I have a deep fear that the predominant CULTURE where my religion is predominant, and where Republican conservatism is dominant, that people are becoming more and more like "brother" Beck. Thats why I stalk Mommy blogs and drop little unwelcome comments when I read what I see as crazy things.

For this reason ESPECIALLY for this reason, you can call me out on whatever you like.

But if we are to deal with what I wrote aside from who inspired it, what of the instances of racism or abused power? Is American society fair and equatable without regard to race?

Corbie said...

Absolutely zero question in my mind - No, American society is not fair and equitable without regard to race. Period.

(did I stay satisfactorily on topic that time? :)

brohammas said...

yes on subject. No bonus points for agreeing with me.

Lyric said...

How can you/we/I stand it?
What can we do about it?

I feel myself doing the same thing I do with other insurmountable issues that people refuse to believe are issues - throwing up my hands in a way.

Then remembering that I can't fix the world. I can work on doing my best to change my own small part of it. My children will know my views as will anyone who cares to listen. I will be kind and reach out as far as I possibly can to be the opposite of the sad and maddening things you describe here.

I'll write an awful lot of letters to my representatives.

uglyblackjohn said...

Ahh... brohammas - Beck is NOT you.

You just got the same cringe that many Blacks experience when watching another poorly spoken Black guy, babymama, or felon on the daily news.

He is your "brother" in the same (but different) way as "Pookie-the-crackhead" is mine.
One really doesn't have anything to do with the other.

Jake the Snake said...

I am excited for your posting for Corbie. There are a lot of misconceptions about our religion's belief in this area.
More on topic..... How do we remove the disadvantages that this country's black youth face, that other youth don't face. I know that I didn't have the educational advantages that a lot of people have, but I have also noticed that atleast in my limited experience, a majority of the black youth in this country are at a far greater disadvantage than I ever was. I don't think a lot of people realize that..... but how do we improve the "hoods" and the quality and availability of equal education let alone some of the social disparities and social pressures and disadvantages that I saw in the every day life of an inner city black kid. How do we help to inspire and work towards those kinds of changes that I believe will make a huge difference. Because..... I will have to be honest, speaking purely from my limited first hand experience.....the black people that I work with and know in the medical community, most have come from a different background socially, financially, educationally, than the inner city kids I knew in Philly. These people I work with in this setting don't appear to face the same challenges as much....nor does it seem they face the same discrimination as a lot of black people I have seen. Not to say that they don't face some, it just appears to be different. Is that cultural? Is that due to location? Money? What causes this difference that I see?

brohammas said...

Good questions Jake but I'm not sure I'm the best to answer them. If you want to know what the difference is, you should ask the black people you work with. Scary proposition maybe, but really, that could be some great opportunity to learn.

JtS said...

I'll ask. I generally lack any type of social inhibitions anyway. Plus....I think that part of the problem is that we are afraid to ask and afraid to talk about it... so if I really want to know what I can do to help effect change, and if I really want to know the difference between the different people I have known...... I have to face those social fears.

Unknown said...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the racism that blacks are angry about isn't about what happened to great great grandpa Joe in the cotton fields. White people my parents age claim they don't remember segregation. My parents remember vividly. Racism still exists and just because it isn't the blatant cross burning/dragging a man behind a truck, doesn't mean it doesn't exist and it doesn't affect how people of different races view each other.

Going to college I had countless white people tell me I was an Affirmative Action quota, never once knowing my GPA, what school I went to, what my current grades were.

I can recall being pulled over in my own neighborhood because I looked suspicious pulling up to my own home. This didn't happen once but a few times, in a few different suburbs.

I often get concerned because I want to ensure that my child ends up in a decent school that is diverse, as I don't want my child growing up as the "other" like I so often did as "the only one" or "one of a few" in my school. The questions and comments asked by students and teachers about race were at times downright insulting and surprisingly often.

Lion-ess said...

This is really disturbing!
That's all I can say