Frank Zappa
The first time PG saw the word Zappa, it was on an item at the Poster Hut. It showed a man sitting on a commode, with the words Phi Zappa Krappa rendered above. The poser, Frank Zappa, later said “I’m probably more famous for sitting on the toilet than for anything else that I do.”
It was 1969, give or take a bit. FZ was already well known in some hip circles. His band, the Mothers of Invention, played at something called the Cosmic Carnival at Atlanta Stadium, where the music lovers were actually allowed onto the field. PG paid $1.98 for a copy of We’re Only in It for the Money at the Woolco on Buford Hiway. Years later, he would pay $16.00 for a CD of this piece of work.
The records started to come out like clockwork, with or without the Mothers. FZ started to become a star, with an appeal to druggies who fancied themselves intellectual. It should be noted that FZ was notoriously anti drug. His music made fun of the establishment and counterculture with equal glee. FZ was also a capitalist, known to be tight fisted when it came to paying hired hands. He stayed with his second wife, Gail, until his death, and produced four children… Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen.
The concerts came to town every year or so, and people liked them. A show at the Fox Theater in 1974 may have caught FZ at his peak. PG heard the raves about this show until he bought a ticket for his next show. This was in 1975, at the Municipal Auditorium. PG brought a half pint in with him, and didn’t remember a lot later, except some song about the Illinois Eneman Bandit.
Life goes on. Nine years later, FZ was in legal hell with a former manager, and could only make money by touring. One night, a friend had an extra ticket to a show. PG arrived after the band had started, and FZ was playing a fine guitar solo. This was going to be good.
Only it wasn’t. The rest of the show was social commentary. The man had opinions on everything, and was generous with them. At one point, the band started to sing “He’s so gay”, while a double headed dildo was lowered from the ceiling. PG thinks he heard FZ sing “one day you might be gay too”, but by then it really didn’t matter.
Frank Zappa was many things to many people. He had lots of opinions, which were dutifully recorded by the press. Here are a few .
Rock journalism is people who can’t write, interviewing people who can’t talk, in order to provide articles for people who can’t read. // I think that if a person doesn’t feel cynical then they’re out of phase with the 20th century. Being cynical is the only way to deal with modern civilization, you can’t just swallow it whole. // When God created Republicans, he gave up on everything else. // Let’s not be too rough on our own ignorance; it’s what makes America great! // The U.S. is a mere pup tent of a civilization. We’ve got two hundred years of stupidity behind us and we think we’re right up there with everyone else who’s been doing it for thousands of years. // Beauty is a pair of shoes that makes you wanna die. // After all, he wrote this book here, and in the book it says he made us all to be just like him! So if we’re dumb, then God is dumb — and maybe even a little ugly on the side. // Remember there’s a big difference between kneeling down and bending over. // Do you think you are protecting somebody by taking away seven words? // For the record, folks; I never took a shit on stage and the closest I ever came to eating shit anywhere was at a Holiday Inn buffet in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1973. // If you wind up with a boring, miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest or some guy on TV telling you how to do your shit, then YOU DESERVE IT. // There is no hell. There is only France. // The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced. // Children are naïve — they trust everyone. School is bad enough, but, if you put a child anywhere in the vicinity of a church, you’re asking for trouble. // People make a lot of fuss about my kids having such supposedly ‘strange names’, but the fact is that no matter what first names I might have given them, it is the last name that is going to get them in trouble. //
The reviews at Amazon sometimes have insights into the truth about an artist. Here are a few one star reviews of We’re Only in It for the Money.
I just don’t get this October 11, 2010 By Neomorphus “Neomorphus” (Superior, Colorado)
This is unlistenable. I could only get half way through before giving up. Too clever for me.
Put the kettle on June 7, 2006 By Noddy Box (New York)
This high-pitched snit fit might rouse the odd smirk if all you’ve consumed is a cup of tea and a Digestive biscuit but on no account listen to it under the influence of anything stronger because then you’re liable to prang right into a hectoring bore who comes off like some renegade member of the school debating team rehearsing his–fnarr fnarr–naughty rhyming rebuttals. Farting around in Edgar Varese’s old corduroys is all well and good but this breathtakingly condescending harangue sounds depressingly like–dear oh dear–social commentary. Jacobs Cream Crackers but is there anything more tedious than windy social commentary set to popular music? And the exhortation to read Kafka in the liner notes? Please Frank, rock stars should never mix their drinks, or at least not so the stitches show. Zappa is much more bearable when he takes his own advice, shuts his cakehole and plays guitar. Like on Hot Rats, where the only vocal is the sublime Beefy on Willie the Pimp and Frank in the kitchen the whole time cooking up a kettle of wordless aural gumbo–a movie for the ears I think he called it, something like that anyway, it’s right there on the sleeve, good description at any rate of one of the authentically crunchy Zappa records. Well he did release over sixty of them after all, I mean he was bound to get it right once or twice, wasn’t he? So toss this turkey on the fire and get yourself out onna porch of the Lido Hotel.
This is a repost. one, two, three, four posts are used. Your archive is your friend.
Former Dunwoody resident Aquarium Drunkard weighs in today with a nifty video. It is Frank Zappa, appearing on a TV show discussing censorship. FZ more than holds his own, and makes many good points about the nature of language and censorship. His contention is that censorship is about words, and that words in and of themselves are powerless. Wikipedia contributes this quote: “What do you make of a society that is so primitive that it clings to the belief that certain words in its language are so powerful that they could corrupt you the moment you hear them?” FZ had a way with words… “Rock journalism is people who can’t write interviewing people who can’t talk for people who can’t read. ”
I was in high school when I first heard about Frank Zappa. It was in the original Poster Hut, a ramshackle building on Cheshire Bridge Road that is vacant 38 years later. There was a poster, with the words PHI ZAPPA KRAPPA Below the saying was a picture of Frank Zappa on a commode. To compare that image of FZ on the throne to the sight of him on a TV show surrounded by windbags…he is seated both times.
I did not get that poster of PZK, but I did get a dayglo poster of Janis Joplin. I didn’t notice the exposed nipple on the drawing. When Mom saw it, she was horrified. ” I trusted you!” In my shame, I took a magic marker and covered over the fluorescent fuchsia mammary.
Back to FZ on CNN. The guitar picker made a lot of sense. One of the pundits threw the founding fathers at FZ, who replied that the FF were slave owners and that Ben Franklin was a wildman. FZ said we were heading to a fascist theocracy. Are we there yet? One whiner mentioned that his band was called the Mothers of Invention. FZ did not mention that the original name had been the mothers, and a record label made them add “of invention”.Finally, the four man part of the show was over. The two primary whiners agreed that rock music had some gnarly words, but did we really trust the government to intervene.
Frank Zappa was a parent. His four children are Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva … Al Capp, born Alfred Gerald Caplin, was a piece of work. Mr. Capp did not keep his opinions to himself. When PG was a kid, he heard Mr. Capp appearing on an NBC radio show, Monitor. This was about the time he called Joan Baez “Joanie Phonie,” and got some bad press.
At the age of nine, a trolly accident cost Mr. troll Capp his left leg. Years later, an urban legend arose. “in a televised face-off, either Capp (on the Dick Cavett Show) or (more commonly) conservative talk show host Joe Pyne (on his own show) is supposed to have taunted iconoclastic musician Frank Zappa about his long hair, asking Zappa if he thought he was a girl. Zappa is said to have replied, “You have a wooden leg; does that make you a table?” (Both Capp and Pyne had wooden legs.)
Recently, the world of flaky internet quotes has discovered Frank Zappa. The “sexually incontinent rock innovator” died December 4, 1993. (His wife Gail passed away October 7, 2025.) Recently, some alleged quotes have hit the ether. Some people need to get out more. This is a repost.
This item was recently featured in chamblee54. @SlavojTweezek “”Communism doesn’t work,” Frank Zappa said, “because people like to own stuff.” Idiot. What do people’s likes have to do with communism?” This quote is plausible. Frank Zappa was a capitalist. He liked owning stuff, especially his own music. It should be easy to find a source. However, the best google can come up with is a compilation, “Quotes of Zappa,” in W. C. Privy’s Original Bathroom Companion.”
This morning, facebook had a meme. It had a picture of FZ, with the quote “Politics is the entertainment division of the military-industrial complex.” In the time that it takes to say Camarillo Brillo, Mr. Google turned up a reddit commentary.
“While the quote is frequently listed as, ““Government is the entertainment division of the military-industrial complex,” I could find no primary source. It appears to contradict the actual quote from a 1987 interview with Keyboard magazine where he is decidedly pro-government but anti-bullshit politics.” (FZ did say “art in the service of politics usually makes for boring art.” Why do people make up quotes for memes, when the real thing is better?)
Speculating what a dead man would say is a tricky business. FZ was known for strong opinions, and a finely tuned BS detector. (That is bovine excrement, not Bernie Sanders.) FZ died while the internet was just getting started, and years before some of today’s permutations and perversions. It is easy to imagine FZ making rude comments about people misquoting dead guitar heroes.
Speaking of politics and cynical guitar cadavers, the current poster boi for trendy privilege is Bernie Sanders. If you “feel the Bern,” you might want to skip over the rest of this post, and look at the pictures. (These pictures are from The Library of Congress.) While BS is arguably less evil than Hitlery, he still leaves a great deal to be desired. BS is making extravagant promises that he will be totally unable to keep. BS is taking the concept of telling people what they want to hear to new depths. Yes, this is part of what FZ meant when saying rude things about politicians.
Today, PG saw a fundraising appeal for BS. Against his better judgment, PG made the comment “Bernie $anders.” The fun started almost immediately.
This campaign is for monthly recurring contributions. And Luther, campaigning requires money. The alternative to grassroots support is a country run by wealthy interests. Which would you prefer? ~ I realize that campaigning for political office requires money. My comment was a bit of recreational $nark. B$ can take a joke. … “The alternative to grassroots support is a country run by wealthy interests.” I am not sure about that comparison. Hitlery can make more in one corporate blowjob than BS can in a month of grass roots support. BHO did not get a billion dollars for his reelection from five dollar contributions. While the concept of grassroots support is uplifting, the sordid reality is that we live in a bribe-ocracy. ~ Your cynicism is less than accurate and certainly less than appealing. ~ Luther, just don’t vote and stay out of discussions about voting. OK?
The current WTF Podcast features Moon Zappa. At no time does she say grody, gag me with a spoon, or boofoos. Today, she is the divorced mother of an eight year old, and buys quality apple butter.
Moon is the daughter of the late Frank Zappa. FZ did not do drugs, smoked Winston cigarettes, and spent all his time working on music. The four children, Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva, called the parents Frank and Gail. Mrs. Zappa stays busy these days selling her husbands music.
Once, Moon broke a finger in school. She called Gail, and waited. Eventually, the family Rolls Royce pulled up. Gail was driving, with Frank in the passenger seat. Frank quit driving when his first drivers license expired. Before taking Moon to the ER, they stopped to get Frank a burrito.
Gail and Moon were walking to the store one day, when Moon was very little. A car stopped, and tried to pick up Gail. Moon screamed “Fuck off pervert.”
Captain Beefheart was at the Zappa house one time. He had made a hole in the side of his nose with a pencil. When a finger was put over the other nostril, the nose became a whistle.
While listening to this show, PG was editing pictures from The Library of Congress. Some of these images appear with this feature.
January Gun Fun
Parents Against Gun Violence have done it again. They issued a report, A few of the reasons people shot people in January, 2016. There are only 10 stories this month. In the cases where the actor is identified, 3 are white, and 3 are black. Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
The fun starts in Oklahoma, on New Years Morning. Some kids were ringing doorbells, and running away, a custom called Ding Dong Ditching. You know what happened. “The shooter has not been arrested and the Mayes County district attorney is looking into whether the shooting was lawful.”
A few days later, a young man in Memphis set off a handgun. The bullet went downstairs, and killed a 13 year old girl. Her brother got revenge by killing the upstairs man. ” Memphis Police confirmed they are searching for 19-year-old Ovell Jones on voluntary manslaughter charges in the death of 20-year-old Daniel Lusk. Jones is the brother of 13-year-old LeTara Jones, who was killed when a gun accidentally went off and hit her on January 4.”
Charles Wayne Acklen was a “former Shreveport Police Officer and Vietnam veteran who’s been financially supporting his son for years. Charles Ray Acklen was a registered sex offender, convicted of forcible rape in 1993. Other neighbors said the two had a history of arguing.” A few states north, “Larry Lotz, 65, snapped after his wife, Karen, admonished him for leaving the coffee maker turned on in the couple’s Barrington, Ill., home.”
The law tries to regulate human behavior, with uneven results. In Massachusetts, Bruce O’Brien found himself behind a snow plow that was too slow. “O’Brien has been charged with firing a gun within 500 feet of a building, carrying a firearm while under the influence of liquor or drugs, disorderly conduct and assault with a dangerous weapon. He was not charged with drunk driving because his level of intoxication did not rise to the legal level.” This is a repost.
Rose McGowan Again
Brave is the book that Rose Arianna McGowan is promoting. Whenever there is a fresh controversy, there is usually product to sell. This blog has done it’s part, writing about RAM thrice: Rose McGowan Misogygate, A Rose By Any Other Blame, and The Rose And Bret Show. Recently,’ during a promotional event, push came to shove. RAM fought back, against the trans activist who verbally assaulted her from the audience. While RAM, and her opinions, can be highly annoying, it was fun to see someone push back at a troll. RAM said a few things about labelism.
“Don’t label me, sister. ’ Don’t put your labels on me. Don’t you f—ing do that. Do not put your labels on me. I don’t come from your planet. Leave me alone. I do not subscribe to your rules. I do not subscribe to your language. You will not put labels on me or anybody. Step the f— back. What I do for the f—ing world and you should be f—ing grateful. Shut the f— up. Get off my back. What have you done? I know what I’ve done, God dammit.”
Andi Dier is the trans activist who made a scene. There are unconfirmed rumors of bad behavior on their part. @PopCrave “Andi Dier the woman who heckled Rose McGowan at her book signing is now being accused of sexual assault by multiple women.”
Some reports on the B&N episode note trans-problematic comments made on RuPaul’s “What’s the Tee?” podcast. In the last part of the show, RAM makes comments about trans women not having periods as teenagers. Is that transphobic? Certified cis-male PG is the wrong person to ask.
The rest of the show was fun to listen to. RuPaul is a smart cookie, and made sage observations about the illusionary nature of just about everything. RAM made one comment, at 51:11, that is easily refuted. “60% of gun violence deaths are in this country are women.” The FBI issues a report every year. The homicide numbers for 2016: Total 15,070 male 11,821 female 3,208.
Pictures are from The Library of Congress. “Mother and child, white migrants, Harlingen, Texas.” The photographer was Russell Lee. The pictures were taken in February, 1939.
Tonight’s Designated Survivor
display of a link on this page does not indicate approval of content ~ Burkhart’s entertainers say bar’s racism runs deeper than owners ~ James Nelson The rumor is true. I just made a very generous offer to Palmer. However his comment to me was, and I quote, “Burkharts is nothing but a toy to me I don’t need it, come back to me when you are serious” Well, I will deal with the landlord when the doors close now. ~ The Plot Against America ~ Former Jungle owner considers buying Burkhart’s ~ English Prescriptivism: Being a good writer & its roots in white supremacy ~ Mom sues Walmart over ‘segregated’ beauty products ~ Sonny Perdue is Tonight’s Designated Survivor ~ Call me Al LIVE Episode 3 with Baked Alaska & Uncle Hotep ~ The Devastating Paradox of Pakistan ~ When non-Black POC hide behind blatant white supremacy to ignore their own complicity ~ hair video ~ optimism ~ animal consent ~ A Protest Divided ~ Sisters indicted in beating death of 3-year-old who ate cupcake ~ HIV-positive man accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting boy ~ Marquavis Goolsby ~ rose mcgowan gets off ~ Philosopher Slavoj Žižek settles the “Is it OK to punch a Nazi?” question once and for all ~ Monique Lied To Y’all . . . Netflix Didn’t Offer Her $500K . . . They Offered Her 3 MILLION But SHE TURNED IT DOWN!! ~ Fight over sagging pants prompts Dallas DART station shooting ~ Rosa Parks Was My Aunt. Here’s What You Don’t Know About Her. ~ Three in five people intentionally misgender trans people: report ~ The real history behind tipping is surprisingly racist. ~ Tony Lingoes ~ Service 101: A Brief History of Tipping ~ Rose McGowan Broke Down in a Transphobic Rage ~ Rose McGowan Breaks Down When Confronted About Trans Rights: ‘I Didn’t Agree to Your Cis F—ing World’ ~ An Intersection Of Race, Masculinity, And Mental Health ~ rose and ru ~ Rose McGowan’s interview with Colbert was incredibly uncomfortable. It’s worth watching. ~ @transscribe I tracked down and interviewed the trans woman who confronted Rose McGowan earlier this week about her transmisogyny. Read her side of the story with @them ~ @PopCrave Andi Dier the woman who heckled Rose McGowan at her book signing is now being accused of sexual assault by multiple women. ~ Andi Dier ~ Rose McGowan Misogygate ~ A Rose By Any Other Blame ~ people who died on january 30: Betsy Ross (1936) Mohandas Gandhi (1948) Orville Wright (1948) Professor Longhair (1980) Lightnin’ Hopkins (1982) Coretta Scott King (2006), ~ And when PG challenged the evidence of this magic word usage, he was asked “So I ask you again, what is your investment in over and over casting doubt on progressive, anti-racist activism?” If PARA means having a hissy fit because a man used the magic word on facebook, then yes, doubt should be cast. ~ Have you ever heard that you should speak up? Supposedly, if you see something wrong happening, and don’t say anything, then you are complicit. The problem is, if the thing you are speaking out against is the SJW, then you can expect that person to get angry. People only want you to speak out when they are agree with you. Otherwise, you risk social suicide by speaking out. ~ … “And to top it all off you suggest that (5) someone with black grandchildren can’t be racist. That last argument is particularly bizarre and pernicious. Someone with black *children* can be racist. Slave masters often raped their slaves. Strom Thurmond had black children. And you imply someone with black *grandchildren* can’t be racist?” ~ Mics cost money. They can be damaged by dropping. “Drop the mic” is just a saying. ~ Instead of hate the sin, love the sinner, you can question the belief, love the believer. Let someone else do the hating. ~ whiteness anagrams as he witness ~ Khalil Lawal left a comment at this video, BEING SCARED OF YOUR PAST. “my name is Khalil. brothers and sisters in Islam. please make dua for me. May Allah (swt) grant His mercy upon you and your family. Forgive you for your sins. And Make any good that is difficult, easy for you. Ameen. As salaamu alaikum wa rahmahtullah wa barakatuh” ~ I would say that gullibility of liberals vs conservatives is close to to an equal match. And yes, I got gullibility correct without using spell check. ~ first they came for those with resting bitch face ~ i said take them they have a negative attitude ~ then they came for the lonely and depressed ~ i said take them it is their choice ~ then they came for the ones they call racist ~ i helped as i did not want them to think me racist ~ then they came for me ~ and there was no one left to speak up for me ~ Pictures are from The Library of Congress. The 1927 pictures were taken at “California Beauty Week, Mark Hopkins Hotel, July 28 to Aug. 2, auspices of San Francisco Chronicle.” ~ Social Justice Jihad® approval of today’s content is pending ~ selah
Killed By Police February 4
23 people were Killed By Police in the United States last week. Here are the links: 098 Charles Williams 099 Paul David Johnson 100 Anthony McDaniel 101 Billy Lewis Rucker 102 Gregory Kocian 103 Dwayne Pritchett 104 Khalil Lawal 105 Mark Renee Flores 106 Michael Hansford 107 Ricky Leon Rusche 108 Gilbert Salas 109 Adrian Valdez 110 James M. Burks 111 Albert Morton Jr 112 Daniel O. El 113 William Young 114 115 Alexander W. Simpson 116 117 118 Charlie Shoupe 119 120
10 of the victims were white. (098, 099, 100, 102, 107, 108, 110, 113, 116, 118) 6 of the victims were black. (101, 103, 104, 111, 112, 114) 105 Mark Renee Flores was latino. The race of 6 of the victims is unknown. (106, 109, 115, 117, 119, 120)
7 of the victims fired at an officer. (100, 101, 102, 107, 112, 113, 119) 9 of the victims displayed a weapon. (099, 105, 106, 109, 114, 116, 117, 118, 120) 2 of the victims were suicidal. (117, 118) 6 of the victims were in a car chase. (101, 102, 108, 111, 112, 116) A taser was used on 098 Charles Williams.
4 of the cases were in Georgia. “A man died while in custody after he was tasered by a local sheriff’s office on Saturday, officials confirm. Now, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the case. According to the GBI, officials were moving Charles “Charlie” Williams, 30, from one facility to the Barrow County Detention Center around 2:30 that afternoon. Williams was already under arrest through the Auburn Police Department for charges of battery and cruelty to children, related to a physical confrontation in Auburn, Georgia. According to the GBI, Williams “became combative before making it into the jail. He fought with deputies for several moments and did damage to the patrol car he was transported in.” The GBI investigation indicates a Williams managed to move his handcuffs from behind his back to his front. Personnel tried to talk him out of the vehicle, but he continued to struggle. Sometime during that altercation, a Barrow County deputy used a taser on him, though it reportedly did not subdue him. The GBI has not released how many times he was hit with the taser. During the altercation, he stopped fighting back when he “experienced medical duress and stopped breathing,” the GBI writes.” (098)
“Investigators said a little after 1 a.m., a gunman first opened fire on New Peachtree Road, in a drive-by shooting. Chamblee police found a man who was shot in the hand. Ten minutes later, investigators said a 911 caller alerted them the man was now shooting at passing cars from the parking lot of a QuikTrip on Chamblee-Tucker Road. Police said as they arrived, the shooter ran to Quantum Lane and kept shooting. Officers said they were afraid for their safety and the public’s safety, so an officer fired one shot, which later killed the man.” (099)
“A Clayton police officer initiated a traffic stop for speeding just after 3 a.m. Thursday on Georgia Highway 441 South. The Honda Accord was traveling 68 miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour zone. When the officer initiated the stop, the Accord accelerated and a chase ensued. The Accord turned onto Rickman Road and then crashed on a private drive at 547 Warwoman Road. When officers arrived at the scene, the officer gave verbal commands for the subject to remain in the vehicle. The subject then exited the vehicle through the rear window and made his way onto the roof of the vehicle. The subject, armed with a knife, jumped off the hood of the vehicle toward the officer, advancing and swinging the knife. The officer fired multiple shots at the subject, striking the subject.” video (116)
“The GBI said a suspect robbed an auto parts store and then tried to carjack someone across the street. The suspect encountered police and there was a shootout. “We do have at least one witness who actually saw him shoot at Atlanta police officers. The officers returned fire and from that particular point it just turned into a running gun battle,” GBI spokesperson Nelly Miles said. Authorities said the suspect was shot and killed. No officers were injured.” (119)
“Baltimore police media relations Chief T.J. Smith said the incident started as a traffic stop on Westgate Avenue and that the driver fled. The Foxtrot helicopter tracked the vehicle as it took off. On video, the suspect, Billy Lewis Rucker, 33, can be heard yelling, “Y’all can’t stop me.” The vehicle was found abandoned near Roslyn Avenue and Gwynns Falls Parkway, and officers spotted Rucker and a female passenger on Gwynns Falls, police said. Police said Rucker ran, pulled out a gun and pointed it at officers. During a foot chase, Rucker dropped a magazine from a gun, police said. Police said the footage shows a muzzle flash from the gun before the officer fired his service weapon, striking Rucker, who died at a hospital.” video (101)
“Police responded to a 911 call around 4:30 p.m. reporting that an emotionally disturbed man had locked himself inside his bedroom on Reservoir Avenue. When they arrived, police stood outside the bedroom door of Dwayne Pritchett, 48, and tried to get him to come out. Cops said Pritchett suddenly opened the door and they spotted drugs and a gun on the floor. When they attempted to put him in handcuffs, police said Pritchett tried to pull a gun from one of the holster of an officer. Officers gained control of him and pulled him from the bedroom, but Pritchett then lost consciousness and became unresponsive, according to police. EMS tried to revive him on the scene and he was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police said Pritchett had a warrant out for his arrest. A cause of death has not yet been determined.” “The officers entered the room and began to handcuff Pritchett — who sources say had a lengthy rap sheet. Pritchett was reportedly sweating profusely when he tried to pull the cop’s gun from its holster. Pritchett passed out suddenly after officers removed him from his bedroom, police said. EMS administered Narcan — a medication used to block the effects of opioids — and tried to save Pritchett’s life by administering CPR. He was taken to New York-Presbyterian The Allen Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Pritchett has a history of drug abuse and has been in rehab before, a police source added.” (103)
“Capt. Sekou Kinebrew told reporters that a bicycle officer reported at about 7:30 a.m. Monday that he saw a car driving erratically near Broad and Bigler. Kinebrew said the driver (Khalil Lawal) “was apparently attempting to run people over.” One person was hit by the vehicle but the injuries weren’t believed to be life-threatening. Another driver had blocked the path of the suspect’s car, and the off-duty officer approached him and struggled with him. During the struggle, the officer shot the man once in the head, critically injuring him. The man later died, police said.” “Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross … said that he had “concerns” about the incident. “I do have some concerns about the shooting, in particular whether all the shots were necessary,” … Ross also addressed initial reports that Lawal was targeting multiple pedestrians with his car. “Right now we have not been able to confirm this at all,” Ross said. “The only thing we know is of this one incident at this point in time that we are still investigating.” Police also don’t believe the incident was a case of domestic terrorism.” (104)
“… the incident began unfolding late Wednesday morning when Nicollet County sheriff’s deputies spotted a vehicle in Lafayette that had been reported stolen in New Ulm. A pursuit ensued involving six law enforcement agencies. Eventually the male driver was identified and the pursuit terminated for safety reasons. A half-hour later, the vehicle was spotted in St. James. Officers followed the vehicle until the driver got stuck in a snowbank. He then fled into a business in the 600 block of Second Avenue South, where he hid alone in an office. Officers from the St. James Police Department, Watonwan County sheriff’s office and Minnesota State Patrol entered the business. Officers deployed multiple stun gun rounds before one officer discharged a firearm, striking Gilbert Salas.” (108)
“A caller reported a male at the residence was bleeding from self-inflicted injuries and was feeling “suicidal,” Dutton said. “When deputies got to the residence [the caller] told them he had a gun, a pistol,” Dutton said. Dutton confirmed that fact in an interview with the Independent Record Friday morning. Deputies attempted to engage the suspect in verbal negotiations to set down the gun for about an hour, Dutton said. “Unfortunately, he forced the hand of a deputy, and the deputy in protecting himself and other deputies had to shoot,” Dutton said.” (117)
“Massey’s video shows fire personnel following slowly behind Charlie Shoupe as he walked around, holding a knife, for about 3 minutes. Massey said he was standing outside the apartment building when he saw a white man, later identified as Shoupe, “come outside screaming ‘shoot me.’” He began recording the scene. Shoupe appeared to be using a knife to harm himself and he was threatening fire department officials who were responding to the mother’s 911 call, Massey said. When a CMPD officer arrived, Shoupe and the fire personnel appear to walk toward the direction of the patrol car. Police say Flynn gave verbal commands for Shoupe to drop his knife and that Flynn “retreated multiple times to try to put distance between him and Mr. Shoupe.” “Mr. Shoupe refused to comply and instead continued to charge at Officer Flynn, closing the distance between the two of them. Officer Flynn then fired his service weapon, striking Mr. Shoupe,” CMPD said in a news statement.” (118)
“The sheriff’s office got a 911 call at 9:20 a.m. Friday about a man who had fired a shot inside a home on FM 2405, north of Winters, while family members were inside. He was “believed to be in mental distress,” said Squyres. When deputies and officers from the Winters Police Department arrived, they saw a man inside the home with a rifle. After failing to establish communication, they called the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office which brought its tactical team and a negotiator. Department of Public Safety officers and Texas Rangers also came to assist. Still unable to establish communication, officers saw the man pacing back and forth, holding the rifle. At one point, he pointed the rifle at officers through a window. About 1:15 p.m., the man walked out onto the patio, shouldered his rifle and aimed it at deputies. “Deputies were forced to fire a single round, striking the individual,” Squyres said. A neighbor who did not want to be identified told KTXS “he was just a sick man. He was sick. He didn’t know they were cops. He thought it was someone trying to break into his house.” (120)
Pictures are from The Library of Congress. The photographer was Dorothea Lange.
Non-Racist Or Anti-Racist
There is a tasteful bit of white guilt porn on the innertubes. The video is from the Guardian, a British enterprise. Are you racist? ‘No’ isn’t a good enough answer. The transcript has 365 words, one for each day of the year. The word for today is and. The most recent tally shows 4,714,039 views on facebook, which does not pay royalties.
The talk is an exercise in semantics. Either you are non-racist, or anti-racist. The possibilities that you are a known-racist is not considered, as is the concept that attitudes about race are nobody else’s business. The speaker, Marlon James, instructs the listener that you MUST be anti-racist. Nothing else will do. This means that you must take some type of action against racism. What exactly you are supposed to do is not specified, but you need to do something.
Mr. James lists five points that the mythical non-racist uses to justify their non-ness. “I’m not a bigot. I don’t sing that ’n’ word when my favorite rap jam comes on. I didn’t vote for that guy. I’m not burning any crosses. I’m not a skinhead.” From these five nots, a certain lifestyle emerges. “What you end up with is an entire moral stance, an entire code for living your life and dealing with all the injustice in the world by not doing a damn thing. That’s the great thing about “non-”: you can put it off by simply rolling over in your bed and going to sleep. So why are you sitting at home and watching things unfold on TV instead of doing something about it? Because you’re a non-racist, not an anti-racist.” Or maybe you are an uncle-racist, and auntie-racist won’t let you do anything.
At no point is a course of anti-racist action suggested. Should you go block traffic on the interstate? Should you vilify a member of your community who expresses incorrect opinions on facebook? Should you go to the state capitol, and talk to your representative about laws you are not familiar with? Exactly what are you supposed to do? Will this action do more harm than good? Is this action any of your business? Do you know what you are talking about? Maybe the effect of your action is not important, as long as you are doing something.
The monolog takes a strange turn now. “Now, do this for me: take the “c” out of racist and replace it with a “p”. “I’m not a rapist. I’m not friends with any rapist. I didn’t buy that rapist’s last album.” All these things that you’re not doing. Meanwhile, people are still getting raped, and black boys are being killed. It’s not enough that you don’t do these things.”
Ok, so now we need to take meaningless action against rape, and black boy murder. Again, what are you supposed to do? There is also the matter of privilege. Is it really the white person’s business that black boys are shooting other black boys? And what are we supposed to do about this? Maybe you can say rude things about police. Whatever you do, say #blacklivesmatter instead of #alllivesmatter.
The video comes to a merciful end with the words “We need to stop being “non-” and start being “anti-”. Or take action against glamorous issues that have no effect on most people, but make you feel good to talk about. The Academy Award nominations have been announced, and not enough POC have been nominated. We can take action on twitter, as this tweet illustrates. #oscarssowhite that pointed hoods will be included in the swag bags this year.
The pictures today are from The Library of Congress. These details are from picture #06666, documenting “First Internation[al] Pageant of Pulchritude & Seventh Annual Bathing Girl Review at Galveston, Texas.” It was taken in 1926. This is a repost.
Examine Your Whiteness Part Two
There have been some new developments in the Burkhart’s melodrama since Examine Your Whiteness was published. For those who are new here, a facebook screen shot appeared, showing the owner of a popular Atlanta bar saying the magic word. A community hissy fit followed. The drag queens who performed at the establishment quit. PG questioned the validity of the screen shot. Global warming got worse, Atlanta traffic slowed down, and Donald Trump got a haircut. It was a bad week.
Someone finally talked to Palmer Marsh, the bar owner with a facebook habit. Yes, he did say the magic word on facebook. He took the post down soon after, but not before a cunning employee got a screen shot. The evidence would prove handy.
Mr. Marsh made another noteworthy comment. “Marsh says his son-in-law is black, as are several of his own grandchildren.” This puts a new spin on the old saying… I can’t be racist, some of my best grandchildren are black. The people upset about the facebook post were not impressed. Don’t confuse me with the facts, the man is a racist, because I said so. The issue remains unresolved, as well as the issue of why anyone should care.
Racist is the one of worst things you can say about anyone. It is also tossed around casually, with no proof, or thought, required. Once accused, you are guilty until proven innocent. If you defend someone accused of racism, you are considered racist yourself.
Racism is not an either/or binary. Many people have conflicting feelings on the matter. While the facebook post is apparently valid, what is in Palmer Marsh’s heart remains a mystery to most observers. Maybe he is a racist, and maybe he is not.
Why does a person need to be politically correct to own a queer bar? Historically, bar owners have been shady characters, who settled disputes with contract killing, and convenient fires. The business revolves around selling alcohol, a deadly, addictive, legal drug. People often misbehave under the influence, and the bar will use brute force to resolve the issue. Enemies are made. It is a tough, dirty business. And now we are supposed to shun an bar owner, because he used the magic word one time on facebook. (Full disclosure: PG is a retired drunk. He has been sober since 1988.)
Anti racism can be highly superficial. Lip service is paid to high minded definitions of racism: “Rather, according to the newly uncovered formula, racism = prejudice + power (or “prejudice + privilege” in some trendier renditions). White people are the ones with all the power and privilege here, so, per the formula, they cannot possibly be the objects of racism.”
That is good in theory, but boring in practice. When there is a racism controversy these days, it is frequently because someone said the magic word. (One exception is when the police kill someone.) Honest to G-d oppression is boring, and will not get attention. Catching someone saying the magic word gets attention. The ex-employee, who leaked the screen shot, wanted attention.
The other development is the sale of the bar. Supposedly, a group was planning to buy Burkhart’s. This group included the General Manager, Don Hunnewell, who gave a statement soon after the original screen shot emerged. “Yesterday it took everything I had to soldier on and not terminate my employment agreement.” A few days later, he was part of a group trying to buy the bar.
You might ask, how does a complicated sale like that happen so quickly? The answer is, it doesn’t. The owner of The Jungle, a now closed cha cha palace, is said to have made an offer. The Jungle got in SJW trouble a few years ago for hosting a performance by Sharon Needles. For the foreseeable future, Palmer and Mary Marsh own Burkhart’s.
An ex-employee had a problem with the club. Ex-employee leaked the screen shot to the press, and the fun started. Now, there are three possible motives for the ex-employee. 1 – Someone was offended by racism at the club, and wanted to call attention to it. 2- Release of the screen shot is somehow connected to a sale of the bar. It is not known if the ex-employee was part of the group that was going to buy the club. 3 – The ex employee had a problem with the club, and wanted to get revenge. Number 3 is the most likely, although all are possible. All things are possible in a world without G-d.
Where does this put the performers who quit, and the pearl clutching public? If this is motivated by sincere concern for racism at Burkhart’s, then people are entitled to the self congratulation. OTOH, if this whole mudbath is just part of the proposed sale, or a shot at revenge by an embittered ex-employee, then the pearl clutchers are being played.
Pictures are from The Library of Congress, taken at “Annual “Bathing Girl Parade”, Balboa Beach, CA, June 20, 1920.” Part three of this series is now available.
Coexist
The custom of expressing your innermost thoughts on the back of your vehicle has taken a curious turn. One popular emblem says coexist. The seven letters are equipped with symbols, both religious and secular. One hopes that no one receiving this message has forgotten to stop, and hit the car with the coexist symbol on the bumper.
When PG was young, there was a miniature golf course on Cheshire Bridge Road called Putt Putt. The first bumper sticker he saw said “I play Putt Putt.” Is coexist an improvement?
When this post was first conceived, the i in coexist was perceived to be unadorned. It was as if the religion of i was receiving due recognition. Upon closer examination, it seems as though the tittle has a five pointed star. This means that the i is a sorcerers wand. The i apparently stands for paganism.
The c, x, and t of coexist are pretty obvious. They are symbols for the three Abrahamic religions. O is a peace sign, and e has the male and female symbols. The religions they represent are not apparent. The s is a yin yang, which is somehow related to Taoism.
Buddhism, Atheism, Communism, and Hinduism are not represented. They spell out Bach. The composer Johann Sebastian Bach produced glorious music for the Lutheran church. Perhaps the e in coexist represents the left out denominations. If this E is combined with BACH, you can spell out BEACH. This is a repost. Pictures today are from The Library of Congress.
Racist Apologist
display of a link on this page is not an indication of approval ~ Palmer Marsh If the South had won, we would be a hell of a lot better off. ~ Atlanta gay bar faces backlash over owner’s racist Facebook posts calling Obama a ‘n**ger’ ~ Burkhart’s GM responds after owner’s racist Facebook posts uncovered ~ KHALID SINGS, “I DON’T WANT TO COME HOME TONIGHT,” AND I WONDER WHERE HOME IS IN THE FIRST PLACE ~ bird ~ City moves to give landmark status to Midtown funeral home, block site’s redevelopment ~ Dear Mr. Trump…In truth the only shithole nation is the one that tolerates a racist president. ~ hair product racial profiling ~ A Desire for History ~ the slash ~ pyramids ~ White Candidate for Georgia Governor Basically Does MLK Blackface ~ drag walkout ~ drag walkout II ~ Atlanta Queens Collectively Resign Over Burkhart’s Racism Fiasco ~ 10 Conversations On Racism I’m Sick Of Having With White People Conversations I Am Tired Of Having ~ gallus ~ Midtown bar under new ownership after controversial Facebook posts surface ~ A Lifetime of Activism: Jane Fonda on Gender Violence, Indigenous Rights & Opposing War in Vietnam ~ live feed I just listened to a live feed of the meeting this morning. I did not hear the infamous facebook post mentioned one time. Maybe it wasn’t that important. When I pointed out the lack of evidence for this post, I was called “racist apologist.” I was told to “examine my whiteness.” I was insulted. I had numerous other facebook posts presented, as though that indicated that the seminal post was genuine. It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience. All you had to do was acknowledge that the post was shaky, and move on. You could have talked about the other issues involved here, but you chose to insult me. There is a rule… the first person to start personal insults loses. ~ Burkhart’s remains closed as purported sale collapses ~ Police: Man shot at multiple cars before being shot, killed by officer ~ The Reading Rooms Designed to Protect Women from “Library Loafers” ~ Most of what you’re going to read today is pointless. ~ Owner of Burkhart’s apologizes, still plans to sell ~ edition number four ~ Vol.3 no 26 June 29, 1970 ~ GSU Library ~ palmer marsh ~ Style vs Substance, in discussions on racism, is a conversation we should have. Every wild eyed charge of racism is accepted without thought, and celebrated with yet another round of pearl clutching. ~ the answer to my security question… favorite restaurant … gave me fits, because I was embarrassed to say McDonalds ~ p17 june 29 1970 ~ Did anyone see the Obama/n-word post when it first appeared? What was the time and date? Is there a cached copy available? Do you realize how easy it would be to fake that screen shot? If an incendiery post like that appeared, why wasn’t it noticed at the time? Supposedly, there has been whispering about Mr. Marsh’s racial values for years. There are various incidents recited now about employees. What put it over the top, and into the awareness of the community, is that screen shot about Barack Obama. Who is the ex-employee who posted it? What were their motives? People think this is what fighting racism looks like. Police brutality, economic opportunity, access to housing, education, and health care…. this is institutional racism. None of this will be affected by hand wringing over facebook posts. This whole thing is fishy. People are so eager to believe an accusation of racism. No proof is required, You are guilty until proven innocent. ~ pictures today are from The Library of Congress. ~ selah
Killed By Police January 28
28 people were Killed By Police in the United States last week. Here are the links: 070 Ronald Jay Lawson 071 Ilkka O. Hiironen 072 Jonathan Duane Atchley 073 Joshuah D. Prough 074 Aaron Olivarez Candanoza 075 John C. Havener Jr 076 Edward C. Gandy 077 078 Joe Delira-Alires 079 Scott Senior 080 Ricky Jerome Boyd 081 Corey Mobley 082 Alvaro Herrera 083 Shane McVey 084 Humberto Vera-Munoz 085 David Byron Kidney 086 Chris McKinney 087 Steven Hutchins 088 Ulises Valladares, 089 090 091 092 William Charles Mackenzie 093 094 Nathaniel T. “Nate” Edwards 095 William Pollard 096 Crystaline Barnes 097
13 of the victims were white. (070, 071, 072, 073, 074, 075, 076, 077, 078, 083, 085, 087, 093) 4 of the victims were black. (080, 081, 094, 096) 2 of the victims were latino. (084, 088) The race of 9 of the victims is unknown. (079, 082, 086, 089, 090, 091, 092, 095, 097) 2 of the victims were female (096 Crystaline Barnes, 097)
5 of the victims fired at an officer. (078, 080, 085, 090, 092) 9 of the victims displayed a weapon. (071, 073, 077, 079, 083, 087, 089, 091, 093) 4 of the victims were possibly suicidal. (071, 073, 076, 077) 2 of the vicims were in a domestic dispute. (081, 092) 2 of the victims were in a car chase. (070, 078) 2 of the victims had a taser used on them. (075, 086)
2 of the killings were in Georgia. “About 6:15 a.m., U.S. Marshals and metro officers responded to the 100 block of Marian Circle to serve a warrant related to the Sunday homicide of 24-year-old Balil Whitfield in the 2100 block of Hudson Street, said Interim Police Chief Mark Revenew. According to a preliminary investigation, Boyd began shooting at the officers and police returned fire. A metro police sergeant was also injured during the shooting.” (080)
“The shooting happened shortly before 4 a.m. near the Shell gas station on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Sugar Hill. Police received a call about an armed man walking along the roadway. When officers confronted the man, he allegedly pulled a gun out of his waistband and began to raise it towards them. The man has been identified as 27-year-old Steven Hutchins of Buford. One of the officers then fired shots at Hutchins, striking him at least once. Hutchins was later pronounced dead at the scene.” (087)
“Our deputies at that time attempted to make a traffic stop on a vehicle that was driving erratically.” The pursuit led to the decision for stop-sticks to be deployed several times, flattening three of the car’s tires. Lawson continued north on U.S. 1. A pit maneuver, used by patrol cars to push vehicles, was used to bring an end to the chase near Rockledge. Turbeville then approached Lawson, then fired once Lawson made his “overt action.” (070)
“Oneida police arrived around 4:15 a.m. Monday on Route 5 in Oneida in response to a call about a man, later identified as Havener, standing in the street, shouting at drivers, Thompson said. Oneida police found Havener and described his conduct as “just generally being very disorderly … flagging down vehicles and obstructing traffic,” he said. Officers also discovered a disabled vehicle in the snow bank, which Havener had driven and possibly crashed, Thompson said. Thompson would not say whether there was anyone else was in the vehicle. Thompson said officers tried talking him out of the road, but Havener became violent. “What our officers did was try to verbally direct this person out of the roadway and see what the problem was,” Thompson said. “He remained very violent and attempted to fight with our officers.” … Thompson said Oneida police called for backup from other local police agencies. First, Canastota police officers arrived, followed by Madison County Sheriff’s Office deputies and then New York State Police officers, he said. “At some point during the encounter a Taser was deployed,” Thompson said. The non-lethal weapon did not have the desired effect, and the “incident transpired” further, Thompson said. Officers followed Havener a “couple hundred” feet down Route 5, Thompson said. Havener was ultimately secured through the use of a second Taser bolt, he said. … Havener was secured in handcuffs in a parking lot near an Arby’s on Route 5. That’s when officers noticed Havener was having trouble breathing. “As our officers were dealing the subject, it became clear that he was having some difficulty with his breathing.” (075)
“At 5:20 p.m., the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office released a statement on the matter, explaining that at approximately 10:47 a.m. Edward C. Gandy, age 47, of Dock Street, in Millville, called 911 and reported that he had a loaded firearm and was located at High and McNeal streets in Millville. According to the statement, police were called to the area and located Gandy. The statement goes on to say: “An Officer Involved Shooting took place. Gandy was shot and later pronounced deceased. No firearm was recovered at the location.” (076)
“A man and woman were arguing at a gas station on the 3000 block of Cortez Road West at about 9:20 p.m., and once deputies arrived, the man (Corey Mobley) drove off in a vehicle, the sheriff’s office said. The vehicle traveled to a home on the 6300 block of Sixth Street West, where the man then ran behind a nearby residence, the agency said. “According to witnesses, the suspect was yelling that he had a gun and was seen reaching into his pocket,” the department said in a statement. “At that time, a deputy shot the suspect.” (081)
“According to the League City Police Department, officers responded to a robbery call around 5:20 p.m at a CVS located in the 1200 block of E. League City Parkway. Upon arrival, police say they found a woman was injured by a robbery suspect who fled on foot. At 5:30 p.m., police say an officer was checking the immediate area of the robbery when he had an altercation with a man which resulted in a shooting. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.” (082)
“Shortly before 10 p.m. on January 24, Sparks Police initiated a traffic stop in the 1100 block of 15th Street near Rock and Oddie boulevards. Police say the traffic stop preceded the officer-involved shooting, but no other details were available.” (084)
“Entrekin said his office had complaints about a man outside the sheriff’s office harassing people. An investigator went outside, and the man and several deputies became involved in an altercation. “They tased him,” Entrekin said. Medics were called to the scene, he said, and treated the man, who was taken to Gadsden Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.” (086)
“According to Conroe police, everything began with a home invasion Wednesday morning at the victim’s home on Tyler Lane. He and his 12-year-old son were reportedly bound with duct tape. Conroe police Chief Philip Dupuis said two suspects took the father (Ulises Valladares) with them and left the child behind. The boy later managed to get free and run to a neighbor’s house where police were called. Over the next three hours, the kidnappers called the man’s brother and made demands. Conroe police contacted the FBI for assistance in the case. Authorities tracked down two of the three suspects to a hotel in the Clear Lake area, along Bay Area Boulevard near the Gulf Freeway. The suspects were arrested. Police were able to locate the victim to a home on Elbert Street in northeast Houston, where authorities moved in and made contact with the third remaining suspect. The details of exactly what happened are not yet clear, but one FBI agent fired shots.” (087)
“Police say that one person is dead after a robbery suspect rode a bike onto a highway and threatened officers with a knife before being shot and killed. Around 6:30 p.m., the San Antonio Police Department says that an officer-involved shooting occurred on Loop 410 near San Pedro following a robbery at a nearby Target. SAPD Chief William McManus says that the suspect, a man in his early 20s, robbed the store and then used a BMX-type bike to escape security. He went on to say that security called police and officers in the area pursued the suspect as he rode his bike onto eastbound Loop 410. Chief McManus says that police vehicles surrounded the suspect on the highway and when the officers tried to subdue the suspect, he brandished a knife and that’s when one officer backed off and shot the suspect in the abdomen.” (088)
“Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling eastbound on Dixon Ave. in Rock Falls. The vehicle did not stop and officers followed it to the 1300 block of Franklin St. that’s where officers were involved in an officer-involved shooting.” (094) “The man shot by Rock Falls police during a traffic stop Friday night was Nathaniel T. “Nate” Edwards, 43, of Sterling, his family has confirmed. Edwards, a habitual traffic offender, was driving with a revoked license, and in fact was facing yet another felony charge of driving without a license at the time of the shooting. He also may have been using license plates from another car, which might explain why police were attempting to pull him over. In addition, Edwards has an extensive criminal history in Whiteside County dating back 20 years. Ten orders of protection by at least three women had been filed against him since 1999. His family does not deny that he was an aggressive person, and a criminal, his niece, Marie Ruff of Dixon, said today.” (094)
“State police say a 45-year-old man has died after an officer-involved shooting in rural northern Indiana. State Police Sgt. Tony Slocum says Cass County sheriff’s deputies were called about 4 a.m. Saturday to a home about a man stabbing himself with a knife. Slocum says a confrontation followed and deputies shot the man, later identified as William Pollard. The deputies weren’t injured. Pollard was pronounced dead at the scene.” (095)
“The incident was reported at about 8 a.m. in the 1400 block Fernwood Drive near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, police said. Police officials said officers opened fire on a vehicle after a female driver tried to run them over. The driver died after suffering at least one gunshot wound, police said.” (096)
“Police were called to 13600 Bluff Circle at about 3 p.m. for a welfare check. A woman in her early 40’s called authorities, stating that she was stalked and her computer was being interfered, said Police Chief William McManus. When officers arrived, a woman was locked inside a bedroom. McManus said officers asked if the woman was armed and she said she didn’t have a weapon. Police barged in the door and found the woman holding a glock pistol to her head, McManus said. The officers tried to disarm her, but at one point the pistol was pointing at one of their heads, when a female officer with six years experienced fired one shot to the woman’s abdomen. Neighbors said the woman has a history of mental illness.” (097)
Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Children of white migrants Harlingen, TX, photographer Russell Lee 1903-1986, Feb. 1939
Examine Your Whiteness
Is the Owner of Popular Atlanta Drag Bar a Racist? This article started the current controversy. A “former employee” of Burkhart’s sent some screen shots to a local publication. The shots allegedly came from the facebook page of the bar’s owner, Palmer Marsh. The first post that you saw said “Obviously Vladimir Putin thinks that Barack Obama is a stupid (magic word). He just might be right.” The pearl clutching started immediately.
PG noted that the screen shot did not have a date or time. Three other shots were shown in the initial presentation. None of the other comments had a fraction of the offensive power of the Putin comment. The showpiece comment was suspect.
If you are going to have a public controversy about someone’s racial values, you need something strong to get people’s attention. Stories about poorly treated employees or customers will not do this. Facebook comments like “I used to think that NYC was the most intimidating place on Earth. Thanks to Mayor Rudy Giuliani … ” do not have the explosive power of the magic word. If you do not have the comment about Putin, you do not have a controversy. The ex-employee does not get their revenge.
For all the talk about institutional oppression, the public debate on racism remains very shallow. Style rules over substance any day. If you talk about economic equality, equal housing, or access to education, the audience will ignore you. Talk about police brutality, and mass incarceration, will get you a bit more attention. Palmergate is none of these things. It is about an old man, who owns a popular business, saying things on facebook that people do not like. The most spectacular of these comments is impossible to prove or disprove.
A few days later, there was another facebook thread about the comment. PG noted “Did anyone see the Obama/n-word post when it first appeared? What was the time and date? Is there a cached copy available? Do you realize how easy it would be to fake that screen shot? If an incendiary post like that appeared, why wasn’t it noticed at the time?” There was a vigorous reaction.
“this is racist apologist trash. there could be video of him typing the words in and y’all would still be like “that could be someone in prosthetics and a wig. you don’t know for sure!” ~ “Here’s a screenshot of a screenshot posted closer to the original occurrence. Is it so hard to believe that an older white man is racist?” ~ “This is on Palmer Marsh’s FB page now. You can go take a look yourself if you think I’m faking it. Doesn’t necessarily mention the racism, but is a good indicator:” ~ ‘This is also still on his FB wall. Go take a look yourself if you think someone is faking it:” ~ “And someone calling out his racism in 2013. Also on his wall. Go scroll down and look:” ~ “Do you need more? I’m happy to keep scrolling if you’re too lazy/afraid to confirm the truth yourself” ~ “alleged” I can’t with you. Look at my posts. I advise you do some research before making a public comment that makes you look like a racist apologist. I’m out.”
There are arguably racist comments on Mr. Marsh’s facebook page. (“Here in Brunswick, GA there is a billboard that reads, “Blue lives matter.” Indeed!”) Mr. Marsh went on a bit of a facebook binge sometime in 2015, and said all sorts of things. ( “I have been drinking so much liquor that I do not know what I have been saying. My apologies to those of whom I have offended. Now would probably be a good time to shut the blank up.”) However, none of these comments are evidence that he made the Putin post. They are not nearly as explosive, or overtly racist. They don’t have the same tone as the Putin comment. Also, how many people were talking about Vladimir Putin in 2015? It just does not add up.
It should be noted that there is a possibility that the Putin quote is legitimate. There are rumors that Mary Marsh, the wife of Palmer, “basically confirmed by making a status the other day saying Palmer was drunk and that she gave him hell at the time.” (PG has not seen this comment.) However, showing far less offensive posts, from the same account, is not convincing evidence.
“Do yourself and the POC in your life a favor and Examine. Your. Whiteness. Examine why its so hard to believe an old white man said the n word. Examine why you are so invested in defending a man who by all accounts was an outspoken racist. Examine why you are calling this so deeply into question.” Logic is not always a facebook friend.
After a while, PG took a break from the action. When he got back, he decided to look for cached copies. It seems that the Internet Wayback Machine does not have copies of this facebook account. The Putin post remains impossible to prove, or disprove.
Palmer Marsh on facebook is up. What has not been deleted is easy to look through. Some of the comments are still up. Some posts are arguably racist. (“If the South had won, we would be a hell of a lot better off.”) There are also some comments that contradict the racist narrative.
“Because of love, part of my heritage is West African. Some tings you cannot change. I treasure my heritage.” “I am from McIntosh County Georgia. The first dialect of English that I spoke was Gullah-Gitchee. It was a fantastic beginning as I have a perspective of the Third World that few Anglo-Americans understand. Now I feel more at home in the Bahamas than I feel at Home. I like turning back the clock.”
For those who are new here, Gullah-Gitchee is a dialect used mostly by African Americans. Does this sound like something a racist would say?
Maybe the truth is a bit more complicated. Maybe Palmer Marsh has posted some things that rub liberal fee fees the wrong way. But maybe, just maybe, a man from the Georgia coast, who has been around black people all his life, has some complicated feelings about this whole racism thing. Not everyone falls into the racist/woke binary. If we are going to have a public debate, on the statement Resolved: Palmer Marsh is a racist, the we should do a better job of examining the evidence. Don’t just accept a screen shot from a former employee. Consider that maybe it is none of your business.
Pictures are from The Library of Congress. Parts two and three of this series are now available.
Conversations I Am Tired Of Having
There was a post a while back, 10 Conversations On Racism I’m Sick Of Having With White People The original started at The Chronicle, but LiveJournal is kind of weird, so a mirror image will have to do. There are comments, at the sourced post, that illustrate some of the points covered today.
I got to thinking about “10 Conversations”, and a reply began to take shape. I started a list of conversations the I am tired of having, and before you could say affirmative action, there were a dozen items. Many of these incidents have involved people of color, or POC. Many others have not. Often, the ethnicity of the other person has little importance to the discussion. Therefore, the title of this feature will not be racially specific. This monolog will probably not go viral, or even bacterial. Washing your hands might be a good idea when you are finished reading.
Meetings where one person does all the talking The word conversation implies that more than one person says something. Often, this does not happen. One person will talk for a while. Before person two finishes a sentence, person one will interrupt them.
This does not work. When the other person is talking, shut up and listen. Don’t be thinking of your clever comeback, but pay attention to what the other person is saying. What the other person says is just as important as what you say.
Listening is not valued in our culture. It is seen as a loss of control, a sign of weakness. It is really a sign of strength. If you are weak, you don’t want to allow the other person to say anything. Have you ever heard anyone boast about the clever things that they say to someone? Of course you have, just like you never hear anyone talk highly about himself because he is a good listener.
My question is not an excuse to make a speech. Some people have an agenda. Whatever you say is an obstacle to the message they want to broadcast. When you ask a question, some people think you are handing them the talking stick, to do whatever they want. When your eyes glaze over, they plow on, in total disregard to your discomfort, and lack of comprehension. It is almost as if they are talking to hear the sound of their own voice.
I’m not talking to you. If you are screaming something, anyone with earshot can hear you. Do not get offended if there is a reaction to your words, especially if it is subtly directed at the person you are not talking to. This applies to the internet as well, where all of humanity is *privy* to your innermost thoughts. Keep the farmyard meaning of *privy* in mind when sharing your innermost product.
Conversations should be with people. If you are a business, and you want to tell me something, send me a written message. Please refrain from using robocall machines. I feel very foolish talking to a machine, especially one that doesn’t understand southern english.
You don’t have to shout. The amount of truth in a statement is not increased by the volume of expression. If you are standing next to me, the odds are I can hear you in a normal tone of voice. If you are across the room, come stand next to me, rather than shout across the room. If your normal tone of voice is shouting, then you have a problem.
The same principal goes to controlling your temper. When you choose not to control your temper, you show disrespect to yourself, and the person you are talking to. There is no situation that cannot be made worse by angry speech.
Privilege Racial polemic is getting more subtle these days. We are not quite post racial, although there are rumors of a PostRacial apartment complex in Dickhater. The phrase that pays these days is Privilege. This is always something owned by the group you do not belong to. Last summer, I heard this quote in a discussion, and nearly fell out of my chair.
From the N word to POC. Labels for groups of people can cause problems. I have expressed myself on the N word before, and don’t have much to add. As for POC, that is even sillier. Colored people is an insult, but people of color is preferred. I am sure some of you have a terrific speech to ‘splain this, but I am not interested. My neck may be red, but that is a color. PWOC is an insult to my humanity, whether you are talking to me or not.
This is getting longer than the attention span of many readers. It might be continued at a later date. This is a repost. Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
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