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.
Unfollow
For now, facebook is a part of my routine. It is a handy way to know about events, and keep up with people. Unfortunately, many of those people are generous with their opinions. Sometimes, if you want to keep your sanity, you need to limit exposure to these opinions.
You have several options. The one I prefer is unfollow. You go into the inner workings, and click “unfollow Whatshisname.” You will no longer see this person’s opinions. This is preferred to unfriend. The person you unfriend will know that you have kicked them out of your life.
Some people like to unfriend, and block, to punish people. You say something they don’t like, and they get even with you by unfriending you. This is pathetic.
The problem with unfriending is the permanence. Long after the original slight has been forgotten, the person will see that you have kicked them out. There are people I once respected, who have decided to throw me to the curb. No matter how nice they are to me, I will always know they unfriended me. Life is tough enough without this distraction.
Several of the people I unfollowed continue to be a worthwhile part of my life. The last three words I saw from one such person was “your racist family.” My peace of mind will not allow me to have such poison in my life. A couple of months later, I was a guest in his apartment. Should I let his prejudice get in the way? Or should I unfollow him, and move on?
This meme is a recent reason to unfollow. It is a cartoon, with the title “MANY WHITE AMERICANS FAIL TO ASSIMILATE.” It is a gratuitous commentary on racial values. In the top right panel, a man is driving a truck. The Confederate battle flag is flying. The radio plays “And this bird you cannot change,” helpfully labeled “TRADITIONAL FOLK MUSIC.”
I am not a big Lynyrd Skynyrd fan, but I enjoy “Free Bird.” Given the elastic definition of the slur, some people probably think “Free Bird” is racist. Rock and roll started out as “race music.” White people learned how to rock, and made numerous improvements. It is essential americana … the not always comfortable blending of black and white. If you want to see another example, check out this song. The spell check suggestion for Lynyrd Skynyrd is Lyndon Skyward.
This cartoon will not affect police brutality, or enable economic equity. What it does is make fun of lower class white americans. It is not worthy of the person who posted this meme. While I do not wish to publicly distance myself from this person, I cannot subject myself to this poison. When you make fun of Lynyrd Skynyrd, you make fun of me.
Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. The Alabama pictures were taken in 1941, by Jack Delano. Washington DC pictures were taken in July 1941, by Jack Delano.
More Talk About Racism
It is a cliche among certain pundits that this is not “Post Racial America.” No one seems to know what PRA would look like. PRA might be less noisy, with fewer odors, than the current model. The opinion that we do not live in PRA seems unanimous. After PG heard the denial of PRA one too many times, he began to wonder something. Who said America is Post Racial?
Mr. Google has 119 million answers to the question “who said america is post racial?” The short answer is nobody. The closest thing on the front Google page is an NPR commentary from January 2008. This was the early stages of the BHO run for the White House. The commenter said that the election of a dark skinned POTUS might usher in a post racial era in America.
This piece will not have any fresh opinions about race relations in America. That subject has been worn out elsewhere. If someone finds it to their advantage to denounce “racism”, there will be an audience. The truth is, very few people have ever said that America is Post Racial.
This is a double repost, on the subject that people can’t get enough of. If you can’t say anything good, you can always talk about racism. Pictures for this friday morning are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Some times you see something, and realize that you are being pushed over a line. Today’s straw, landing on the camel’s back, was a meme. It has pictures of a statesman-like BHO, and a goat smiling BS. The text was white comic sans letters, on a black background. “Regarding those who call Obama an illegitimate president because his father was born in Kenya, Bernie Sanders replied: “No one asked me if I was a citizen or not, and my dad came from Poland. Gee, what’s the difference? Maybe the color of my skin.” The comment was from a Las Vegas town hall meeting. Some things that are said in Vegas need to stay in Vegas.
No one denies that white people and black people often do not get along. Few deny that there is systemic inequality. The connection of “birther” speculation to systemic inequality is tough to see. Of course, the definition of racism is elastic, and can fit whatever situation the observer wants to critique.
Are we helping the cause of racial tranquility by making comments like that? Yes, it is foolish for “birthers” to whine about a birth certificate. But entertaining followers in a town hall debate does not mean you are going to be able to govern. Maybe BS should focus on his economic fantasies, and quit scoring cheap shots about racism.
The Color Of My Skin was originally published in February, 2016, when BS was taken seriously. As we all know, HRC eventually got the Democratic nomination, only to lose to DJT in November.
Mr. Trump was one of the original “birthers,” or people disputing the Hawaiian birth of BHO. In the general election campaign, Democrats liked to say that DJT was a racist, with birtherism frequently given as an example. The many other unappealing parts of DJT, like crookedness and mental instability, were brushed aside, in the mad rush to scream racist. Some even went so far as to say that anyone voting for DJT was a racist. When the electoral votes were counted, DJT won.
A Response To Stacey
As you may have heard, Stacey Abrams gave the Democratic response to the State of the Union address. Politico provided a transcript for the remarks.
“For seven years, I led the Democratic Party in the Georgia House of Representatives…. So when we had to negotiate … the leaders of our state didn’t shut down. We came together and we kept our word.” The recent government shutdown was triggered by deficit spending. Congress needs to pass a bill to extend the limit on the national debt. In Georgia, the state constitution requires a balanced budget. The limit on the state debt is a non issue. Closing down the state government, while theoretically possible, has never been considered.
“We fought Jim Crow with the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. Yet, we continue to confront racism from our past and in our present, which is why we must hold everyone from the highest offices to our own families accountable for racist words and deeds and call racism what it is — wrong.”
Racism continues to be a handy target for political rhetoric. The Democrats take particular joy in calling President Trump a racist, and extend this to all who support him. At some point, people who are seen as racist become the enemy. .
Being called racist is not the same as being racist. Often, racist is a playground insult, carelessly tossed around without consideration of consequence. What is racism, and what is prejudice? American needs to grow up, and quit fighting racism by insulting our neighbors.
“Because America wins by fighting for our shared values against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” The problem with this rhetoric is who we call our enemy. If your racial values do not please your neighbor, then you are the enemy. This is where we are as Americans … quick to label our neighbor as our enemy. This is not how America wins. Pictures today are from The Library of Congress.
Citizen Part Three
PG had been putting this off. A while back, he took a copy of Citizen: An American Lyric. The idea was to produce a response to it. There would be a live show, that would include these responses.
PG started to read CAAL. He quickly realized that this was not his kind of book. The author, Claudia Rankine, is a college professor. The tone of CAAL is academic. The topic of CAAL is racism. Reading academic prose poems about microaggressions is not likely to change black/white America. PG might learn a thing or two, but can also expect to be insulted. When it comes to what reading material PG am going to invest with his precious time, he prefers a story. It might not make PG a better person, but he will enjoy the time spent reading it. Reading a Yale professor talk about microaggression will be prove to be neither transformative nor enjoyable.
Then there was a meme on facebook.. “Pick up the nearest book to you. Turn to page 45. The first sentence explains your love life.” The book nearest to PG was CAAL. The first sentence on page 45 is also the only sentence on page 45. It is that kind of book. The sentence: “And when the woman with the multiple degrees says, I didn’t know black women could get cancer, instinctively you take two steps back though all urgency leaves the possibility of any kind of relationship as you realize nowhere is where you will get from here.” How this explains a love life is a mystery best left unsolved. It will, however, motivate PG to write part three of the CAAL series.
Page 45 does not speak to PG. He has had experiences where people say preposterous things to him. The idea is to just ignore it, and be happy for your life. And mostly that is what happens. The consequences of speaking up are too severe. You have to pick your battles. You cannot go off every time your feathers get ruffled. PG would also be interested to talk to the woman with the multiple degrees,” and hear her side of the story.
CAAL is full of episodes like this. Obviously, some people enjoy this sort of thing. It might get people to listen to each other, and get along better. Or it might just make people tune out, and wait until it is over. CAAL does not tell PG anything he has not heard before. It is not, to his way of thinking, especially well written. CAAL is not enjoyable to read. Is CAAL supposed to be swallowed like medicine, to make you a better person?
Putting race aside, lets look at page 45. There is one sentence on page 45. Page 44 has a two sentence paragraph, and five lines of dialog, each separated by a blank line. CAAL is supposed to be an *art* book. It is sponsored by several foundations. The back cover has a list of awards harvested by CAAL. Is this a book to be admired, or a book to be enjoyed?
Part one and part two of this series are online. Pictures today are from The Library of Congress.
From The Heart Of Atlanta To Tyler Perry
There is an old saying, what goes around comes around. When you sow the wind, you reap the whirlwind. The thing is, it is not always obvious what is payback for what. Moreton Rolleston Jr. filed a lawsuit to have the Civil Rights Act declared unconstitutional. Forty years later, a Black man, built a mansion on the site of Mr. Rolleston’s home. The fact that this Black man earned his money by playing Black women, in movies, is icing on the cake.
When the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, Moreton Rolleston, Jr. owned the Heart of Atlanta Motel. He filed a lawsuit, trying to have the law overturned by the courts. The case went to the Supreme Court, which upheld the law.
The legal justification of the Civil Rights Act was a law giving the U.S. Government the right to regulate interstate commerce. Mr. Rolleston argued that this use of the commerce clause went too far. “‘The argument that this law was passed to relieve a burden on interstate commerce is so much hogwash. It was intended to regulate the acts of individuals.’ If the commerce clause can be stretched that far, declared Rolleston, ‘Congress can regulate every facet of life.'” (PG supports all citizens having the right to housing, education, etc. He also wonders if we are on a slippery slope. The government keeps taking more and more freedom away.) (The link for the quote no longer works.)
In 1969, Tyler Perry was born. From humble beginnings, he has been incredibly successful. His signature character is a woman named Madea.
In 1985, Mr. Rolleston was involved in a real estate deal that went sour. He was sued. In 2003, Mr. Rolleston was evicted from his Buckhead home. In 2005, the property was sold to Tyler Perry. Mr. Rolleston sued Mr. Perry, claiming that 2035 Garraux Road was still his property.
Mr. Rolleston , was disbarred in 2007. The Veteran’s History Project shows his race as “Unspecified.” Moreton Mountford Rolleston, Jr., born December 30, 1917, died August 29, 2013.
HT Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub.. This is a repost, with pictures from The Library of Congress.
About That Ta-Nehisi Coates Video
So there is this video, Ta-Nehisi Coates on words that don’t belong to everyone It is being praised to high heaven. PG has some issues with this entertainment. The transcript is from vox, Ta-Nehisi Coates has an incredibly clear explanation for why white people shouldn’t use the n-word. This is a repost, with pictures from The Library of Congress.
TNC gave an interview once, The Playboy Interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates. (The link no longer works.) “The n$$$$$ thing? I understand if you’re black and you say, “Man, I had white people call me this shit all my life. They called me this shit when they hit me upside the head, and I don’t want to hear it.” I understand that. But that ain’t everybody’s experience. I’ve never had a white person call me a n$$$$$. I had somebody call me le négre here in France, but I was 38 years old and I couldn’t have cared less. It didn’t mean anything. So not all of us come out of that experience.”
The monolog starts off with a discussion about how some words are appropriate for some people to use, but others should not say them. “My wife, with her girl friend, will use the word bitch. I do not join in. You know what I’m saying? I don’t do that. I don’t do that. And perhaps more importantly, I don’t have a desire to do it.” The question arises: is his wife a four legged dog? Unless she is, then the b-word does not apply to her.
“Coates pointed to another example — of a white friend who used to have a cabin in upstate New York that he called “the white trash cabin.” “I would never refer to that cabin” in that way. I would never tell him, ‘I’m coming to your white trash cabin.’” Of course, a person with an upstate cabin is likely to be far removed from the trailer park. He is using *white trash* with irony, and would not be the least offended if TNC called it “the white trash cabin.”
“The question one must ask is why so many white people have difficulty extending things that are basic laws of how human beings interact to black people.” (Is TNC saying that black people are not human beings?) … “When you’re white in this country, you’re taught that everything belongs to you. You think you have a right to everything. … You’re conditioned this way. It’s not because your hair is a texture or your skin is light. It’s the fact that the laws and the culture tell you this. You have a right to go where you want to go, do what you want to do, be however — and people just got to accommodate themselves to you.”
At this point, PG turned off the video in anger. He has never been taught that everything belongs to him. Nobody that PG knows has been taught that. PG does not know anyone who teaches that message. This is a lie. It makes PG not want to believe anything else that TNC says. Maybe there is some privilege/culture mumbo-jumbo that explains this concept, but PG is not buying it.
Lets go back a minute to the white trash cabin. TNC does not want to use this phrase. And yet, he feels entitled to make a sweeping generalization like “When you’re white in this country, you’re taught that everything belongs to you.” It is wrong to say white trash, but ok to slander white people.
“So here comes this word that you feel like you invented, And now somebody will tell you how to use the word that you invented. ‘Why can’t I use it? Everyone else gets to use it. You know what? That’s racism that I don’t get to use it. You know, that’s racist against me. You know, I have to inconvenience myself and hear this song and I can’t sing along. How come I can’t sing along?’”
“The experience of being a hip-hop fan and not being able to use the word ‘ni**er’ is actually very, very insightful.” To begin with, why do you assume that PG is a hip hop fan? Many white people think hip hop is garbage. And so, if you are forced to listen to music that you don’t like, how does that make you want to use a word that degrades the user? The logic of TNC is falling apart faster than the Falcons pass defense in the Super Bowl.
“It will give you just a little peek into the world of what it means to be black. Because to be black is to walk through the world and watch people doing things that you cannot do, that you can’t join in and do. So I think there’s actually a lot to be learned from refraining.”
If you are in the mood to get yelled at for a half hour, you can ask someone about “things that you cannot do, that you can’t join in and do.” There might be some. If you go along with the rhetoric so far, you will probably believe what you hear. You might even understand why not using a nasty word will give you “a little peek into the world of what it means to be black.” As for PG, he seriously doubts this. He is not someone who says that this video is “an incredibly clear explanation for why white people shouldn’t use the n-word.”
Once upon a time, cigarettes were advertised on television. One new brand was a cigarette for women, Virginia Slims. The ability to kill yourself with tobacco was presented as being a privilege. Some wondered why women would want to take up this filthy habit. Today, African Americans have the privilege of using the n-word. What a deal. A nasty word, which degrades both the speaker, and the spoken of. Why would anyone want to use that word?
If you don’t have anything good to say, you can talk about the n-word. This *trigger* word is an aphrodisiac for the american body politic. Recently Ta-Nehisi Coates performed in a video, Ta-Nehisi Coates on words that don’t belong to everyone There is much praise for this entertainment, like this: @SneakerWonk “#TaNehisiCoates has an incredibly clear #explanation for why #whitepeople shouldnt use the #nword.” PG has a few paragraphs, about this video, in the text above.
PG has written about racism, anti-racism, and racial attitudes on many occasions. People get angry, and call PG rude names. He must be doing something right. Later, there was a double feature about James Baldwin. In the first half, Mr. Baldwin expresses a few opinions about that word. In the second half, PG substituted racist for the magic word, with interesting results.
One item that keeps coming up is speculation about who invented the n-word. Negro means black in Spanish, and is derived from a latin word. The Oxford English Dictionary has some usages going back to 1577. “1577 E. Hellowes tr. A. de Guevara Familiar Epist. (new ed.) 389 The Massagetes bordering vpon the Indians, and the Nigers of Aethiop [Sp. los negros en Ethiopia], bearing witnesse. ~ 1584 R. Scot Discouerie Witchcraft vii. xv. 153 A skin like a Niger. ~ 1608 A. Marlowe Let. 22 June in E. India Co. Factory Rec. (1896) I. 10 The King and People [of ‘Serro Leona’] N$$$$$$, simple and harmless.
The TNC video is based on the concept that white people want to use the magic word, but should not. This assumes a great deal. Chamblee54 published a piece about the n-word, that spelled out why he does not like to use this noun/verb/adjective/adverb/interjection. Here are four reasons for a white person to refrain from saying america’s favorite dirty word.
1- The n-word hurts people’s feelings. PG has known many fine Black people. He does not want to say anything that will hurt these people.
2- Being heard saying the n-word can cause all sorts of problems. This can include physical retribution, loss of employment, lawsuits, and having to listen to enough loud angry words to make you wish you had never learned how to talk.
3- It is not a fair fight. There is no equivalent phrase for a Black Person to say to a White person. Why give that power to another group of people … to turn you into a mass of incoherent rage, just for hearing a six letter word. The closest thing is “Cracker”, which PG only recently found out was an insult. There used to be a minor league baseball team, the Atlanta Crackers.
4- The use of the n-word demeans the user. When you say an insulting word about another human being, you make yourself look bad. For a Black person, using the n-word degrades them as the object, as well as the speaker. Why would a person would want to do that?
The Problem With Stacey 2015 Edition
The New Georgia Project was Stacey Abrams’s baby. She was going to register POC voters, and turn Georgia blue. It did not quite work out that way. “Of course, Abrams might be forgiven had the New Georgia Project met its goal of registering substantial numbers of new voters. Instead, there were fewer new voters registered in 2014 than there were in 2010, when there was no comparable registration drive. … there are rumblings that Abrams’ skills as an executive are lacking, as evidenced by her mismanagement of both the NGP project and the Democratic election effort.”
Some were suprised when Miss Abrams took up the voting rights fight. “Four years ago” (in 2011), “she voted with Republicans to reduce early voting from 45 days to 21 days, effectively breaking away from staunch voting rights supporters on the issue.” There were indications that “Abrams focused on fundraising and wasn’t typically involved with NGP’s daily operations.” “In an interview, Kemp said that investigators are working to track down canvassers and voters who appeared multiple times in the project’s applications. He attributed any issues with getting the project’s voters on the rolls to the “sloppiness” of canvassers and not a dark political motive.”
Miss Abrams was an effective fund raiser, and millions pored in. Not everyone thinks it was well spent. “State Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, … says Abrams, as the initiative’s founder, ought to disclose NGP’s registration numbers and outline its operations. “We need to know how much money was spent, where the money came from, and what companies and individuals received the resources.” Sen Fort told Atlanta Magazine “She hasn’t been open and transparent. … Her funders don’t know where her money went. More importantly, the public doesn’t know where the money went.” “William Perry, founder of Georgia Ethics Watchdog, believes the lawmaker should make her financial records … public …It’s a glaring example of what makes people sick about politics.”
“In 2014, The Secretary of State office investigated The New Georgia Project. “The investigation started with a single complaint. A Butts County election official reported that some canvassers were illegally telling voters they were required to re-register for the election. The complaint was filed on May 5, six months before Election Day, and prompted Kemp’s office to launch a small-scale probe into NGP the following week.”
“The secretary of state’s office didn’t receive another formal complaint about NGP for months. But other problems, though officially unreported, continued elsewhere. Before the May primary, longtime Muscogee County Elections and Registration director Nancy Boren says two of her employees were asked at a Columbus, Ga. grocery store if they wanted to become paid canvassers for $11 per hour. The NGP workers were unaware they had approached election office staffers, Boren says. Her employees asked for more details about the gig.”
“Boren says, “[NGP employees] said, ‘You can make $11 per hour, but you have to turn in a certain number of voter registration forms each week. If you don’t turn in that number, you don’t get asked back. If you’re asked back the next week, and you meet your number again — I hate to use the word quota — maybe you’ll get a ride to work, too.'”
“Brad Jones, a Savannah State University student who worked as an NGP canvasser, expressed concerns to local TV reporters about the legitimacy of the initiative’s practices in late May. He said the operation had poorly trained canvassers, improperly collected people’s personal data, and instructed registrants to vote at a nonexistent polling precinct. The allegations prompted the NAACP’s Johnson to hold a press conference, where he reiterated the group’s protocols, effectively distancing his organization from NGP’s work.”
“On Tues., Sept. 9, Kemp slapped both NGP and TSD (Third Sector Development, an Abrams led non-profit) with a subpoena demanding that all of their documents be turned over in one week’s time. He also informed elections officials in Georgia’s 159 counties about the “significant illegal activities” found in the initial investigation — a message that initially raised eyebrows among his critics. Five more county election officials responded with new voter fraud complaints by the end of the next day.”
“As NGP wound down its voter registration efforts that same week, Abrams launched a public relations battle against the secretary of state’s office. … With supporters in tow at the Sept. 17 press conference, Abrams fought back. The state rep questioned Kemp’s motives for launching the probe. She also criticized his office’s “slow internal processes and a potentially flawed matching system.” During her remarks, she pointed to 13 stacked plastic boxes with white, pink, and turquoise lids, filled with more than 51,000 pieces of paper. Each one, she explained, represented a Georgia resident who wanted to vote, but potentially couldn’t because his or her application had gone unprocessed.”… “CL has made repeated requests to view the thousands of unprocessed applications to confirm their existence. NGP denied each request, citing rules from Georgia’s election code, specifically Section 183-1-6.02, protecting voter registrants’ personal information.”
“With no resolution in sight, the Lawyers’ Committee filed a lawsuit on behalf of New Georgia Project and the NAACP. The suit demanded that Kemp and Chatham, Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, and Muscogee counties, all of which are strong Democratic bases where NGP says it collected the most applications, immediately add tens of thousands of voters onto the state’s rolls by any means necessary. … Throughout October Abrams made speeches, conducted interviews, and appeared on national television to discuss how unprocessed applications had fallen into a “black hole … The Lawyers’ Committee filed an open records request, and eight activists went to jail following a sit-in inside Kemp’s office. … NGP’s legal effort stalled during a two-hour hearing on Oct. 28. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Christopher Brasher … tossed out the petition because it was “entirely devoid” of evidence against the secretary of state or local county registrars.”
Brian Kemp does not look good here. “The voter suppression accusations are believable. Kemp has a track record of allegedly blocking access to the polls. … Kemp has also refused to comply with the National Voter Registration Act in the past. State agencies, which by law are required to offer residents who receive public benefits the opportunity to register to vote, weren’t doing so for years. The secretary of state’s office agreed to enforce that mandate only after the NAACP and the Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda filed a lawsuit in 2011. … “We were criticized for being on a witch hunt, but we handled this case just like we do with any other complaint,” Kemp says. “People were calling me a racist and a vote suppressor — that bothered me a lot. That’s not the case. It’s very hypocritical for people to say that.”
There were numerous critics of Stacey Abrams in 2015. “NGP’s well-funded, high-profile initiative may not have performed better than past grassroots efforts to register minority voters. According to Democratic database VoteBuilder, 2014 showed little to no progress among potential minority voter registration compared to average annual gains in recent nonpresidential elections.”
“One Democratic strategist and former Abrams staffer says, “[New Georgia Project] under performed what was done in 2010. Absolutely nothing was done in 2010. It’s hard to grasp how unsuccessful her effort was, given the amount of money raised.”
“Another concern was about the Abrams lawsuit, in response to the investigation. “Multiple sources say that Abrams, in filing a lawsuit that potentially distracts from her voter registration numbers, could jeopardize voting rights advances. If the missing applications don’t exist, one state lawmaker says, Abrams will have undermined the very people her initiative sought to uplift. “This is something that I’ve been worried will break, because it completely substantiates the false, hyperbolic idea of rampant voter fraud that’s used, in my opinion to chill and suppress voter turnout.”
Stacey Abrams recently not-conceded the Governor’s race. Her high octane charges of voter suppression were accepted, without question, by the national media. Stacey Abrams is a charismatic figure, with a talent for grandstanding. As another snake oil salesman put it, “Stacey Abrams fought brilliantly and hard – she will have a terrific political future!” Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. A fine article in Creative Loafing, The New Georgia Problem, was used in this feature. Readers are encouraged to read the original for themselves.
Rally At The Capitol Turns Nasty
Georgia state senator, protesters arrested at Capitol while demanding ‘every vote count’ There was a protest at the Gold Dome today. The issue was voter suppression. This has been a prominent issue for Democrat Stacey Abrams. Republican opponent Brian Kemp is routinely accused of suppressing the vote, particularly among people of color. Many of the things Mr. Kemp is blamed for are done by the counties. This is not mentioned by the Democrats, who know a good issue when they see one.
Rallies at the Capitol are routine. A few years ago, Liberty Plaza was built across the street. This way, people can have their free speech, and the business of running the state can continue. For some reason, the protest today was inside the Capitol building. The crowd was shouting “no justice no peace,” among other things. The police told the crowd they needed to behave. The crowd did not. People were arrested. The election from hell continues.
Capitol and Grounds Exhibit and Event Guidelines is quite clear about this. “State law prohibits: Parading, demonstrating, or picketing within the state capitol building or any building housing committee offices, committee rooms, or offices of members, officials, or employees of the General Assembly or either house thereof with intent to disrupt the orderly conduct of official business or to utter loud, threatening or abusive language or engage in any disorderly or disruptive conduct in such buildings or areas. See O.C.G.A. 16-11-34.1 (g).”
State Sen. Nikema Williams was one of the people arrested. Some say that since she is a State Senator, she should not have been arrested. “Article III, Section 4, Paragraph IX of the Georgia Constitution, on the privilege of members, says “the members of both houses shall be free from arrest during sessions of the General Assembly, or committee meetings thereof, and in going thereto or returning therefrom, except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace. No member shall be liable to answer in any other place for anything spoken in either house or in any committee meeting of either house.” Does the protest today constitute a breach of the peace? That is a matter for lawyers to decide.
The followers of Stacey Abrams have played this game before. The rules don’t apply to them. During the Democratic primary, supporters of Miss Abrams shouted down her opponent, Stacey Evans. Miss Abrams defended the action. “I do not believe that you silence those who feel they are voiceless, because the minute we do that we are no better than those who tell people they can’t kneel in protest.” Miss Abrams was also involved in some protests in 1992, while a student at Spelman College.
Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. “Sixteenth Convention, Anti-Saloon League of America at Atlantic City, N.J., July 6-9, 1915.” Thomas Sparrow, photographer
Are My Attitudes About Race Any Of Your Business?
PG was living his life when see saw something on facebook: “And another thing: if you are going to claim NOT to be racist, I feel like you should familiarize yourself with some contemporary writings and definitions of racism, not just what Mirriam Webster says.” The first reaction was to ignore this. If you reply to a comment about racism on facebook, you are asking for trouble. Life is too short to be wasting time on such unpleasantness.
But the thought engine had been kickstarted, and continued to idle in the background. When PG pulled into the Kroger parking lot, the idea hit full force. Maybe whether you are, or are not, a racist, is no one else’s business.
Some people say that a PWOC is not affected by racism. If this is the case, then why should the racial attitudes of a PWOC affect another PWOC? If a person treats you fairly, do you really need to know this person’s attitudes about race?
The fbf ex-fbf does not say what the context of this claim is. Did anyone ask you whether or not you were a racist? If not, are you assuming that they are interested? Maybe someone assumed the listener was interested. Maybe the proper response to look bored, and say TMI.
PG was filling out a profile once, and was using some questioned borrowed from another blog profile. One of the questions was, are you a racist? “It depends on who is doing the judging”.
The comment mentioned “contemporary writings and definitions of racism”. Who are the people who set themselves up as arbiters about what we should think about race? What are the qualifications? Who asked them what they thought? How do we know that these people are dependable?.
Maybe the answer is to show compassion and kindness to your neighbor, and don’t worry about their racial attitudes. If you are proud of your racial attitudes, please refrain from boasting. Not everyone is interested. This is a repost. Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
Brian And Stacey
Georgia will vote on a new Governor Tuesday. The candidates are, in alphabetical first name order, Republican Brian Kemp, Democrat Stacey Abrams, and Libertarian Ted Metz. Mr. Kemp and Mr. Metz are white men, while Miss Abrams is a black woman. The winner will be either Mr. Kemp or Miss Abrams. Mr. Metz represents are the possibility of a runoff.
Miss Abrams won the Democratic primary. Her tactics included having admirers shout down her opponent. Miss Abrams was criticized for this, and the incident was mostly forgotten. There have no similar incidents during the general election campaign.
Mr. Kemp is the Secretary of State. This office will be counting the votes. It is not know exactly how involved the SOS is in day to day operations. The optics are bad for the SOS to be both running for Governor, and counting the votes.
Voter suppression is a big issue for the Democrats. There are numerous charges of voter registrations being thrown out, absentee ballots not being counted, and voters purged from the rolls. Some say that voter suppression is a code word for racism. The corporate media loves to denouce racism in Georgia, and has gone crazy over this story. It is tough to tell what is real, and what is campaign noise. If Mr. Kemp wins, there is a possibility of the election being challenged in court.
Miss Abrams has an assortment of promises about health care and education. She probably will not get much help from the Republican dominated legislature. Her other two issues are (1) Stacey Abrams is a black woman, and (2) Brian Kemp is suppressing the vote.
Mr. Kemp is not performing well. A recent TV debate was cancelled after Donald Trump announced a visit to Georgia, at the same time as the debate. When taken to task about this, the Kemp campaign issued a bizarre statement. “After repeated efforts to schedule a debate on the issues that matter most to Georgia voters, radical Stacey Abrams decided she would rather hide behind television ads paid for by San Francisco socialists than face the voters and defend her extreme agenda that will raise taxes by $13,000 a person, give welfare and voting rights to illegal immigrants, and usher in the government takeover of healthcare. While Abrams has decided to duck the electorate, Brian Kemp will continue to travel the state on his Putting Georgians First Bus Tour. He’s proud of his record and confident that his plans for our state will keep Georgia working!”
Lets take a look at the 66 word sentence. “radical Stacey Abrams … television ads paid for by San Francisco socialists” Good grief. Focus group conservatives have been flogging that donkey for years. Maybe it will work one more time. “extreme agenda that will raise taxes by $13,000 a person” As one observer notes, “They don’t believe in science and can’t do math. $13,000 a person x ten million is $130 billion. The state’s current budget (excluding federal contribution) is what, $25 billion? It’s why even listening is a waste of time” “give welfare and voting rights to illegal immigrants, and usher in the government takeover of healthcare.” The Governor does not control these issues. This statement forgot to mention this: Stacey Abrams: Send GBI to Seize and Destroy Weapons, Magazines, Bullets
The good news is the election is tuesday. Unless there is a runoff, or a court challenge, we will know who the next Governor is on wednesday. PG will vote a secret ballot, and do his best to deal with the winner. Pictures today are from The Library of Congress.
A Stupid Video About Racism
A facebook friend introduced a video by saying “If you’re not actively working to dismantle systemic racism, you’re not doing enough.” “Actively working” can take different forms. Sometimes, what you do to fight systemic racism is call out a bird brain video. This is a repost from 2016.
The full title of this digital dramaturgy is Racism is alive and well in the gay community. “Need proof? Look no further than the hot f@#$ing mess of an election year we’re having. Donald J. Trump’s horrifying scourge has made outright racism ok in the gay community, and it’s up to us to stop it.”
“Gay men have pride parades … because trans women of color fought for our rights in the sixties…. they didn’t risk their lives so some … could fuck it up in 2016” Whenever you discuss gay rights, you are obligated to remember the drag queens who fought at Stonewall. We get it. That does not excuse the countless fashion tragedies that have followed. At least *talking head* Gabe Gonzalez got this out of the way before 13 seconds had *passed*.
In the next sentence, Mr. Gonzalez used the word “clearly.” It seems to be a rule that all discussions of racism must include a mention of the year, and the word “clearly.” The full sentence is “Nothing illustrates that racism is alive and well in the gay community than this election season.” That takes the heat off the Midtown Bar that posted a dress code stating “No hoodies,” “No sagging pants,” “No bandanas/dew rags,” “No oversized chains or medallions.”
“Don’t believe me? Ask the gays. For Trump. Like a rich zaddy on Fire Island, the Alt-Right has penetrated the hearts of some impressionable young men. Overgrown twinks with a penchant for harassing successful black comedians, or purchasing followers on Twitter, have become the fresh new face of the same reliable racism of yesteryear.” The “successful black comedian”… is she successful at comedy, or being black?… is probably Leslie Jones. A lot of people think last summers twitter spat was a publicity stunt for Ghostbusters. The spell check suggestion for Ghostbusters is Ghostwriters.
At 41 seconds, we see Milo Yiannopoulos saying “Black Lives Matter doesn’t really care about black people…” Mr. Yiannopoulos (the overgrown twink above) is an idiot attention whore, who calls Donald Trump “Daddy.” The person paying attention to Milo Hairdo is Gabe Overgrown Moustache, who devotes 24 seconds of this video to debunking the claim about BLM. (FWIW, Mr. Yiannopoulos makes a lot of noise about his fondness for black men. Is this fetishization, anti racism, or a tasteless publicity gimmick? Those who care can think about it, and decide.)
The next subject is fuckmedaddy profiles. Some specify the color of the sought after buddy. We see a facsimile grindr discussion, where someone says that not wanting to fuck someone, of a certain category, is RACISM. This is news to noted racism shouter Francesca Ramsey, who says “RACISM RACIAL PREJUDICE PLUS STRUCTURAL OPPRESSION AND POWER THAT NEGATIVELY IMPACTS A GROUP.” The use of all caps is optional.
FWIW, there are many whites who want only blacks, and blacks who want only whites, and many other combinations and pervertations. Online hookups are just one aspect of modern social life. Maybe it is easier to point fingers at grindr, than to worry having an equal chance to live in a decent neighborhood. Most genuine manifestations of “systemic racism” are overlooked in this video. And just how did Donald J. Trump cause this?
“We can’t claim to be for equality if we show up for marriage, and not black lives. We can’t march with pride if we can’t remember Marsha or Sylvia. It won’t “get better” for queer youth of color until we identify and dismantle the ways we’ve normalized racism. (GG starts to shout.) So step it up gay boys! 2016’s been a hot f*ckin’ mess. But that doesn’t mean that you have to be.”
“Donald J. Trump’s horrifying scourge has made outright racism ok in the gay community” The video was about Milo Yiannopoulos. and picky grindr users. Did Mr. Trump cause people to say “no fats no femmes no asians”? These issues have been with us for a while. They will continue when Mr. Trump starts another reality TV show. What is he going to grab with those short little fingers anyway?
The sad part is that America does have racial problems. Economic and educational opportunity is a problem for many people. Police brutality, and the school to prison pipeline, are causes for concern. Murder is out of control. In 2015, white people saw 23.6 murders per million. For black people, there were 164.6 murders per million.
Many thought the election of a mixed race President would help America’s chronic race problem. It didn’t, and might have made it worse. This slack blogger has no clue as to how to fix America’s race problem. He does not claim to. The problem is attention craving morons like Gabe Gonzalez,. He thinks a garbage video like this one will help eliminate racism. It won’t.
Nor will pointing fingers, and screaming racist, help solve America’s race problem. Maybe the answer is to worry about yourself. The “white savior complex” frequently does more harm than good. Physician heal thyself. Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
Chamblee54 
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