Boring Words
PG woke up on a cold January morning, facing a day at the facility. Wrecklessly stumbling into facebook, the first thing to catch his eye was “Um, I’m not the only one who just saw the N-word on Sharon Needles’ FB page, right?”
Aaron Coady has been in the spotlight before. He is an entertainer, with an effort made to be edgy. Some find his act amusing. PG is not one of those people.
It is tough to say who is worse here. If Mr. Coady did indeed use a racial slur on facebook, then he is a poopyhead. If this is a hoax, then someone else is a poopyhead. If this is a Duck Dynasty-style publicity stunt, then a few people have been fooled twice.
There is also the pearl clutching that goes on whenever a PWOC utters a word that is reserved for the exclusive use of POC. Is anyone else bored by this? The judge in the Paula Deen case threw out the racism part of the lawsuit. Maybe, someday, people will find something else to be outraged over.
There is a writing challenge this week. The ides is to use the word whatever, as an adverb. The word should mean that something is useless. The adverb part is tricky. “Whatever floats your boat” qualifies, but is boring. Just like the n word. This is a repost. Pictures are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
One recent story is the termination of Atlanta Fire Chief Kevin J. Cochran. He self published a book, Who Told You That You Were Naked? The book was about Jesus worship religion, and said rude things about people who do not agree with this religion. The Fire Chief allegedly gave copies to his subordinates. This is said to create a hostile work environment, and create ill will for Jesus.
The title of the book is in the Bible. It is found at Genesis 3:11. This is where the Adam and Eve story is told. Maybe, if it had been Adam and Steve, things would have turned out different.
Mr. Cochran’s book is published by 3G Publishing, “3G Publishing Inc. is a faith-based company that has created a unique niche in the publishing world.” Another book from this press is Inside Oedipus Closet. ““What happens in this house, stays in this house … Walk into their lives as they find that no matter how hard they try, skeletons never stay inside the closet.”
The dispute over whether Mr. Cochran is being fired for his faith, or for being a jerk, will go on for a while. Lawyers, with dollar signs flashing in their eyes, will lead the charge. Meanwhile, to quote 3G publishers, “Though He reconciled Adam’s condition by clothing him in coats of lambs’ skin, Adam never got over what he had done.”
PG once worked in a place where excessive Jesus worship created a hostile environment. His co-worker placed a radio next to the bathroom door, where you were forced to listen to it. When PG objected, the co-worker declared holy war.
This co-worker was not a supervisor. He was a black man, working in a company dealing with a discrimination lawsuit. The co-worker was untouchable. This man utilized all the leverage this lawsuit gave him, preaching a crude brand of Christianity. The preacher had total contempt for the comfort, and the soul, of his neighbor. “I don’t care what man thinks, I care what G-d thinks.” Some call this selfish behavior “faith.” This does not speak well for Jesus.
Common Sense I am buying this wonderful book simply for all the one star comments, and to support a great and Godly man. :)
Joshua A real man writing the Truth is exactly the kind of thing we need … in the black community.
Fiction Addiction I’m so glad that this blithering fool Kelvin J. Cochran has been thrown out of his job once and for all. Just imagine how this Christian fundie would squawk his head off if he had been forced to work for some Muslim, let’s say, who created a hostile work environment by telling him to read a book in which Christians were described as Satanic or filthy or doomed to eternal Hellfire.
Travis Mac A gay friend of mine tried to read it but it burned his fingers and gave him some nasty paper cuts. The Atlanta FD was of little help in putting out the fire.
a.ryan one of the most bigoted books I’ve had the misfortune of tripping over. Seriously offensive, not only to gay people, but to women, jews, and anyone who isn’t Christian. Way to prove to the world what a joke “Christians” are.
Atlanta30312 Obviously written by a closeted, self hating homosexual. Can’t believe a book can be published in 2013 filled with such HATE, under the guise of “Christianity”. This book describes Homosexuality this way: “Uncleanness — whatever is opposite of purity; including sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, pederasty, bestiality, all other forms of sexual perversion.” … Authors such as this that continue to speed such hate are the reason gay teens commit suicide.
Dianne This is a disgusting work of lies, perpetuating myth about human sexuality. You should not be selling this on Amazon. Pull it.
Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
Andrew Brannan And Kyle Dinkheller
On Tuesday, January 13, the State of Georgia is scheduled to execute Andrew Howard Brannan. He was convicted of the 1998 shooting of Laurens County Deputy Kyle Dinkheller. The embedded video leaves little doubt as to Mr. Brannan’s participation in the crime. However, there are those who say the sentence should be commuted to life in prison. A 2002 document from the Georgia Supreme Court tells the story of a traffic stop gone awry.
“Andrew Brannan left his mother’s house in Stockbridge, Georgia, to drive to his house in Laurens County in the afternoon of January 12, 1998. He was driving his white pickup truck 98 miles per hour on Interstate 16 when Laurens County Deputy Sheriff Kyle Dinkheller clocked his speed with a radar gun. Brannan exited the highway and stopped on a rural stretch of Whipple Crossing Road after the deputy caught up to him. During the pursuit, Deputy Dinkheller activated a video camera which is aimed through his windshield. The camera captured almost all of Brannan’s actions during the ensuing traffic stop. Deputy Dinkheller also wore a microphone. The deputy stopped his patrol car about 20 feet behind Brannan’s truck. Brannan exited his truck and stood near the driver’s side door with his hands in his pockets. The right side of Deputy Dinkheller is visible on the tape as he stood next to his driver’s side door.
Deputy Dinkheller said, “Driver, step back here to me. Come on back here to me.” Brannan said, “Okay,” but did not move. The deputy said, “Come on back. How are you doing today?” Brannan said that he was okay and asked how the deputy was doing, but still did not move. Deputy Dinkheller said he was good and repeated, “[C]ome on back here and keep your hands out of your pockets.” Brannan asked why and the deputy again said, “Keep your hands out of your pockets, sir.” Brannan responded, “Fuck you, Godamit, here I am. Shoot my fucking ass.” He then began dancing in the street, saying, “Here I am, here I am.” The deputy ordered, “Come here. Sir, come here,” but Brannan responded, “Shoot me.”
Deputy Dinkheller radioed for assistance on his belt-mounted radio, and the defendant stopped dancing and approached him. The deputy said, “Sir, get back.” Brannan replied, “Who are you calling, motherfucker?” and then rushed the deputy and a confrontation ensued to the left of the patrol car and off camera. The deputy ordered Brannan to get back nine more times. Brannan replied with “Fuck you” four times … “I am a goddam Vietnam combat veteran.”
Brannan then ran back to his truck and began rummaging around behind the driver’s seat. Deputy Dinkheller remained beside his patrol car and ordered, “Sir, get out of the car.” The right side of the deputy is briefly visible during this time. The deputy had drawn his baton, but not his firearm. Brannan replied that he was in fear of his life. The deputy shouted, “I’m in fear of my life! Get back here now!” Brannan said, “No,” and then pulled a .30 caliber M 1 carbine from his truck. The deputy radioed for help and shouted for him to put the gun down. Instead, Brannan crouched by his open driver’s side door. The deputy shouted for Brannan to put the gun down three more times. Brannan opened fire and the deputy returned fire.
Deputy Dinkheller was hit and shouted, “Shoot, shoot, stop now!” Brannan continued firing and advanced to the front of the patrol car. The deputy apparently tried to take cover behind the patrol car. Brannan exhausted one magazine, reloaded, and continued firing. The microphone recorded the sounds of the deputy being shot. At trial, the medical examiner testified that by this time Deputy Dinkheller had been struck by at least nine bullets, in the arms, legs, buttocks, chest, and head. The medical examiner opined that the deputy, although still breathing into the microphone, had lost consciousness because he was no longer returning fire or crying out when shot. The video shows Brannan cease crouching, take careful aim with his carbine, say “Die, Fucker,” and fire one last shot. Brannan then fled the scene in his truck.
Brannan was found hiding in the woods about 100 yards from his house, and he made incriminating statements after his arrest. He had a gunshot wound to his abdomen. The police found the murder weapon in his house. “
At his trial, Mr. Brannan pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. “Brannan had served as an first lieutenant and forward artillery observer in Vietnam near the Laotian border in 1970 and saw considerable combat, according to military records. He received a Bronze Star for meritorious service. Years later, he was rated 100% disabled with PTSD by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which also found him to be suffering from depression, suicidal thoughts and bipolar disorder.” “At the time of the murder, Mr. Brannan had not taken his medications regularly for at least five days. ”
One explanation offered by Mr. Brannan does not make him look rational. “Regarding his dancing during the altercation, Brannan explained to the police that he once defused a tense situation with an angry man by dancing and saying “shoot me.” He also later told a psychiatrist that he had seen Mel Gibson act that way in the movie “Lethal Weapon.”
Before the trial, Mr. Brannan was examined by ” a Central State Hospital psychiatrist, Dr. Carter… Dr. Carter testified that Brannan was sane during the crime even though the defense presented evidence that he was not.”
Mr. Brannan has other issues with the state. “In a lawsuit filed April 9, Brannan alleges he has been denied “proper and/or adequate treatment” for his mental health disorder and that the G.D.C. doesn’t have a system in place to treat death row inmates with mental health problems.
Brannan, 64, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 1984 following his combat in the Vietnam War, according to his 22-page handwritten court filing. He argues his mental health has “severely” declined while he’s been incarcerated due to a lack of treatment, medication and rehabilitation assistance. At times, his PTSD and bipolar disorder have caused him to become “manic” because of being locked up for 23 hours a day, Brannan contends.
Brannan alleges guards came in yelling during a “shake down” of his housing area Jan. 15 and he had a flashback to combat in Vietnam. He suffered a “psychotic breakdown,” yelling and screaming. Prison mental health workers allegedly agreed to take him to a quiet place, but minutes later, guards handcuffed him and told him to get on his knees. When he questioned the guards, they slammed him to the floor so hard that he defecated on himself.
Brannan alleges he was punched in the ribs, causing bruising and cracking. Despite a broken collarbone, Brannan contends he never received pain medication, according to the court filing.
Both Mr. Brannan and Deputy Dinkheller are white. Georgia seems to follow a pattern of executing a white man for every black man that is executed. The last two executions have been black men. In an ironic touch, during his appeals “Mr. Brannan contends that the State violated Batson v. Kentucky, … by discriminating on the basis of race during jury selection.”
Would Deputy Dinkheller have been faster to fire if Mr. Brannan had been black? There is no way of knowing. Seeing as how Deputy Dinkheller fired 33 shots, and only hit Mr. Brannan once, it might not have made any difference. That statistic is taken from this article, which discusses the mistakes made by Deputy Dinkheller. Another source says: “A few weeks prior to this incident Deputy Dinkheller had been verbally reprimanded by his superior for being “too quick” to draw his gun.”
The execution is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13. It is not known whether the compounding pharmacy used by the state has produced the fatal medication. In the last few executions, mystery drugs used by the state have worked well. Black and white pictures today are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”. UPDATE Andrew Brannan was executed January 13, 2015. He died at 8:33 pm, with no reported complications from using mystery drugs.
Bill Cosby Rape Joke
@chescaleigh Cosby’s jokes is rape culture in action. victims & rape are seen as JOKES. this is why victims don’t come forward. it’s not funny.
@AnUglyN**** @chescaleigh so by making light of a situation its advocating rape?
@chescaleigh if you were wrongfully accused of raping 20 women, you think making jokes about it would be a good idea? seems innocent? @AnUglyN****
@AnUglyN**** @chescaleigh So idk why u put my @ at the end of your tweet tryna attract your pro black panther feminist friends. cause I asked a question
@chescaleigh putting your name at the end of a tweet is not telling anyone to attack. welcome to the internet where this convo is public @AnUglyN****
Before we get to the meat of this discussion, lets discuss @AnUglyN, and the four stars. This twitter address is connected to a user, I AM A GOD. This person violates the first and third commandments, and then further degrades himself with the n-word. It is tough to insult someone who has thoroughly humbled himself. A racist can ignore the spectacle. @AnUglyN**** is doing the dirty work.
So, Bill Cosby is making a comeback. Apparently, there was a show in London, ON. The venue was Budweiser Gardens. A comment about current affairs was made.
“The strangest moment of the night came midway through, when a woman in the front row rose and started walking out. Mr. Cosby asked her something. She appeared to reply that she was getting a drink and asked Mr. Cosby if he wanted one. He declined and then said with a smile “you have to be careful about drinking around me.” The audience expelled a collective “ooooo” at the joke then laughed and cheered and the show went on.”
Is that a “rape joke”? It depends on how you define a joke. Is it funny? Appropriate? In good taste? Remember, this is an entertainer. Is an internet hissy fit going to make rape victims feel better? Will Mr. Cosby get more publicity? What would Fat Albert do?
Sometimes, the best commentary can be found in an unlikely place. Today, it is the comments at Perez Hilton. This should not be confused with the droppings of Mario Laundromat. “Bill decided to embrace his public image and made a full on date rape joke during his set.”
Dunya Bill Cosby is the new Michael Jackson. No matter what happens from here out he will always be judged by public opinion which will go on well after his death.
bnietzsche id be pissed if he didnt make a joke about it in someway.. that’s what comedians do.. its like not addressing the elephant in the room. as a comedian, you need to get that outta the way before goin thru the rest of ur set without all that tension
Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
Racists Got Racist
The #blacklivesmatter movement took a dairy inclusive turn this weekend. New York City was the scene when #BlackLivesMatter Protesters Hit Whites Where It Truly Hurts: Brunch.
“… a group of about three dozen demonstrators … hitting such quiche-and-mimosa joints … When they arrived, they began reading the names of black Americans killed by police to diners. From the Washington Post: The protesters, most dressed in black, read the names of African Americans killed by police punctuated with chants of “ashe,” a word from the Yoruba language of West Africa comparable to “amen.” Timed by participants, the ritual takes four-and-a-half minutes — since Michael Brown’s body was left on the street for four-and-a-half hours in Ferguson. … As is to be expected when such a sacred institution is so callously attacked, the protests sparked lots of fervent tweeting. Racists got racist”
The comment about racists getting racist is linked to a tweet. It was part of a lively thread. The first tweet is the one linked Racists got racist. Selected replies follow.
@genophilia It’s fine for blacks to loot, rob, rape and kill whites, but if whites complain about it, now that’s racist. #blackbrunchnyc #ferguson
@adamscolleg @genophilia I personally have had people on twitter call me racist when I mentioned being mugged and pistol whipped.
@adamscolleg @genophilia they don’t. It’s always on the news. We didn’t protest when oj got off after cutting his white wife’s head off
@Lazlos_Closet @genophilia lol ok. And are you sure OJ did it? And was OJ a cop?
Many people are raising questions about the tactics employed in this struggle. One feature is Ten Counterproductive Behaviors of Social Justice Educators. Is the action designed to affect change, or to satisfy the ego of the actor? If you are trying to talk to police, maybe a donut shop would be preferred to a trendy Manhattan bruncherie.
A twitter crusader recently made a comment about having fun by calling out people on “racist” behavior. The verbatim quote is lost in the annals of twitterdom. A google search for “feel good calling out” found an article, Stop Calling People Out. The idea is to get better results by calling forth, rather than calling out. Allow the person to save face, and this person might listen to your message.
Mohandas Gandhi knew a thing, or two, about affecting change. He is quoted as saying “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” (Information about the source is in the linked article.) Maybe the social justice bully is the weak party today. The showboat tactics are an indication of this weakness.
Pictures are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
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. (Go here for details). In 2005, the property was sold to Tyler Perry. When the source story was written in 2007, Mr. Rolleston had sued Mr. Perry several times, claiming that it 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.. Pictures from The Library of Congress. This is a repost.
Clusterduck
This is a repost, from this time last year. Phil Robertson continues to be on shameless public display. He is generous with his opinions, as with this discussion of an Iraqi fighting force: “In this case you have to convert them, which I think would be next to impossible, I’m not giving up on them, I’m just saying convert them or kill them. One or the other. … I’d much rather have a Bible study with all of them and show them the error of their ways and point them to Jesus Christ,”
PG had heard about yet another celebrity making offensive comments about queers. Since PG had never seen, nor heard of, the tv show the celebrity was in, it was questionable how much concern it deserved. After a few days of facebook firestorm, PG began to wonder just what the man said.
Mr. Google had a list of 299 million places to look. On the first page, there was a link. PG clicked on the link. After a few seconds, an auto start video started to play. It was a commercial for a Dove soap product, designed for the use of men. There was no place to turn the noise off. PG left the site.
On the second page of the google list was a link to What the Duck? This was the article, in GQ magazine, that quacked up America. It seems like a writer went to Louisiana to listen to Phil Robertson. The writer is surprised that Monroe, LA, is pronounced MUN row.
The sensational quote is presented, without any context, early on in the piece. Any casual readers will see it before the attention span runs out. There are other bizarre quotes. Supposedly, black people in Louisiana were happier under Jim Crow. (FWIW, “He and his wife, Korie, adopted a biracial child named Will and are dedicated advocates of the practice.”) “Islamists” are a “society where there is no Jesus.” And on, and on, and on. Spell check suggestion for Islamists: Misogamists, Alarmists.
The article paints the picture of a man, perhaps well meaning, who simply cannot keep his mouth shut. “While Phil proselytizes, I lean over to Willie (Phil’s son), who is playing a video game on his phone. Boy, it’s hard to get a word in with him! Willie nods knowingly, barely looking up. I get the sense he’s heard all this before, many, many times.”
The article keeps coming back to the “faith” of Mr. Robertson. He does seem to believe what he says. So did the people who flew planes into the World Trade Center. At some point a person has to ask what it says, about Jesus, to be represented by Phil Robertson. (Not to mention Pat Robertson, who has no doubt been confusd for Phil.) Maybe we should just leave it at that.
Pictures are from The Library of Congress. These are Union Soldiers, from The War Between the States. Their targets fired back.
Leigh Anne Tuohy
A story has been making the rounds. “The Blind Side Lady Shares A Heartwarming Racial Profiling Story” Here is how it started on facebook
We see what we want! It’s the gospel truth! These two were literally huddled over in a corner table nose to nose and the person with me said “I bet they are up to no good” well you know me… I walked over, told them to scoot over. After 10 seconds of dead silence I said so whats happening at this table? I get nothing.. I then explained it was my store and they should spill it… They showed me their phones and they were texting friends trying to scrape up $3.00 each for the high school basketball game! Well they left with smiles, money for popcorn and bus fare. We gave to STOP judging people and assuming and pigeon holing people! Don’t judge a book by its cover or however you’d like to express the sentiment! Accept others and stoping seeing what you want to see!!!#LeighAnnesSundaySermon #BelieveInOthers
PG found this story to be confusing. What kind of store was it? The Leigh Anne Tuohy website does not mention a conventional retail outlet. Dr. Tuohy has an interior design firm, Flair I Interior, and a charity, Making it Happen Foundation. Neither institution sounds like a place where teenagers would hang out. Maybe they were discussing wallpaper samples.
Part of the LAT story is the adoption of a black teenager, who went on to play in the NFL. As might be expected, Michael Oher has a book on the market. ” as he writes in the book, he’d be proud to be “the guy taking your order” at Taco Bell, one of the more than 70 fast-food franchises Sean Tuohy (husband of Leigh Anne Tuohy) owns.”
That helps to explain this facebook comment. Alex Remy This is FROM THE GUY IN THE PHOTO: ” Yeah like people don’t know what really happened because I actually had money I have a job and have had one for over a year I was gonna pay for my brother the other guy in the picture but he was insisting on waiting on his uncle but his phone was dying so we were charging it which is the reason we were in KFC in the first place and the game was only a 3 min walk up the street I don’t see why she said bus fare that kinda ticked me off a little but the way she worded it is making us seem less fortunate and that isn’t the case at all & when she came over to us she never mentioned her initial reason was because of her friends comment im just now finding that out.”
What do we make of all this? Is Dr. Tuohy a racist? Should we care? PG is behind on his anti-racism education, so he will leave those judgments to others. Maybe Dr. Tuohy is a publicity junkie, in need of a PR fix. Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. These pictures were used last year. The text in that post seems to fit todays thoughts.
Leviticus 18:22 has long been used to justify hatred of men who use a tush for receiving, in addition to shipping. In the King Jimmy edition, the text reads “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Recently unearthed documents suggest that this verse may be more about honesty than fornication.
The story, according to the Bible University of Los Lobos (BULL,) is that the word “with” should be translated as “to”. In this revised edition, the verse would read “Thou shalt not lie to mankind, as to womankind: it is abomination.” It is well known that men lie to women whenever they feel the need. If the lips are moving, what comes out is suspect.
Al Pieda
PG was downloading files from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”. Some of their fine images accompany this report. While his eyes and fingers were busy, his ears were listening to Glenn Loury and John McWhorter, a.k.a. the black guys on Bloggingheads.tv. This is a repost. The war on Christmas is observing a cease fire.
The problem with multi tasking with tbgobh is when you hear something that requires a sound clip. You have to interrupt your downloading to create a dingalink. Doctors Loury and McWhorter like to talk about the quandary of being a proud black man, and what role to let it play in your life. To them, many people are more concerned about their race than they are other parts of life, to their detriment. Not everyone is pleased by what they have to say.
PG has mixed feelings. He doesn’t think much about things in terms of being a white person. Is this the way it is, or is it white privilege? Life can be confusing.
At some point, the conversation turned to Wayne Williams. He was convicted of killing two of the missing and murdered children in 1982. PG had heard, somewhere, that DNA testing was going to be done on Mr. Williams. Then nothing more was heard. What would Mr. Google say about this? It seems as though DNA testing “strengthens” the case against Mr. Williams.
This is part of the problem of working on the internet. You have access to amazing collections. You are also tempted every minute. There are millions of ways to kill time online. If you don’t stay focused, you will never get very much done.
After the Wayne Williams search… or maybe before … PG thought of a conversation he had the day before. Someone said that Ann Coulter had been attacked onstage, and her body guards pulled the attackers away. There were supposed to be videos available.
A youtube search of “Ann Coulter attacked” brought up the embedded video. This was the work of Al Pieda. “… an international terrorist group consisting entirely of pastry chefs. The organization consists of clandestine cells known as “bakeries,” which are believed to operate mostly within Estonia, Albania, and the less-interesting parts of Iowa but mostly in the Wigan area. Al Pieda has claimed responsibility for several heinous crimes, including the assassination of Betty Crocker in 1996,”
The Toni Morrison Video
There was a quote on facebook. “[A] racist white person […] doesn’t understand, that he or she is also a race that’s also constructed, its also made and also has some kind of serviceability. But when you take it away, if I take your race away and there you are all strung out and all you’ve got is your little self. And what is that? What are you without racism? Are you any good? Are you still strong? Are you still smart? Do you still like yourself?” – Toni Morrison
PG saw this, and was not happy. This week saw another unpopular opinion from a legal institution. Much noise has been made. The nation is on fire, and producing more heat than light. It seems like the concept of a peaceful, unified “post racial” america keeps getting further, and further away. Facebook rhetoric is part of the problem.
The most polite thing that PG could say was “What is the source of this quote?” An hour later, the response was “Google it, sir.”
This is a problem. If you are going to put content on the internet, you should show the source. This is the rule when you write a term paper. You show the source of your information. It is too easy to misrepresent people, and to take things out of context. You should allow people to see the facts. When you post your comment, you copy a link to where you got your information. It is easy.
After a bit of digging, PG found the source. It is a video. Ms. Morrison was a guest on the Charlie Rose show. The website for the show has archival videos, and a horrible search engine. The best anyone can say for a date is sometime in 1998.
There is almost no way to know when the interview took place, or to see the complete interview. The video starts with Ms. Morrison saying “Yes I do Charlie, but let me tell you, that’s the wrong question.” It would be very helpful to know what that “wrong question” was.
A few months ago, the video began to circulate. A blogger named Keyamsha produced a transcript, for which this slack blogger is grateful. The facebook quote is not quite what Ms. Morrison said.
Before the quoted part, Ms. Morrison talks about “the people who do this thing, who practice racism” The race of “the people” is not specified. Apparently this is the attitudes of individuals, and not institutional systemic oppression. It is noted that “It has just as much a deleterious effect on white people and possibly equal as it does Black people.”
We get then to the facebook quote. Here is the full paragraph. “That’s right. He always felt superior. And that was a form, you know, of defense of racism. And if the racist white person, I don’t mean the person who is examining his consciousness and so on, doesn’t understand, that he or she is also a race that’s also constructed, its also made and also has some kind of serviceability. But when you take it away, if I take your race away and there you are all strung out and all you’ve got is your little self. And what is that? What are you without racism? Are you any good? Are you still strong? Are you still smart? Do you still like yourself? I mean these are the questions…part of it is…yes [puts hand over her heart] “victim,” how terrible it’s been for Black people.”
The printed transcript does not really convey the message of the video. It seems to this slack blogger that Ms. Morrison sees the pity talk of liberal white people as being part of the problem. There has been plenty of oppression porn the last few days. Oh, the poor oppressed People of Color! They have such tough lives. This victim talk might not be the best way to approach the problem. Would you want people to label you a victim, and have pity? (Toni Morrison: “I’m not a victim. I refuse to be one.”)
While discussing this video, you should keep in mind that it is a tv show appearance sixteen years ago. You cannot expect someone to get every word perfect. It does not help matters when no one seems to know what the question was.
That said, there is a problem with the phrase “racist white person.” If you were to say “criminal black person” there would be an uproar. If you are not a racist, then you should not mind her saying that, right? Lets try the other phrase out. If you are not a criminal, then you shouldn’t mind the reference to criminal black people. Lets see how that works out for you. Maybe you should not use a pejorative adjective, along with an ethnic designation. Just because someone is a member of a privileged community does not make it ok to insult them.
There might be a reason for specifying the color of the racist person. Lets take a look at the lines before the quoted paragraph. Toni Morrison: … I always knew I had the moral high ground. All my life. I always thought those people who said I couldn’t come in the drug store, or sit in front of the place or couldn’t go to the park… Charlie Rose: You were morally superior to them because they were… Toni Morrison: I did. I thought they knew, that I knew that they were inferior to me, morally. I always thought that. And my parents always thought that. Charlie Rose: You said your father was racist because he thought he was superior.
Maybe she said “racist white person” because she was distinguishing rwp from a racist black person, her father. When she talks about the problems of racism, she meant the attitudes of black people towards white people, in addition to the attitudes of white people toward black people. Maybe the concept that black people could not be racist had not become popular in 1998.
When you take this into consideration, it changes the meaning of the quote. The statement should be heard in context, including the mystery question. When you put an abbreviated quote on facebook, beginning with the insulting phrase “racist white person,” you do more harm than good. Pictures are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Your Racism
Last night, in anticipation of the Grand Jury presentation, chamblee54 published Freedom Lies Bleeding. Here is the text: grand jury renders opinion ~ national hissy fit begin again ~ when justice is popularity contest ~ freedom lies bleeding in street.
There was a comment. Anonymous said, on November 25, 2014 at 2:28 pm (Edit) Thanks Luthor… you’re racism never disappoints! The name was misspelled. The spell check suggestion is Author.
There is both style, and substance, to consider here. Is Freedom Lies Bleeding racist? Who knows? The definition of racism is growing, in carcinogenic fashion, as we speak. Some say it is systemic institutions of oppression. Some say it is jokes about toothpaste flavor. Maybe the best definition is that racism is anything that you do not like.
The poem was directed at the concept of mob rule. As President Obama said, “We are a nation built on the rule of law, so we have to accept this decision was the grand jury’s to make.”
A few years ago, O.J. Simpson was accused of murder. Many people thought he was guilty. After a long trial, he was found innocent. Should popular opinion have overruled the jury? No, it should not. The jury saw the evidence, and heard the arguments. The people can protest and debate, but they cannot take the place of a jury.
Is a dependence on a system of law and order racism? Anonymous seems to think so. Is they qualified to make this judgment? If racism is anything that you don’t like, then Anonymous is qualified to make the call. Maybe they knows something we don’t.
There is the style of the comment to consider. While Anonymous did not give their name, there was an I.P. address. The IPA is connected to a .edu server. Apparently, this is a workplace computer. Leaving insulting comments from your employer’s computer does not reflect well on the institution.
Anonymous is entitled to an opinion. However, leaving a name calling comment does not speak well for this individual. The six words say more about Anonymous than they do chamblee54. Pictures today are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Chamblee54 
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