(no subject)

[novapsyche]

I know it's silly of me to continue to watch the thread over at MSNBC over the Imus controversy. It's degenerated even from where it was two days ago. I think I read it because like a train wreck it is so grotesque you can't look away.

There are people who chastise Black people for being "thin-skinned" and overly sensitive. "It's just a word! Get over it!" Or, "I haven't seen you chained and picking cotton lately." As greeneyedkzin said over in ginmar's journal, "Once again, we have a demonstration of how 'cancha take a joke' is asking less-privileged people to be complicit in their own denigration."

Then you have people who switch roles and claim victim status. Someone actually said, "It has become a social stigma to be a white person." Someone else stated that while Blacks are allowed to call each other the N-word, if a White person says something racial then "they" (Blacks) want to kill them. Kill them.

Remember, this controversy started out by a celebrity, who happens to be a Caucasian male, saying denigrating things about basketball players, who happen to be black and female. But somehow, the conversation (if you want to call it that) has drifted into Blacks wanting to kill Whites.

Then you have people who equate racism with a fad, like bellbottoms. "People of my generation have gotten over racism." "It's so 1990s."

I really fear for the future of my country.

Comments

[sarahmichigan.livejournal.com]

I think you're being silly. novapsyche has pointed out other issues where she has been upset by bigotry perpetuated by other ethnic groups. She slammed a black guy who made bigoted comments about gay people, for instance. I don't think she's picking-and-choosing in a racist way; you can't hold up every example of racism/prejudice on both sides and critique them every day in your blog, or you'd go nuts.

Sometimes, a particular incident just really touchs a hot spot for you. Perhaps the fact that novapsyche was, herself, recently the target of a racial slur made her especially sensitive to Imus racial slur (not to mention how misogynist the comment was).

I think your reaction to her feelings about being the victim of race-bashing by someone in a position of power over her is really lacking in compassion, and your unwillingness or inability to empathize with people of other races and their reaction to racial slurs is astounding to me.

Maybe YOU are lining up by race on this issue, but I can assure you that many white folks are equally disgusted by racial slurs.

Really, the one point I sort of agree with you about is that getting outraged about this sort of thing can back-fire because it just gives Imus and his ilk more publicity. I think novapsyche was reacting more to the ignorant comments in response than to the initial incident, but I can't speak for her.

I'm sorry you felt I was making an ad-hominem attack in my other comment, so I'm trying to respond to the issue rather than to my (obviously strong) feelings about how you've responded to the issue.

[simianpower.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, a particular incident just really touchs a hot spot for you.

That's a valid point. And Imus IS a jackass, so it's not like he doesn't have it coming. And I'm not saying that every single example of objectionable speech can be fought against by any one person. You're right, they'd go crazy! But when you have, say, 1000 instances in hip-hop songs every few months (which are broadcast on TV and radio) and a handful of instances by bigoted public figures, I have to say that the people to fight against are the ones with the greatest prevalence. I'm NOT saying Imus gets a pass because he's one guy in a hundred; I'm saying that however much effort you have to fight this, give him his one percent and the other 99 guys the rest. Not because they're black or white, but because of the sheer amount!