Why America Can’t Get Beyond Race

[babylonsister]

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/03/19/why-america-cant-get-beyond-race/

Why America Can’t Get Beyond Race
Trish | Mar. 19, 2008



Obama’s speech on race made me think back to what I was doing five years ago. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a visiting professor at the University of North Florida, and offered a class to non-students which I was lucky enough to attend.

snip//

Someone finally found the nerve to ask Tutu why things are different here.

“In South Africa, we knew they intended to clobber us, and you had to deal with that and find ways to defend yourself and to survive. Here, there seemed to be a kind of conspiracy. And I have come to the conclusion that it seems to me that you are not going to be able to have normal relationships until you come to terms with the legacy of slavery and what happened to Native Americans. There seems to be a pain that is sitting in the pit of the tummy of almost all African Americans and Native Americans,” Tutu said.

No, we haven’t come to terms with it. Like Obama said in his speech, white people today, who never personally owned another person, can’t understand why they should be held responsible for what was done in the past. And black people can’t understand why we don’t get their anger.

Obama’s speech, even with all the attention it got, is underestimated because what people really wanted to hear was whether he denounced his pastor enough. They regarded everything else as just a backdrop for his anticipated but not delivered “apology.” Instead, he gave us nothing less than the whole shooting match, folks.

The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we’ve never really worked through — a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.

Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. As William Faulkner once wrote, “The past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past.”

We need this guy. This country is stuck, and it’s going to stay that way until we do what Tutu and Obama urge. As long as we continue to say racism doesn’t exist, or that it only exists in the South, or only in that person or this one but never in us, we will remain mired in blame and anger. Let’s get beyond it. Let’s do the hard work. Let’s put Obama in the White House and see where it leads. I’m betting it’s somewhere much better than where we are now.

[billbuckhead]

1. Hillary's opponent had a bigot for a religious leader for 20 years

The big speech was just spin to cover either his bad judgement or true feelings. It's like a cheating spouse eloquently telling their partner, because of human nature, "Oh everybody does it".

[democrattotheend]

3. He has a name, you know

What's with the "Hillary's opponent" crap?

[StClone]

4. So an abused minority

Spouts more or less the truth and they are bigots? Who were the Slaves? Who had to sit in the back of the bus? Who had to suffer lynching. Please. Listen to AM radio a few hours and tell me why it's o.k. to be pay millions to Rush and Hannity and yet they are darlings for spouting the worse race baiting, misogynistic, anti-humanity speech on the air.

[JeffR]

5. You really are a prize tool.

Maybe Black & Decker should offer you a promotional position.

[OhioBlue]

11. funny you use "cheating spouse" as a metaphor.

what are you really trying to say?

Maybe that we are all human and we all have human, personal relationships with people that like ourselves are not perfect. But, that we cannot expect a person to answer for another's imperfections?

So, we should not expect Obama to answer for his Pastor's comments, nor should we project his Pastor's comments onto Obama. Just as we would not project Bill's cheating and impeachment onto Hillary and expect that she would do the same?

[rucky]

16. Seven Minutes?!

You're slipping.

[StClone]

2. One of the those little distractions

Even I thought America was stating to grow up and take Obama to heart. But then Hannity, Savage and Rush's millions of listeners reminded me that they are easily pushed into white man rage (a few women too). The AM talkers incite hate then focus it on gays, non-whites, non-Christians and Liberals. Racism is alive and well nurtured by those that benefit from the blinding rage.

[babylonsister]

6. I saw it this morning, too. How to fight so much ignorance? And

do they even realize what they're avoiding?

[StClone]

9. It should be upbeat

But as I watched Rachael Maddow get booted around by MSNBC's Morn'n Joe I started to tear up. If so little can push so many to change their minds and see Obama in such dim light... what hope is there.

[JeffR]

8. Don't you understand how tough certain white people have it???

Hannity, Savage and Rush stand to lose their lucrative gigs if the country ever comes to its fucking senses! They might end up -gasp - having to fall back on their unnumbered Swiss bank accounts if America smartens up.

[babylonsister]

12. I never looked at it that way. You're right!

:toast:

[surfermaw]

13. Everyone here should know Rush , Hnnity and the right wing nuts

but evidentally not, you tried to bash Hillary because Rush was telling people to vote for her, hell people he wanted the exact opposite, he wanted a fight between Obama suupporters and Hillary suupporters and he got just that. This Board was full of the junk Rush is for Hillary, he made fools of us or some of us, I am old enough to know when I have or someone is trying to manuliplate me

[hfojvt]

7. then it's not about civil rights and jobs?

it's about slavery? What are we supposed to do about that?

[babylonsister]

10. That's what you got out of this post and Obama's speech? Maybe it's

about recognizing why this country is so split regarding race, for many reasons, and trying to figure out why and how to fix it instead of burying it some more. I do not want to lose Obama in this election because of his skin color, and perhaps if people understood why that could happen, it wouldn't. I'm selfish that way.

[hfojvt]

19. that seems to be the heart of the OP and I didn't hear the speech

"Here, there seemed to be a kind of conspiracy. And I have come to the conclusion that it seems to me that you are not going to be able to have normal relationships until you come to terms with the legacy of slavery and what happened to Native Americans. There seems to be a pain that is sitting in the pit of the tummy of almost all African Americans and Native Americans,” Tutu said."

So what does that mean "come to terms with the legacy of slavery"?

[MadMaddie]

14. All men are created equal.....

How about it's about black getting lynched and beaten....or dragged behind a truck.

How about it's about blacks in 2004 still getting redlined and prevented from voting in Ohio and Florida.....

How about it's about Katrina....while the poor whites and blacks were drowning and stuck in a stadium......the victims were blamed for their situation.

How about it's about poor and middle class (white, black and hispanic and other soldiears) dying in a war of convenience so some Rich White Republicans can make a profit.

This is what all of America needs to address....you don't have to go back to slavery.....you only have to go back into the memories of men like the Reverend who experienced it...

Just saying get over it doesn't heal the phsyche....
Would you tell a Iraq Vet to get over it?
Would you tell a rape victim to get over it?
Would you tell Holocaust survivor to get over it?
What about American Indians?
The list can on and on....

All of the above suffer from injustices....don't minimilize one groups.

[GoldieAZ49]

15. Thank you, and I agree we have not dealt with racial issues and Tutu is right, however

we haven't dealt with it because we cannot talk about it, there is no forum for discussion.

Even here we cannot have the discussion. Maybe a thread or separate board could be opened for that, but I doubt it will.

While speeches are great they serve as one person talking to the masses. The conversation has to be had among the people. Fear of being called or labeled a racist has eliminated any interest in having the conversation. It certainly will not happen in the political arena.

[NJObamaWoman]

17. yup people don't want to find solutions to problems both races have issues they have

to solve. Blacks can't blame white people for everything forever. We have to invest in our communities and families. Black men have to stop looking for easy money which isn't teaching our children anything. They and women need to keep it wrapped and covered. Stop having babies that are then having babies. For white peope they have to understand that blacks are angry. Once the playing field is leveled in which all schools in America are equal and all jobs hire people based on who is best for the position instead of race than affirmative action can be eliminated etc. White Americans have to come to grips with the fact that slavery was cruel and robbed many blacks here of life.

Yes blacks have to stop calling everyone racist when someone says something that is sensitive. But white people have to show some respect to blacks and stop making jungle monkey jokes etc

[GoldieAZ49]

18. jobs - easy money - being fathers

One thing I realized in the past two days is this connection

Being a single mom and having struggled financially I realized how difficult it is with job discrimination.

For a black man to have a family and not be able to support them in the way he would like to has to be devastating and add to their anger. Healthy pride in providing for their family is taken away, that could or would lead to looking for easy money (I would to feed, clothe and house my daughter) if that 'easy money' is illegal that leads to jail which makes the jobs fewer. and leaves a family fatherless.

slavery was cruel and I wish it had never happened. Do you think the anger is more about the current situation? Do you see the anger subsiding if the current issues could be addressed effectively?

I understand the sensitivity problem, my daughter is handicapped and it took a long time for me to not call people on using the term retard interchangeably with the word stupid.


If anything in this post offends anyone, I apologies in advance.