A thought on "racism"?

[Ruby the Liberal]

I was thinking earlier about the racial overtones of the teabagger events, and am guilty of blaming the foaming-at-the-mouth display on a pure racist basis for most/many of the participants.

Given Jimmy Carter's remarks on this, I think I may have come to a new nuanced conclusion. A few points:

First - If anyone can sniff out racism, it is a man born in 1920's Georgia. Ignore him at your peril on this topic.

Second - I can appreciate differences of opinion - IF they are presented in the context of an honest discussion.

The conclusion I have come to is that race is not the <i>catalyst</i> of the "debate" but the reason for the additional vitroil. Icing on the cake, if you will. People are pissed (out of Faux News induced fear), but the fact that the object of that anger is a black man raises them from armchair politicians to marching on the mall.

Thoughts?

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Race is the Crux of the disdain ,or unwillingness to discuss openly

Racism is a form of cancer the only Halts and has nothing to do with progress or debate.

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. Agreed - but does it add to the rhetoric?

IE - nomally (merely) insane people going off the cliff because an AA is added to the mix?

Is the race factor the basis, or the escalation of the vitriol?

[orpupilofnature57]

6. Yes ,President Carter has faced neo-cons all his life ,I'm sure he can tell the

difference.His alarm is warranted, for the last 6 months skewed remarks and pointed questions " if he was white " ,I can see it and I live in up-state N.Y.

[vaberella]

2. Racism didn't start in 1920s Georgia.

It was okayed by Locke who talked about natural rights but participated fully in the slave trade.

[Ruby the Liberal]

4. I was referring to a man's comments this week who has walked this walk

for just short of a century - not the history of racism as a whole.

:hi:

[orpupilofnature57]

7. How about Egypt 69 BC ,But I imagine Our racism was in Full swing in

1920's Georgia.

[NYC_SKP]

5. I agree with Carter. President Clinton Offered a Differing Opinion With Which I Disagree:

To wit: "All the same people who are against President Obama would be against him if he was white."

He continues, "Because they were all against me."

Epic Fail. And typical Bill, every opinion rendered through his own experience, no empathy.

Fact: There are people out there protesting that don't know the first fucking thing about government or politics Teabagging away, they would NOT be out there if the president was white.

:mad:

[orpupilofnature57]

9. Which makes it hard to say that it's one iota politics and that it's 100%

Misanthropic Racism.

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. You said this better than I did.

Thanks for that.

It is the difference between the verbal/mental rhetoric and the physical display.

[Lilyeye]

12. Remember the "sleeping giant" nitwit who was at those town halls?

Lawrence O'Donald interviewed her on Hardball and she didn't know a damn thing about government or politics. She said it was only until President Obama came in office that she started to pay attention to politics. Interesting that she ignored one of the worst administrations in history for 8 years.

[NYC_SKP]

14. That's right!

I'd forgotten about her. She didn't know how much she and her husband earned either, IIRC.

Well, she makes my point.

It seems obvious enough...

[Solomon]

8. And I say what's the damn difference?

What difference does it make it racism is the "catalyst" or the straw that breaks the camel's back? Same damn difference.

I don't give the so-called non-racists among the teabaggers a pass. Why would they choose to associate with racists?

Pisses me off. When black people do or say something, we're all fucking guilty. But whites, oh, no, let's excuse this one cause he had a reason, blah, blah blah.

Why are they knowingly joining up with these people? They get no fucking pass from me.

[orpupilofnature57]

10. K&R!!! You are what you eat!

[Ruby the Liberal]

13. You missed my point, and I take responsibility for that

I didn't express myself well.

I had blamed the inane behavior on base racism, but now feel that the frustration is people out of "power", scared of change, at home on the La-Z-Boy with our leader of the country being black, thus escalating the rhetoric.

No less racist - but the reason for the level of rhetoric.