Must Read -When Are WE Going to Get Over It?

[malaise]

http://wacptv.ning.com/forum/topics/andrew-m-manis-when-are-we
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For much of the last forty years, ever since America "fixed" its race problem in the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, we white people have been impatient with African Americans who continued to blame race for their difficulties. Often we have heard whites ask, "When are African Americans finally going to get over it? Now I want to ask: "When are we White Americans going to get over our ridiculous obsession with skin color?

Recent reports that "Election Spurs Hundreds' of Race Threats, Crimes" should frighten and infuriate every one of us. Having grown up in "Bombingham," Alabama in the 1960s, I remember overhearing an avalanche of comments about what many white classmates and their parents wanted to do to John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Eventually, as you may recall, in all three cases, someone decided to do more than "talk the talk."

Since our recent presidential election, to our eternal shame we are once again hearing the same reprehensible talk I remember from my boyhood.

We white people have controlled political life in the disunited colonies and United States for some 400 years on this continent. Conservative whites have been in power 28 of the last 40 years. Even during the eight Clinton years, conservatives in Congress blocked most of his agenda and pulled him to the right. Yet never in that period did I read any headlines suggesting that anyone was calling for the assassinations of presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, or either of the Bushes. Criticize them, yes. Call for their impeachment, perhaps. But there were no bounties on their heads. And even when someone did try to kill Ronald Reagan, the perpetrator was non-political mental case who wanted merely to impress Jody Foster.

Second, I'm going to report to the FBI any white person I overhear saying, in seriousness or in jest, anything of a threatening nature about President Obama. Third, I'm going to pray to live long enough to see America surprise the world once again, when white people can "in spirit and in truth" sing of our damnable color prejudice, "We HAVE overcome."

[saulmart]

1. K&R

[BrklynLiberal]

2. IT is going ot come as a real rude awakening when these so-called "white" folks are the minority in

this country...and can no longer write the rules any way they please.

[RKP5637]

5. Yeah, they can only hope the "brown" folks threat them as well as they treated

the "brown" folks.

[pinboy3niner]

7. I think fear of that change is a major factor in the current climate . . .

of fear, and the histrionics, hyperbole and hysteria that have infected our political debate. Even the fearful who recognize that this demographic shift is inevitable seek to slow it down--for the sake of slowing it down. They can't succeed in stopping it, so I'm afraid we'll see further attempts to marginalize, criminalize and disenfranchise people of color . . .

[Catshrink]

8. South Africa after apartheid.

[sandnsea]

9. As long as hispanics are counted as white

Quite a large number of teahadists won't know they're the minority.

[Tippy]

3. K&R....

[RKP5637]

4. The country was founded on freedom, equality, opportunity etc., etc. and they wanted

slaves. The problems with this country started at the very beginning. Now, the RW wants to continue the problems in all of their glory. Frankly, the RW has been more of a threat to this country than any outside force IMO. Each day they tear at the fabric of this country for their own selfish bigoted reasons. Anymore it is becoming highly outrageous and ever so ignorant... pathetic.

[Hepburn]

6. Unfortunately, I don't think we are going to get over anything.

There will always be bigots and assholes who judge on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, gender, education, wealth ~~ and any other thing that makes anyone different than they are.

:cry:

[jmondine]

10. There is a special brand of racism in this country for African Americans...

... and the root of it comes from White America's deep-seated fear of emasculation.

In the stereotypical mind of these folks, the black man is the ultimate threat. Compared to him our skin is fairer, our facial features are more delicate, our bodies are weaker and less athletic, and worst of all, our genitalia is smaller.

Funny how 200 years of slavery followed by 150 years of social and economic repression has done nothing to quell these fears. Could it be that the problem lies in the minds of the bigoted?

Nah, let's go throw a tea rally.

[malaise]

11. You nailed it - the real fear

and worst of all, our genitalia is smaller.