We live in a diverse world. Those of us who think that everyone ought to believe as we do - or they are bad people - are small and ignorant. Yes, we all think that what we think is "correct" - else we would hold other opinions. And there is nothing wrong with being highly critical of some views and some opinions.
Still, having a "my way or the highway" attitude can be destructive, stupid - and utterly unfair to others.
This young woman explains exactly how and why in a most powerful manner.
I read your comments about Mitt Romney today and they made me sick to my stomach, and very angry. You accuse Romney of “niggerizing” Obama. There is so much wrong with that statement, I hardly know where to begin. You see, that word…nigger….it means something. It means something very real to people like me who actually have intimate, firsthand knowledge of how it can be applied. I resent that you would use that so easily (though you claim it wasn’t ‘easy’, I don’t believe you). You used that term to get some press. Great. Mission accomplished. But in the process you have watered down a term of hate with deep historical significance by applying it where it most certainly does not fit.
But that doesn’t mean that racism doesn’t exist, either. Kira has experienced it, which is why she’s angry that commentators like Toure minimize its “horror” by conflating disagreement with actual hate:
Toure, I’ve seen hate up close. I know what it looks like. I’ve felt it’s hands on my skin, seen the look in its eyes, felt the burn of its words. It is deliberate and it is real. Racism is not disliing our black President because of his socialist leanings. Racism is the scar I carried near my lip for decades after one particularly harsh punch in the mouth from a kid screaming “NIGGER!” at me while swinging away. Racism is that guy in the diner, the hoses and dogs turned on folks from my grandparent’s generation just looking to drink at a decent water fountain. When you accuse a person of racism, THAT is the legacy of hate you are laying at their feet. It’s every bit as heinous as accusing someone of being a child molester arbitrarily. When you accuse Mitt Romney and other conservatives like me of being racist based on no other proof besides the fact that we vehemently disagree with this President and his policies, you dilute the history and experiences of people like me. You cheapen that word – nigger. You rob it of it’s true horror – a horror we should never forget or take for granted.Not only that, Toure; but you cheapen yourself. You make it clear to blacks like me that you, indeed have no clue in hell what real racism is or where it can be found.
Accusing Mitt Romney of the “niggerization” of Obama is ugly, base, cheap and just plain wrong. You owe him and people like an apology. You seem like an intelligent guy. If you disagree with Mitt Romney and me, do so on the merits of the issues at hand. Don’t prostitute yourself on a network that it more way more white (percentage-wise) than the Republican party. It’s a song and dance eerily similar the minstrel shows of the past. You and I know full well the execs at MSNBC laugh and applaud and sign your paycheck every time you put on your tap shoes. Don’t like that reference? Hey, as you said so yourself, Im just using the same old race-baiting playbook you and the Democrats have been using for decades.
You should be embarrassed.
I mention this because too often we forget that real racism still exists. There are actual virulent racists who make life hell for people like Kira, not because they disagree with her political point of view, but because they actually hate her for the color of her skin. Unfortunately, few people who sin in this fashion can be transformed through blaming politicians for arguing over legitimate policy differences. We can — and we have been, imperfectly at times — remove racism from government policy and enforcement, but passing laws will not change the hearts of those who hate. It just keeps them from using the power of government as a vehicle for putting their hate into action.
Keep that in mind when applauding Kira for her pushback against Toure. There are more lessons to learn from Kira than just that MSNBC hired a hack.
Comments