July 23, 2009
The Moment the Veil of Post-Racialism Fell
You didn't really believe all that stuff about "moving past" race, did you? No, no. You misunderstood: We're only a "post-racial" society when it benefits preferred minorities and the white liberals who crowd surf among them. By no means does that negate the right of race hucksters to continue capitalizing on their "narrative."
Of course, the pitchmen's attire has changed, and as Victor Davis Hanson points out, it can't help but give the game away:
Meanwhile, that the rest of the country is supposed to cringe and feel sorry that we are still a racist nation — as an African-American president, governor, and mayor all weigh in on the plight of an endowed African-American professor — seems odd. Sorry, but somehow I think most would tend to disagree.
One could go crazy making a continual search for hope in such things, but I do wonder if the haloed benediction of America's First hasn't just lost its fuzzy glow. Sgt. Crowley erred in the presence of a four-tiered old-boys network, and the nation has now seen an Ivy League you-don't-know-who-you're-messing-with threat backed up by the President of the United States.
Me, I can't believe that it's still in the news.
Electing a Black President was the equivalent to the American psyche of learning to ride a two wheeler.
When I was young,the idea of a Black President sounded like science fiction.
When one is trying to learn to ride a two wheeler it seems impossibly hard.Then,after you've learned,you wonder why it ever seemed difficult.
Smae here-next time there's a Black candidate for the highest office,their race will be an incidental,and their political philosophy will be what matters.And they won't get 94% of the Black vote.
Justin in many ways we are in the post Racialism era and it's because of the information age we're living in. Funny how it's now Louie Gates who wants this story to go away per his own comments at his vacation home on the "Vinyard". Poor oppressed black man that he is..... lol
That's because Sgt. Crowley (and those in similar circumstances) now has the microphone and is giving his side of the story far and wide and free from the liberal media control or filter. Crowley having the freedom of media to be heard completely changes the dynamic of this story. 20 years Crowley would not have had the forum or freedom to confront the lies. Now he and those like him have the ability to be heard because of this new media age we're in.
Regarding the larger issue of race in America, the virulent racism is found in the black community. When blacks publicly condemn bad behavior by other blacks they will have entered the post racialism era.
Sadly you never hear it.
Black community - heal thyself!
Then we'll talk.
For those of you raised in the Northeast, it is hard to remember how far we've come. I can just barely remember visiting relatives in Virginia in the late 50's, early 60's. It all began on the Princess Anne ferry, two men's rooms, two water fountains. I remember black men walking in the gutter because I was on the sidewalk.(I asked a slightly older cousin about this, I was told "they have large feet and they will eat you") I can remember my father explaining to me what I could talk to the barber about. After "civil rights, my father who was a government contractor was assigned a black guy to work with him. The guy made a comment about a white woman in Holy Loch, Scotland, my father never spoke to him again. At college, in the South, we were warned to "keep a gun next to your bed, they are after our women".
On the other hand, I can remember my grandmother stopping to speak with black women, inquiring about their children and knowing their names. There were no "isha" names then.
There are those who feel we have not progressed enough. Believe me, we have come a very long way.
Posted by: Warrington Faust at July 24, 2009 9:52 AMA post script to my comment above/below. I have no idea where Mr. Gates was born, but he is just old enough to remember the "old south". I know 50 year olds who can remember being escorted to integrated schools by Federal Marshalls. Maybe he just can't give it up, railing against it has been good to him.
A further post script. Over the years I have had several middle aged, black clients from North Carolina. Several times I have been told, and I quote, "If you are from North Carolina and you don't want to deal with niggers, you'll tell me. Up here we don't know who we are dealing with".
Posted by: Warrington Faust at July 24, 2009 10:07 AMAs long as there are race-baiters like Gates, Sharpton, Jackson, etc, we will never have a "post-racial" society. A post-racial society would render them meaningless, so they will do whatever they can to perpetuate the racism canard. Has anyone stopped to think that Cambridge has a black mayor, Massachusetts has a black governor, and we have a black president. I think we are post racial. Now we need to become post-racebaiter.
Again, anybody who thinks that Gates didn't know EXACTLY what he was doing is an idiot. The guy saw this as an ONE BIG OPPORTUNITY, plain and simple.
I hope everybody is now getting a chance to see Obama's true colors - no pun intended. Shoot first, then ask questions. It's exactly what he is doing with his moronic healthcare program, and the fraudulent "cap and tax" nonsense. No facts required - it's what sounds good that counts. That's the typical stupid liberal way.
"Again, anybody who thinks that Gates didn't know EXACTLY what he was doing is an idiot. The guy saw this as an ONE BIG OPPORTUNITY, plain and simple."
In the Harvard jargon of the day, I think he probably excuses himself as seeing this as a "teachable moment".
Posted by: Warrington Faust at July 24, 2009 12:56 PM Obama made a biiiiiiig mistake.
Through one unfortunate phrase, he allowed the yahoos to come out and play, and Sgt. Crowley to pass himself off as the martyr. The two Rush wannabes on the morning sports talk show from Boston just deified this guy yesterday, more so than they ever did Curt Schilling or Tom Brady (these are two guys who racial cracks at a teenager got them suspended a few years ago).
Rhody-as I said-Nixon and the Manson trial.Presidents should generally try to stick to Presidential topics at news conferences.
Posted by: joe bernstein at July 24, 2009 4:00 PMI agree Joe, Obama should have said, I'm not aware of all the facts of that incident, so I have no comment. Instead, he acted stupidly.
Posted by: bobc at July 25, 2009 10:08 AMI just had to add this one. It now appears, through DNA research, that Mr. Crowley and Mr. Gates are related through an Irish folk hero Niall of the Nine Hostages. An early Irish warrior. This comes from Mr. Gates PBS special.
Having added this, I still hope it goes away.
Posted by: Warrington Faust at July 29, 2009 6:29 PM