Friday, February 06, 2004
I am so angry
But my rage is not free-floating. At least, not today. I have two specific issues that have lit a bonfire under my always simmering pot of resentment and brought it to a roiling, hissing boil.
1) The Comedian. You all know this, no need to go into detail.
and
B) The Man (but you knew this, as well.) Details follow:
Why are people still horrified about Janet Jackson's breast? Fully half of the world's entire population possess two of these (on average, that is). And why are people mad at her and not Justin Timberlake? I'm not mad at either one. Guess I'll have to come out my bag and play the race and gender cards. It makes me wanna holler and throw up both mah hands.
Yesterday, Rev. Jesse Jackson was on the Steve Harvey Morning Show. Honey, Jesse is mad, too. He's in the great state of California to harass the Governator into granting a clemency hearing for a Death Row inmate. I don't agree with Jesse on everything but I have to love his fearlessness and determination. He's a gadfly, dammit and he's a good one. He is at a loss as to why no one - especially those of the black and brown persuasion - is in the streets protesting the death penalty, in general, and the case of Kevin Cooper, in particular. I don't know either.
Then, this morning on NPR, I heard "Deal Likely In GM-Race Bias Suit" about a class action suit against GM auto dealers who marked up interest rates on auto loans for black people and Latinos. This story emphasized, to me, how subconscious racism relies on both parties - the oppressor and the oppressee - to work. So, you see, racism no longer has to be explicit. It has been internalized by all involved.
Is there any hope? To quote a wizard I have come to know quite well, "There never was much hope."
But my rage is not free-floating. At least, not today. I have two specific issues that have lit a bonfire under my always simmering pot of resentment and brought it to a roiling, hissing boil.
1) The Comedian. You all know this, no need to go into detail.
and
B) The Man (but you knew this, as well.) Details follow:
Why are people still horrified about Janet Jackson's breast? Fully half of the world's entire population possess two of these (on average, that is). And why are people mad at her and not Justin Timberlake? I'm not mad at either one. Guess I'll have to come out my bag and play the race and gender cards. It makes me wanna holler and throw up both mah hands.
Yesterday, Rev. Jesse Jackson was on the Steve Harvey Morning Show. Honey, Jesse is mad, too. He's in the great state of California to harass the Governator into granting a clemency hearing for a Death Row inmate. I don't agree with Jesse on everything but I have to love his fearlessness and determination. He's a gadfly, dammit and he's a good one. He is at a loss as to why no one - especially those of the black and brown persuasion - is in the streets protesting the death penalty, in general, and the case of Kevin Cooper, in particular. I don't know either.
Then, this morning on NPR, I heard "Deal Likely In GM-Race Bias Suit" about a class action suit against GM auto dealers who marked up interest rates on auto loans for black people and Latinos. This story emphasized, to me, how subconscious racism relies on both parties - the oppressor and the oppressee - to work. So, you see, racism no longer has to be explicit. It has been internalized by all involved.
Is there any hope? To quote a wizard I have come to know quite well, "There never was much hope."
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