CSotD: Denying the Alligators
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Bob Gorrell brings up a point that either side can run with.
Obviously (well, obviously to me), there is nothing wrong with pointing out racism when it is (A) real and (B) a major factor in something.
In fact, you’d be a fool not to, unless the racism is in your favor and you’re hoping it will not be noticed.
And, just as obviously, it’s not “racism” or “sexism” or “ableism” every time someone disagrees with a person of another race or ethnicity or gender or wheelchairness.
Intentionally.
There is intentional racism and there is racism caused by a lack of paying attention, a lack of empathy, a lack of knowing what’s what.
But when you accuse someone of being a “racist,” they assume you mean intentionally, and, since they didn’t use the n-word, they’re sure they’re not.
And there’s the rub. Your sweet old 84-year-old aunt is scared to death of negroes, but she doesn’t mean to be a racist. And since she isn’t in charge of anything and rarely goes out in public anymore, it hardly matters.
We’ve got bigger fish to fry, and their racism sure isn’t harmless, nor is it innocent.
Still, it’s hard to prove intention.
Donald Trump continually says things that are clearly, obviously untrue, but to call him a “liar” requires proving that he knows these ridiculous things are not true and says them anyway.
The advantage of the White House tapes was that we were able to eavesdrop on Nixon and his henchmen to actually hear their dishonest intentions as they discussed their criminal conspiracy.
Don’t stand on one foot waiting for a break like that today.
You would have to close your eyes very, very hard not to notice that Donald Trump levels certain accusations solely at minorities, including using words like “infestation” or suggesting that American-born minorities go back to the countries they came from.
But stupidity and ignorance are affirmative defenses to racism.
After all, there are Americans who honestly, genuinely think that New Mexico is in another country and who honestly, genuinely do not realize the Puerto Ricans are American citizens.
Not all racism is intentional. Some of it is due to ignorance and/or insensitivity.
Still, there is the issue of whether or not you were brought up in a barn.
Conservative snowflakes melt into puddles over the need to be reasonably polite, crying over “political correctness,” which is what those not raised in barns refer to as “good manners.”
This Jen Sorensen piece is from a few weeks back, but she perfectly captures not just the denial and insensitivity, but the increasing boldness with which this type of perhaps-unintentional-racism is presented.
That familiar “Thanksgiving Uncle” may be a drunkard and a complete ass, but he at least does not speak up until too many drinks have dulled his sense of good manners and common sense.
However, that’s only because he’s sitting in a room full of decent people.
On the Internet, you don’t have to face the decent people. You can say anything you want.
However, if, on the way home from the dinner your drunken uncle ruined, he plows into another car and kills somebody, his intentions will not be judged.
Only his blood-alcohol level.
Gorrell is correct that there is no point in calling out people for being racist.
If their racism is intentional, they don’t give a damn what you think.
If their racism is unintentional, they’re not going to understand your objections.
Still, we should take away their keys.
And I would suggest, toward that end, that the same people who rallied to put Obama in the White House should rally again in 2020, because, while Clay Bennett made me smile, there is no Orkin Man for racists.
You can’t spray for that kind of rat. You can only outnumber them.
Ann Telnaes cites a specific corrupt, traitorous quote from Dear Leader to justify her accusation of who the rat really is.
And you might also remember that this is the man who, in the debates in 2016, said that cheating on his taxes made him “smart.”
And that, after firing the head of the FBI, he bragged to his Russian pals that he had ended the investigation into their electoral interference, and then proceeded to feed them classified information from one of our allies.
So, sure, you can readily point out the way his insults just happen to line up with the race and ethnicity of his targets, but what the hell?
You can be even more specific in pointing out his overall lack of loyalty to his office and to our nation.
As Gorrell’s faux Monopoly card points out, you won’t open any dialogue by pointing out his racism, and, for that matter, you won’t open dialogue, either, by pointing out his disloyalty, his dishonesty, his cheating or his betrayal of the nation.
States are now insisting we teach our schoolchildren, “In God We Trust” and they damn well better, because they can’t trust honest dialogue and traditional patriotism to solve anything.
Jim Morin is a little more sweeping in condemning the overall incompetence and self-dealing of the White House, where never is heard a discouraging word because anyone who speaks up ends up deciding to go spend more time with their families.
But, again, while this type of commentary helps to comfort the afflicted, it does nothing to afflict the comfortable, because they have a steadfast, unassailable response:
Can’t argue with that.
For all the cartoons protesting Trump’s racist bile, Jeff Stahler depicts the President’s response, and it’s a good one.
His attacks on minority opponents, and on districts that are actually well above the median for education and income, are obviously racist, but there is no point in “playing the race card,” even if you’re simply pointing out the obvious.
Dear Leader denies the allegations, and he denies the alligators.
And you can’t argue with that.
Especially when the loyal suckers still think Charlie’s looking out for them.
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