Politics Blog

Category: Race Relations

It Has To Start Somewhere

A little more than a week ago, a group of people held a community meeting over at Canton High School in the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park. The purpose of this meeting was to give those in attendance an update on the progress being made by the communities Strategic Planning Committee for Diversity and Inclusion. The group is an offshoot of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion.

The momentum for the meeting became evident when during an Icebreaker, the group's moderator, Naren Balasubramaniam, provided the crowd with the significance of his Indian roots and how last names are taken once they come over to the states. He followed it up by talking about an event that he had previously attended at The Village Theatre at Cherry Hill Village. That dialogue without a doubt set the tone for the rest of the evening.

While speaking about the event that paid tribute to Gandhi, he spoke about how 95% of the crowd looked just like him. After that, he stated that he and his wife made it a point to become more involved in the community by seeking more inclusion and diversity. They vowed to expand their circle of friends so that they are not always surrounded by people that look most like them.

Naren's story was not much different than the others told that night by committee members that spoke about our reasons for joining the group. Jeff and ReGina Shamberger, a black married couple, spoke about how they have seen the community transform over the twenty-five years since they first moved out here. We all had a story to tell as I spoke about how important it is for my kids to grow up in an integrated community that does not look at the election of President Obama as an aberration, while seeing only one race, i.e., "the human race". Kathy Webster talked about growing up in a community that was nothing but farmland and after moving away, was drawn back to the area because of its diversity. Every member of the team (Shelly Clifton, Stan Olszewski, Adrienne Davis, Loren Khogali, Gail Quann, Anne Marie Graham-Hudek, Aamina Ahmed, Charlie Jones, Keisha Williams, and Ciara Williams-youngest of the group and the daughter of Keisha), with the exception of Gail and Ciara (homework kept her away) introduced themselves and provided a testimonial as to why they are committed to the initiative.

And as of this writing, last Tuesday on Election Day, a member of the team made history as she became the first person of color elected to the Plymouth-Canton School Board. Her story is no different from the many folk that sought a diverse community to live in. With one of this group's goal being to ensure that those elected to public office represent the make-up of the community, the election of Adrienne Davis only proves that the work we are doing is not in vain.

This strategic planning committee has dedicated itself to make sure that our community becomes a place where differences with regard to ethnicity, gender, religion, age, or preference does not matter. The diversity of the community is important so that inclusion will result in the hope that Naren shared with everyone during his Icebreaker story.

Race relations in this country can only get better when people like myself and the others that make up the group continue to dedicate ourselves to showing that it has to start somewhere. Thomas Costello, Steve Spreitzer, Stacey Stevens, Sharon Howell and the rest of the good people over at the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion selected the Plymouth-Canton community to engage due to the rising numbers of the various ethnicities. There is still some work to be done, but if the October 29, 2009, event is any indication, we are up for the challenge and it is our hope that the community finds this initiative to be a worthy effort.

Category: Race Relations

Jumping to Conclusions

After the initial scramble for details and much needless speculation, the story of the Ft. Hood shooter is becoming a bit more clear. However, it's far from complete. No one knows yet why this man went off the rails. That will be revealed in the months to come when he goes to trial. So people should be careful before they jump to conclusions about his motives.

He is said to be a lifelong Muslim, and he shouted "Allahu Akbar"during the shooting spree. Some want to use that to indict all Muslims as radicals. But as I recall no one thought that phrase was so threatening when the Iranians were shouting it from their rooftops during the election protests. Moreover, I'm told there are thousands of Muslims in our military who have fought bravely and even died in service to our country. In any event, Ft. Hood's Gen. Cone says while it can't be entirely ruled out at this early point, the available evidence does not point to terrorism.

I fear this incident will bring out the worst in those predisposed to hate Islam. Already I've seen far too many willing to connect imaginary dots. But Adam Serwer reminds us that attitude only serves the true jihadists who are a very small percentage of the Muslim population. Read it all at the link, but I leave you with these thoughts from the piece:

In the past few months, we've seen a number of shootings performed by white men with right-wing fringe beliefs--but while an attempt to assign the responsibility for the murder of George Tiller, or the killing of police in Pittsburgh, or the assault on the Holocaust Museum to white men as a whole would rightfully be seen as idiotic, there are those who sit poised and prepared assign the alleged actions of one man to an entire people. This is, quite frankly, the best reaction groups like Al Qaeda could hope for--the strength of their narrative of a war between Islam and the West ultimately rests on our own actions. We should not indulge them or those that share a similar worldview.

Category: Race Relations

Lousiana JP refuses to marry interracial couples

This is in the top ten of the most outrageous acts of discrimination I've read about this year. Keith Bardwell, a justice of the peace in Louisiana, refuses to grant marriage licenses to interracial couples. He says it's out of concern for the children because he doesn't believe mixed marriages last long. And of course, he trots out the customary disclaimer:

I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the AP on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."

Right. How big of him not to build a separate bathroom for his black friends. Of course he's not racist. He's just fine with everybody as long as they keep to their place and don't try to mingle. Wonder if he also refuses to conduct marriages between Orientals and Caucasians. How about Indians? I mean where does he draw the line?

Never mind that it's probably not even legal for him to do this, what century does this guy think he's living in anyway?

Category: Race Relations

Limbaugh's fake play for the Rams

Let's not pretend that the NFL's opposition to Rush Limbaugh has anything to do with his politics. Football players aren't that political for one thing and none of the objections I've seen mentioned his political views at all. It's his over the top racism that rankles. And I don't want to hear about the one misquote that was passed around yesterday. Forget about that one. It doesn't erase Limbaugh's long history of race baiting. Read the list at the link. There's dozens of other quotes there to make the point.

Also, let's remember the NFL is an organization that is heavily populated with black football players who have been very vocal in their outrage. They haven't forgotten Rush's racist comments about Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, that got him fired from ESPN. Many players say they wouldn't play on a team that Rush owned.

Personally I don't think Limbaugh really gives a flying leap whether or not he gets to buy the Rams. I suspect the whole deal was just a publicity stunt to grab some attention back from Glenn Beck, who seems to be about to dethrone Rush as the king of the far right. Meanwhile, I hear his Dittoheads are outraged about this slight to their hero and are organizing a boycott of the NFL. I think that's great. Maybe when that fails, they'll finally understand that they really are a minority group and Rush is lying to them when he says they speak for all Americans.

Category: Race Relations

Firestorm Over Rush Limbaugh and the NFL

Am I a fan of Rush Limbaugh? By no means am I.

Do I believe every word that comes out of his mouth? Only a fool would and I am by no means a fool.

If someone were to ask me how I feel about the way the National Football League has handled his participation in a group that wants to buy the St. Louis Rams, in a word; I would say "POORLY". The uproar over him being a potential investor is startling to say the least.

Has Rush said some crazy things while on the air? Yes! Should those that listen to his show regularly find his rants to be the gospel? They should not, but many of his listeners probably do. Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer; nothing more, nothing less. Much of what he has to say should be taken like a grain of salt.

I will not get into any First Amendment rights here, but what he says on his show is protected by the very rights that makes this country what it is. However, the problem with what he says is oftentimes misconstrued with the "ditto head" followers that buy into the crap. Rush is a devout conservative and so too are many of his listeners. I listen in every now and again, but merely for entertainment value alone.

I am able to separate his views from any truths that he tries to convey as some sort of reality. That is where the problem lies as it pertains to the uproar over his involvement as a potential buyer of an NFL team. There are far too many people that are painting his views as being racist. Do I think that he is a racist? On the surface, I would have to say no because I cannot base an opinion about race relations tied to him based on listening to him over the airwaves on a radio dial.

What I will say is this! Rush Limbaugh is definitely prejudice, but not in a racial way. He is so into his conservative views that it prevents him from seeing anything beyond that. Hence his anti-liberal views.

He is no different than what one would find when listening to Air America or some of the gabfesters on MSNBC.

I heard someone try to compare Rush to Louis Farrakhan and I am sorry folks, but that is an unfair comparison. Personally, I find Mr. Farrakhan to be a racist based on some of the many comments that he has made about race. The same can be said about Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Which ironically enough, those two were at the forefront of those leading the opposition against Rush being a potential buyer of the football organization known as the St. Louis Rams.

I, like many, do not take Rush serious based on the content of his show alone. He has a specific demographic group that he caters to and they appreciate him for what he does. He is not my cup of tea and I am no fan of his. But I will come to his defense based on the railroading that he just experienced.

What I do respect about him is that he speaks his mind and does not try to hide his political prejudices. Conversely, there is no doubt in my mind that some of the very owners of many NFL teams share his views on politics and may have stark differences than his when it comes to race. Then again, they hide behind those views as long as those very players perform on the field and win championships for them.

I hope that people try to understand that there is a difference between being a racist and prejudice. Rush has been given a bad rap for the latter when in all actuality, he is definitely the former. But his prejudice has nothing to do with race relations and more to do with his political point of view. Like me, one does not necessarily have to like the views of Mr. Limbaugh, but at least respect the fact that the man believes what he believes.

The firestorm over him becoming a potential owner of an NFL team was more about a misunderstanding with regard to racist views without understanding that his prejudices is more about political views and ideology. I am truly offended at how the NFL handled this whole situation.

Category: Race Relations

The reality of racism

It used to be when anyone would criticize Bush's policies, his right wing apologists would ignore any factual arguments and simply declare his critics had BDS (Bush Derangment Syndrome). Now I'm seeing that same dynamic being played out with the so-called "race card." Any attempt to point out the inherent racism in some of the criticism being directed at President Obama is dismissed as playing that card. But pointing out visible racism is not playing the race card.

Playing the race card is what Rush Limbaugh does when he says Obama is racism. Playing the race card is when Limbaugh says we need segregated buses again. He was of course talking about the white kid who was beat up by the two black kids on a school bus. (More of the transcript here).

The police have since said that the school bus attack wasn't about racism. Who knows? Schoolkids have been beating each other up since the beginning of time. But the black woman who was beat up by a white man just a few days later outside a Cracker Barrel was clearly a case of racism. As Rich Sanchez notes the eyewitness accounts in the police report all agree he was screaming racial epithets at her while he was kicking and punching her. I'm betting Rush hasn't talked about that one.

I know President Obama has said he doesn't think the critics are racists. And GOP leader Michael Steele says opposition to the president's policy proposals is not racism. Well, Steele is a Republican, of course he's going to deny any racist element in his base and what else can Obama say? Can you imagine the media frenzy if he had acknowledged it? But when TV hosts get hate mail and their guests get actual full out death threats, just for having a conversation about race, it serves no one to pretend that racism doesn't exist. It didn't start with Obama's presidency but it didn't end with the civil rights laws being passed either.

I used to think it wasn't a big problem when I lived in the Northeast. For most of my life, I lived in places where the minority population was small and those of color were mainly professionals. I never saw it. It was a eye-opener to move to the South and see it on display -- every day. And to be fair, it goes both ways. I was shocked the first time I experienced it in reverse. But that's the nature of it. It builds on itself until racial resentment manifests on all sides of our society. That's not good for anyone.

Surely, not every criticism of Obama is racist. But we do ourselves no favors by pretending that none of it is based on race. If you didn't click this link before, click it now. It takes a long time to load because there are so many photos of the many ways that racism has manifested. Ignoring it, or denying it, won't make it go away. It's real and if we pretend that the toxic rhetoric of people like Limbaugh isn't deliberately fanning the flames of that racial resentment, then we're all responsible when a seven year child has to watch her mother get beat down on a public sidewalk while her assailant calls her a n*gger b*tch. Or if the reverse happens.

Category: Race Relations

Just Who Might Be The True Racists?

Here is what is wrong with Detroit and the many people that live there. For starters, you are too easy to paint others as being racist, but look in the mirror and decide for yourself where racism really exists.

But before you do that, let's define the word first.

The word "racism" is a noun and is defined as a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.

I chose to use the above definition because it is the people of Detroit that discriminate against themselves and exhibit racists attitudes toward one another. I mean, how else can one explain the apathy with regard to voting, the lack of outrage as it relates to crime there, no outcry about the high school dropout rate, and a business as usual attitude when one speak of the adult illiteracy rate? All of these problems exhibit such a sense of self-hate and hopelessness, but then you want to scream racism. How about bettering yourself and doing for yourself instead of continuously relying on someone to come be your savior?

It burns me up to no end that instead of talking about what needs to be done to improve Detroit, so many residents bitch and moan about what others are doing to them to keep them from getting ahead. Has it ever dawned on Detroiters that they should be doing for themselves without an expectation from others?

Yes, there are still people amongst us with racist attitudes, but it is a two-way street, with a hint of self-hatred that prevents so many Detroiters from expecting that they can do better. Unfortunately for most, blaming others is the convenient game that many choose to play.

Mr. Smith, your blanket statement that L. Brooks Patterson is still a racist borders on defamation of character. Unless he has spit in your face, called you out of your name using a derogatory term, or you have actually seen him wearing cone-shaped headgear with a matching robe, your comment is off-based. And just because people have said that about him does not make it true. There are people in your community and I am sure that attend your church that have used the "N" word and displayed more ill will toward one another than all of the people living in Oakland County combined. So exactly what does that say about your parrishioners and the community that you claim to have so much pride about?

It is time to get away from all of the name calling and try to work together. If the perception of one person makes that hard for anyone to deal with, then maybe it is you that needs to check yourself. I have met L. Brooks Patterson and found him to be an upstanding person and someone that if I were a resident living in Oakland County, voting for him would not be a problem.

I find it rather interesting that so many people in Detroit adores Mr. Feiger, but he is the same person running a commercial touting his law firm as being so great with some of the best lawyers in the country right before him. Thing is, there is not a single person of color in that commercial. Now, does that make him a racist? I will let those that like throwing that word around be the judge of that.

Detroiters, get yourselves together and quit worrying about who is or isn't a racist. Based on the problems facing Detroit and the fact that those that you elect look most like you, it can be questioned as to who the true racists are.

Category: Race Relations

Reopening old wounds

Another cross burning. This time in rural Pennsylvania at the home of a couple in their 60s. They have lived there for a long time and are well liked and respected by their neighbors. She's Jewish and white. He's a black man. They are Obama supporters.

I see commenters here trying to minimize or excuse these hateful acts on the usual grounds. Crazy lefties do bad stuff too. Yeah they do, but outside of the woman who was beat with a political sign by the crazy guy in New York, I haven't heard of any other incidents of physical violence commited by Obama supporters. Which is not to say the man should be excused for his abhorrent conduct. He should be condemned for it and I hope he has been arrested and tried for that violent crime.

Then there's my personal favorite irrationalization, cross burning is no big deal because it has been going on for a hundred years. Well so has murder, so by that logic we shouldn't be concerned about that either. The point being, hate and violence are unacceptable and should be called out, by every American who cares about decency and civility -- not excused. President-elect Obama's victory has stirred up some old angers and it's up to all of us to condemn and marginalize those who would resurrect old hatreds.

Category: Race Relations

Obama assassination attempt foiled

Behold the bitter fruit of the politics of hate. Federal agents from the ATF arrested two young Neo-Nazis today who were planning to kill 102 black people prior to attempting to assassinate Barack Obama. I think we can safely assume the two are white. Their plan was to rob some houses and a gun shop and then go to a high school predominately attended by black students where they would shoot 88 and behead 14 more. Then they would cap off their murder spree by assassinating Obama or dying in the attempt.

Behind the scene, top Feds were skeptical about whether the plan was mature enough to really pose a threat. "The officials say that there is no evidence at this early stage of the investigation that the two men, Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman, had ever taken the plan beyond the talking stage."

That's probably true, but the same could be said for the so-called terrorist plots the Feds so willingly trumpeted as great busts in the last eight years. The guys in Miami not only didn't have weapons yet, they didn't even have a plan until the informant planted in the group gave them one. Yet they went on trial and no one expressed skepticism about them. In fact, the White House used them to justify staying in Iraq and trampling our civil liberties at home to "protect us" from just such imaginary threats.

The only difference is the color of their skin. Both groups are mostly comprised of young men goaded into hate for 'the other' by older men, for political purposes.

Category: Race Relations

Black in America

The CNN Series "Black in America" was an excellent piece of journalism. I read many blog comments about it -- both positive and negative. My own conclusion is that it was fair and unbiased and those who wanted something different wanted CNN to unfairly slant the story.

As an educated black woman, I am well aware of many educated black men and women living middle class lives and that was shown. However, I know just as many other people whose lives have been affected by drugs, crime, unwed pregnancies and the like.

To me, the point of any good piece of investigative journalism is to provoke thought and conversation. This piece definitely did that. I think people (both white and black) need to now self-examine and determine where they fall in the scenario.