There is plenty of sanctimony in the Left blogs and this one is not immune, myself included.
I was accused of “race baiting” because of this post. You progressives may not be aware of this (oftentimes, self-styled progressives are clueless about race issues), but it is a common tactic of racists and Republicans to accuse someone who believes there is bigotry and racism revealed in particular circumstances of “race baiting.”
I became angry at the person who hurled that charge and accused him of being a racist. I think that, at the least, the person is racially insesnistive. I think, at the least, that those who took umbrage at my phrase while not remarking AT ALL at the charge of race baiting, are also racially insensitive.
Does that offend you “self styled” progressives? Tough shit. I have never been shy to call them as I see them on race issues. I won’t be shy here.
Consider your own attitudes and views. Do not be so sure that because you think of yourself as a “progressive” that you do not carry racial insensitivity with you.
And for the record, next person who accuses me of race baiting will be called a racist by me again. Why? To make you aware of what the main use of that smear is – to shut up anyone who thinks racism is an issue.
And yes, it is a BIG issue among self styled progessives too. What better proof than your total oblivious disregard for the charge of race baiting being hurled.
You don’t like my callout on this I am sure. I do not much like being called a race baiter. Even by progressives.
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all of you can kiss my ass.
Fucking accuse me of race baiting.
Fuck off.
Too many times.
I think your diary of yesterday was correct.
I did not understand the arguments against you.
Racism transcends party lines. I see it often at Daily Kos and am screamed at whenever I point it out. Folks seem terrified of either being called racist or asked to see racism exposed in speech or writing or actions by others. In the immigration issue in particular, one of the standard lines is “oh, if I don’t agree with you 100% then I’m a racist!” It shuts down all conversation, bleh.
Yes, it is a BIG issue among self styled progressives.
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I bet.
Where are the racialists now?
Want to defend your racially insensitive behavior?
Of course not.
I will not forget this episode.
I never forget who I am and what people who are not white face.
Never.
and refuses to back down. I’m not so fond of the methodology of telling people to fuck off. Doesn’t seem effective. But, I’ll keep on reading. Wheat and chaff.
Armando, I just re-read the comments and I still don’t see it. That might be a personal blind spot, because I am a white woman, I really don’t know. But I can tell you this, yelling at me won’t make me see your point. Pointing out why the comment is race-baiting might, because I looked, I don’t see it, I admit I might be blind, if you really want me to see it, I’m going have to be educated to what I’m missing.
My only issue is the name calling. It’s effective maybe once or twice, after that, to me, it’s just a pattern of behavior that shuts eyes and ears. I know this from experience. I’m a hot-tempered Irish/Pict without a lot of patience.
I thought your blog was great. I thought there was plenty of material to be discussed without resorting to personal attacks. I took away ideas to use with the conservatives I know. The fact that there wasn’t much discussion about how to use the information you provided actually surprised me.
Armando got me going…I’ll give you all one freakin’ example of that to which I refer in hyprocrisy central…er, America.
Last night, I’m watching a Golf Channel piece on golfer Mark Calcavecchia, and his resurgence in golf after a few quiet years.
What the hell do I see, but a piece on how when Mark’s caddy from the ’90’s went up the river for 10 years, Mark stood faithfully by him (barf alert) and had a job waiting for him when he got out.
So hypocritical is this nation, and do you think I could find out from the show WHY Mark’s caddy did ten years in the bin?
Of course not, does it matter…the guy’s fucking white…so I had to Google and find out this guy was selling fucking cocaine by mail-order…
I bet you Mark C is a Republican. And I bet my sweet ass all of his law-and-order fucking friends applauded and cheered his “standing by his friend,” the convicted cocaine dealer…
But let that same god-damned caddy be brown-skinned…that’s all I’m going to say.
Race-baiting in America?
I beg your pardon…nothing to see here…move along…
Some points:
1) First, OT, you completely misread my statement the other day regarding being with BooMan in spirit. It was in reference to some of his early comments re: Hillary, not you. Then, when he went off on her in that bizarre fashion the other day, I could no longer support him even in spirit. So – the ‘Fuck You Very Much’ you sent me will have to wait for another day. When I deserve it.
2) On topic, I thought you were spot on in your original post on this matter the other day.
3) I read a couple of the negative comments towards you in that diary as being reflective of a personal animosity towards you, for what it’s worth. Some people just don’t like you, it would appear.
4) Racism still exists big time in this country. You are absolutely correct on this point. It sucks, and I too see it quite often, even amongst progressives.
5) That said, I would guess the silent majority of this relatively small community would agree with your position here, but many may not be eager to start a big brouhaha about it.
OK – off to the next interesting essay here to pontificate upon…
and Hillary Haters
Everyone of last one of us.
And you labeling all of us that is not the same kind of ignorance that leads to racially insensitive remarks.
Right.
nlob called you racist
you called him a racist fuck
nlob is a hot head, you are a hot head. The score was even. Then you came back again…and called him racist. That was a crappy thing to say. The whole thing was crappy. THIS is crappy. What nlob said was crappy. So we are rolling around in a big pile of crap.
Yay!
A clue, MOST white people are racially insensitive, because they don’t have to deal with racism. Another clue, no one is perfect. As if you didn’t know these things. A third clue I HOPE you are just making a point here, by calling this whole site racist, as you do in your tip jar.
If you think this whole site is racist because one person (who admitted he didn’t understand your diary) said something stupid, ALL of you, sir can kiss my ass, too. Fuck off back, you Kucinich Hating potty mouthed fuck.
Or don’t, your choice.
oy
— Brought to you by your local blogging psychopharmacologist.
Andrew Sullivan: racist fuck.
I hope he has a solution for my son whose girlfriend belongs to the most hated and feared race of all time.
Maria is a Transylvanian.
Most probably don’t know it but even Transylvanians will not get close to everyone. Pat asked Maria if she was a Gypsy. Man oh man, did that sweet young thing fly off like a bat on the wing Pat said.
Gypsies apparently don’t want to be anything but Gypsies. Isn’t that awful?
It was a lot easier for Pat when he was married. His wife was a Nigerian. I wonder if they got divorced because Pat let it slip that he was a Saami and, even worse, a Swede. Bad enough being part Irish.
Sure hope Armando will continue with his loving talk. We all need more love in this hate-filled world, even Transylvanians.
Best, Terry
at anyone that dared to question your reasoning.
weak
is this about the issue of racism or semantics? if you want to engage in the tough issues, then you better damn well be prepared to be misunderstood.
heh. over sensitive if you ask me. and how is this clarifying the race issue? by making it all about you being misunderstood…
instead of debating and actually illuminating the issue and how easy it is to get trapped by it… but of course not.
well, being a self-styled progressive, what would i know anyway?
Armando, why are you continuing on this destructive path?
What is your aim by continually going on the attack against people?
Your choice to deliberately flaunt civil discourse and to continue to hit below the belt doesn’t serve you well at all.
Am I racist? To the extent that I don’t understand people from different cultures and ethnicities and remain willfully ignorant or use them to advance my own aims, then yes, I am.
Am I trying to be better? Yes. Will I ever “get it” 100%?
Were that I could.
Right now, just so you get a face full of “-ism”, I am homeless, jobless, worthless, penniless and my only future that I can see is to kill myself, because my body won’t die on its own.
I whistle-blew 11 years ago and I have been faced with loaded guns, had my animals poisoned, run over, shot and stolen – some by the law enforcement “officers” who participated in the organized domestic terror. My farm, which I was trying to run as an animal sanctuary for old and ill/injured animals – was broken into and vandalized repeatedly – by sheriff’s deputies as well as a gang of surrounding “neighbors” led by the township trustees who have the county prosecutor at their disposal – not to mention the judge that Bush tapped who is related to them.
I know hate up close and personal and unrelenting. I know what it’s like to have people scream obscenity after obscenity at you, at having them stalk you when you drive out of your driveway, of having them place motion detectors all around your property so that you are blasted with obscene music on loudspeakers whenever you try to make a run from your house to a barn. I know what the sound of a shotgun is when it’s loaded and pointed at you. I know exactly what it’s like to have all of your “family” disappear, to have every single other person in your life run in the other direction and to be cut off 100% from the normal world.
I also know what it’s like to advocate for patients and healthcare workers only to be constructively discharged, then harassed on the next job, and then fired for exposing illegal and unethical work practices at a third and final job. I know what it’s like to be told that I’m too old and overqualified as my health falls into the gutter. I know what it’s like to beg for death every moment of every freaking day.
I know what it’s like to be stalked wherever I go and to know unending terror. I do know what it is to be discriminated against for simply existing.
With my last bit of energy I attended a free symposium about media’s role in politics. Today the sponsoring organization emailed me and asked for evaluative comments. I sent them with a link to the blog post I had written here. The Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities actually came to Docudharma and read the blog post and responded. I hope they didn’t come back and read this mess of junk.
Thanks, so much, Armando.
And for the rest of you who keep telling not to leave because we’re all friends: Get real. There is nothing real, tangible or genuine about a group blog. It’s entertainment with a message, but that’s its sole reach.
since I’m one of the people that downrated Armando’s comment yesterday. Sorry I haven’t said anything sooner, but I’ve been busy at work all day and have just had time to get home and read through this thread.
I was open to a discussion about his diary yesterday – not sure how I felt because I HATE the money in politics and I HATE that it seems to only get pointed out with the Dems. So I was reading along trying to learn.
I also dislike the “Hillary Hating” meme because I’d probably fit into that category – but I think I have pretty good reasons for it. So his “marking the territory” that way right off the bat had me on edge. The point seemed to be that if you didn’t agree with him, you’re automatically a “Hillary Hater.”
It just bothered me that when it came time to disagree with Night Owl, the only thing Armando could say was “racist” and “fuck-off.” I may be thin-skinned, but I DO think that shuts off dialogue and is sure to lead to messes like the one we see in this diary. And he’s still at it…calling anyone who doesn’t agree with him a racist.
If that’s the way we’re going to deal with racial issues here, then I won’t be “playing” either. I don’t want to stop participating in this site – there are some wonderful people here. But I won’t be party to discussions that devolve into that kind of gutter level (IMHO).