Some Sunday morning reading to share.
The Shirley Sherrod farce continues and everyone is falling over each other trying to define racism again and look for a teachable moment. Frank Rich weighed in as did Maureen Dowd, but they aren't the only ones. Each have some good thoughts, but both only exacerbate the problem in the end. The dancing around and on this issue (both the current firestorm and the bigger picture) has long become an insult to anyone's intelligence, or rather anyone who chooses to actually use the gift of intelligence they were given. Face it, racism and all other forms of prejudice exist. Always have, always will, and those who feel like or hope that it can be eradicated see Don Quixote when they look in the mirror. The comments and commentary and political posturing are indeed hurtful and destructive in any case, but especially when they are used to gain an advantage (on all sides), and if you ask me anyone who does just that is guilty of a far greater sin.
Set aside skin color or physical appearance or any other blatant difference for just a second. Look for a moment at our current political scene. I ask you, is not the current climate of political speech on all sides just as capable of being described as "hate speech?" It happens locally, nationally, and globally, and I dare say if there ever is some sort of intelligent life on other planets discovered, it would happen galatically. It is accepted as normal behavior because, well, it doesn't matter if you destroy someone if they are playing the same game you are. But it is just as destructive, and I dare say more insidiously hateful. But, my point is this, humans love and humans love to hate and despise. Whether they are hateful of someone who looks different or believes different the root cause doesn't matter. Whether those beliefs are religious or political it doesn't matter. What matters is that vilifying "the other" gives some sort of weird comfort or succor to those who fear their own existence.
The funny thing about all of this is that we hide behind accepted norms and pretend that the hateful spirit behind all of this is something new, and dare I say, hateful when it emerges. The energy expended on trying to deflect a charge of racism or any other -ism is astounding.
In my view, the sniveling and shirking that prevents any honest discussion of our predilection as a species to be hateful and destructive to those we don't like (for whatever reason) by hiding behind accepted norms is more harmful because it is an unnatural and forced veneer that hides what and who we really are.
