Racism
Posted by: taggles on: July 30, 2009
In my opinion, racism, many times is not a word or words, but a feeling, an outcome of an encounter that you believe race played a part in. It is not something easily proved. The same goes for sexism and homophobia. That is why it is so difficult for victims of the isms to verbalize and therefore prove what has happened to them. To not understand that many times the isms are not always words or a particular action, is not being open to the reality. Sometimes we have to understand that it just IS. The unprovability is the reason racism, sexism, homophobia exists in this country to this very day. Because if you could prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, no one would partake in it. Yes, there is race baiting that goes on as well, but that does not negate the fact that racism exists. As a white women, I can take my own life experiences of the treatment I have received because I am a woman and extrapolate to any other discriminated group. I can’t prove sexism all the time. It is a feeling, but you know when it happens to you. Does that make me crazy? Am I reading into things? I don’t think so.
So when we look to the Gates issue, we must keep in mind that our experiences filter how we view the situation. But more importantly we must keep in mind how the experiences of the actual participants have played into the situation. To ask Professor Gates to prove that he was not discriminated against because of the color of his skin is a very unfair thing to do. We do not know what was in Crowley’s heart and mind, but we do know that Professor Gates felt he was a victim of racism. But he can’t prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt. There were no racial epithets slurred, but that is not and cannot be the only pre requisite to feel racism, can it?
So now comes along a Boston Police Officer, who thought he was anonymous, who sent an extremely racist letter about the Gates incident to the Boston Globe and his friends. Here is a local news report:
You can find the text of the entire email here. I have it posted, but you can enlarge at the link if you are having a hard time reading it.
I am curious to know, what if it was Police Officer Justin Barret who responded to that call at the Gates residence? What if things went down exactly the same way? How would the conversation look?
When I answer these questions I find the reasons why I can’t criticize Professor Gates. Racism exists, it’s not always in your face, but it is there just the same and sometimes the outcomes are life changing and/or devastating, for real.
74 Responses to "Racism"
July 30, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Racism is stupid. I learned that at a very young age.
The Boston cop was wrong for the name calling and showing racism.
I hope that Sgt Crowley takes witnesses or wears a wire when he goes to the white house as both Gates and Backtrack have made a damn good living off racism for years. Does that mean that I think Gates and Backtrack are racist? NO, it means that they use it as a tool and it works for them.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALIST AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
July 30, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Helenk – I think Obama won’t say any more on the issue. He looks like an idiot for weighing in without having a clue. Even my AA stepmom, who is a rabid Obot, says that Obama shouldn’t have said “stupidly.”
I don’t think Gates is using it as a tool. I think he was genuinely offended. And to claim that he was not, IMHO, is not fair to him.
We should not lump the two of them together just because they are friends. Stanley Fish’s column in the Times showed that Gates has experienced a lot of racism ever since he was hired by Harvard. Gates’ prior experiences clearly affected the way he reacted in the situation, just as our prior experiences always affect the way we react in situations.
We don’t know what it’s like to be a black man in America. We just don’t know. I believe Gates because HE KNOWS.
July 30, 2009 at 12:14 PM
If experience is the only measure, I should live in fear of Black and Hispanic people.
I have been is a situation where a friend was shot I had to hit the floor while my husband and another friend held the door closed so the black man with a gun could not get in. I was pregnant with my son. Several weeks later MLK was shot and I worked between two bell telephone buildings that did not fly the flag at half mast.
While trying to get home a mob of blacks was marching to the buildings. The only place I could go to get away was to walk into traffic and hope I did not get hit by a car. I was pregnant with my son.
When I worked in Penn Station NY the Puerto Rico Independence group planted a live bomb in the station above the room I worked in. Thank God the police disarmed it.
I can not blame all blacks or all Hispanics for the actions of a few. Stupidity knows no color or creed or age.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
July 30, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Interesting side story:
She will not get a beer with the boys. Lucia Whalen has not been invited to the White House.
The three amigos — Henry Louis Gates Jr., James Crowley and Barack Obama — will throw back some cold ones on the South Lawn on Thursday as the whole world watches this “teachable moment” on race in America.
And they deserve a drink. They have been through so much! How they have suffered!
In reality, only Whalen, the woman who called 911 on July 16 to report a possible break-in at the Cambridge, Mass., home of Gates, acted responsibly from beginning to end in this whole affair.
And she doesn’t even get a free drink out of it.
Instead, she has been reviled. She has been scorned. She was pilloried in the mainstream media and abused in the blogosphere. “Whites like Lucia have bigotry programmed into them,” one Cambridge blogger wrote. “Her description of the two black males is just so, so bigoted. Not only that, it could have led to people getting shot unnecessarily.”
Facts? Truth? We don’t need no stinkin’ facts! And the truth is too slow! In this age of instant communication, we must publish conclusions first — no matter how hurtful or how dangerous — and then let the truth catch up.
Seems to me she’s just as much a part of this story as the other two, and the only one to seem to be vindicated so far. Yet somehow she just makes the whole thing a little messier, and all Obama really wants is a photo op (btw, shame on both Gates and Crowley for being a part of that bit of kabuki), so she doesn’t get an invite.
And furthermore, am I the only one that finds the idea of using alcohol to defuse an angry confrontation a bit irresponsible??? Takes me back to the media’s declaration that W would be the president you could have a beer with (even though he was an admitted alcoholic)…..This story has been in the headlines for way too long now, and there’s a very good reason for that, so that everyone in DC can slink off onto vacation without any pesky headlines about wars and health care.
July 30, 2009 at 12:25 PM
By the way our friend was a Phila fireman working part time 2 nights a week as a bartender to support 4 kids, one son with a heart condition. He lost his job and the guy with the gun who was a prison guard got off with $1.00 bail and no time served.
My friend lost his job because by working part time as a bartender the city said he put him self in harms way. By all rights shouldn’t I think all blacks are bad?
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
July 30, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Thanks so much MB! Racism exists, because race baiting exists doesn’t make it untrue.
Helen, I am not sure what you are talking about, but my answer to your question is that if you thought all blacks were bad, you would be a racist.
July 30, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Helen – You are missing the point.
White people are not victims of institutionalized racism. Black people are. Gates has been.
We have no right to criticize him for feeling that the cop was racist in arresting him. He should know.
July 30, 2009 at 12:34 PM
And by the way, OF COURSE Lucia Whalen is not included in the confab. As Bill Kristol said, “White women are a problem.”
I cannot believe what that poor woman has gone through. She must be completely devastated.
So many isms, so little tolerance and understanding.
July 30, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Gary, It’s good to see you back. What happened to Electric Blues?
July 30, 2009 at 12:35 PM
I pointed to Lucia story earlier in the week, MB. When I reference race baiting in the post, she is who I had in mind.
July 30, 2009 at 12:43 PM
I cannot get over the fact that a police officer actually wrote those nasty words “like a banana-eating jungle monkey” in an email. This racist ass should have been fired immediately, not just suspended. WTF is wrong with people???? How are we ever supposed to have respect for the police when they have disgusting pieces of shit like this in their ranks? I am pissed!!!!!
July 30, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Excellent piece, taggles. I like how you brought it down to a personal level, to a “feeling”. Bringing it into the personal lens and domain, is what helps us reflect on our own degree of racism. Perhaps it is slight for some and high for another…if we have to deduce it into a sliding scale or something. Perhaps it is on a “learning curve” instead.
We still to this day cannot “prove” that race baiting occurred in the election. But we know how it made us “feel”. We still cannot “prove” that sexism occurred either and the feelings still linger today. We can not “prove” these things because, like you said, the definition of racism is not set in stone. Perhaps both parties “feel” the same, the one who experienced the racism and the one that was called a racist: a sense of betrayal and sadness that we can never come together.
I do believe, however, that racism exist, because of all the Professor Gates out there that have dedicated there life to this field of study. I believe race batting exist as well. But what I “know” is that racism is more likely to go into a physical level toward black people and other races because there are statistics to “prove” this.
So if we are willing to look at it as a feeling, we are able to better reflect on our own degree of racism. “Fear” has been proven to be the basic motivator of racism. Afraid that those darn Mexicans are gonna take what you worked hard for, even though they are here to work. Afraid that those blacks are going to take over our country because we now have a black president.
In my opinion, and I have wanted to say this for a very long time. I think the black community should wear massive pride and entitlement in their pride that this time in our history have come. Pride is an emotion too. What are white people “afraid” that something is going to be taken from us. I think so.
I think white people fear that “entitlement” will be taken from them. And I also think that it is extremely racist to fear that black people even want to take over the world. History “proves” to me that it is white imperialism and colonialism that has tromped across our globe and is alive and well today.
Are white people the ones that get to have the “market” on entitlement? We have had the market on entitlement because it all comes down to classism. There still isn’t equality is class and gender and that is provable.
July 30, 2009 at 12:56 PM
GCH – I have been missing you guy! You brought up important points – once again, his “handlers” are clueless – clueless as to what a president should do and not do. Indeed, to me using ‘have a beer’ is so tasteless(no pun intended – I have never had a beer in my life and never will(I do drink occassionally) and then to exclude Ms. Whalen, the one person who, as you stated acted responsibly throughout this debacle. To include her would have been normal had we not had the most hateful campaign in history as far as misogyny is concerned. “They”(handlers) can’t honor want they are clueless about – meaning what the office of President should represent because it is simply not in their makeup. “They” and BZero are simply corporate thugs who used racism at every step of the way. Hillary Clinton did not take the beating she got to become President – she did it to save this country. Does anyone think Kennedy, Kerry, Dean et al did not know BZero was the corporate sock puppet with no moral fiber, no convictions or believes that he would stand up for? Some of us said his selection would set back race relations 5 years. Hm, I think it’s happening. BZero is unqualified period. His judgement is poor because, like Bu$h he has no moral compass. Has nothing to do with being black.
July 30, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Helen, I think my post addresses your question and points: “While trying to get home a mob of blacks was marching to the buildings.” Why wouldn’t the black community be marching in the streets after MLK was shot. Are white people the only ones that get the right to march in the streets? I’m sure that there were pregnant black women that were marching also because of the loss of hope that there child would have a better life because of MLK. I am sure that they were just as protective of their unborn child as you were.
July 30, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Of course you are correct. Dr. gates has every right to feel whatever he feels.
He and his Progressive male compadres would, however, be getting a lot more sympathy from me if they had afforded Hillary and sarah the same right.
The real idjet in this situation is, of course, Obama. Who could have kept his mouth shut. But saw, yet another opportunity to rack up some support based upon the color of his skin.
I was glad to hear that Sergeant Crowley is taking a lawyer, and a union rep. with him. He’s gonna need them for witnesses to his ongoing character assassination.
SYD
July 30, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Everybody at some time in their life has good and bad experiences with people of different races. If you choose to focus only on the bad you will always find it.
La-t-da
I hope to God no one else ever has to feel the fear of that day with hundreds of angry people coming at you and no where to go. I do not give a damn why they were marching or what color they were it was a mob with a mob mentality.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
July 30, 2009 at 1:11 PM
I will tell you where I think Gary has been since there is something that occurred on the blog between Gary and I. He insinuated I was a racist and I told him to fuck off. As far as “feelings” and the topic of this thread I was hurt and perhaps Gary was hurt or afraid or something that he perceived that he had been blogging with a “racist” all along.
July 30, 2009 at 1:13 PM
I guess the thing with me is, this. I know how it feels personally, so even if someone is an asshole I can still empathize with what they are feeling in that one moment where they found themselves in a similar position to where I have been.
Just like I don’t agree with Sarah Palin on most issues politically and do not support her politically, I do believe she should be defended from sexist attacks.
Just because Barack Obama and the DNC used race baiting, and because I was called a racist on occasions for simply supporting Hillary, I can still empathize with victims of racism. It is not mutually exclusive for me. There is no excuse to look the other way or not verbalize how wrong it is.
Or not understand that sometimes racism exists and it’s not all race baiting and I do believe that is what some people have implied he was doing.
July 30, 2009 at 1:16 PM
If the moderators feel they need to delete my last post because I brought a very real example of the pain to be called a racist and perhaps Gary’s fear of me, or what ever feeling it is, then please do so. I am not sorry that I brought it up because it has affected my and Gary’s relationship which saddens me deeply because we are strong allies in our work for gay rights.
July 30, 2009 at 1:24 PM
la t da, I have no idea what you are talking about. When did I ever insinuate that you were racist???
July 30, 2009 at 1:35 PM
LTD – I think white people fear that “entitlement” will be taken from them.
I do not understand this statement. Then I think about corporate “entitlement”, elitism “entitlement”, maybe it’s in the details. You state “white” entitlement – that’s a big group. I am in that group but I feel no entitlement now or ever, except to function as the best human being I can, provide for my family, work for the greater good for my community, use sound judgement when erred against, act in manner in which my family and friends would be proud of.
We are all just strangers here – some of us have been reading and commenting together for years – not just here at Widdershins. I
have grown to admire, trust – learned so much from these people. Still, I am sometimes surprised, even shocked by learning a new facet to someone. I’ve lead a full life and suffered many losses. I’ve had bad experiences and good ones. They say it’s not what happens to you but how you deal with it. That’s the measure of good judgement and a lot of it comes with time. I can’t fully judge someone unless I know the details and I try to not make sweeping statements. They always come back to bit me and I know better. I have made mistakes and felt pain from them.
I have not commented on Gates because I do not fully know the circumstances and I do not believe we ever will because the media and BZero are in the mix.
July 30, 2009 at 1:41 PM
OK, Gary. I know when you did it, and we even had a small attempt to work it out. You stopped blogging as much after our interaction. I do think that your not blogging as much did have to do with our interaction. I know that I did not take kindly to the racist insinuation that I know it did occur.
July 30, 2009 at 1:43 PM
la-t-da said:
I will tell you where I think Gary has been since there is something that occurred on the blog between Gary and I. He insinuated I was a racist and I told him to fuck off. As far as “feelings” and the topic of this thread I was hurt and perhaps Gary was hurt or afraid or something that he perceived that he had been blogging with a “racist” all along.
And I will tell you la-t-da and the rest of the blog, what Gary emailed me: That he and Mawm were going crazy/busy with the new/old house. They decided to rip out the kitchen floor and tile it among other things. THAT is time-consuming as hell, especially if you’ve got bumps/unlevel spots in the floor among other things. Those have to be sanded down to make it level for the tile.
I’ll take him at his word since he has no reason to lie to me that I know of. If you know of something different please let me know. You can use the email linked to my account wordpress account.
July 30, 2009 at 1:43 PM
If someone accuses you of racism, do you really want to have no appeal to the facts, do you really want to be convicted just on their sayso?
That’s a very scary proposition, but it seems to be what you are saying.
People have a right to be judged on the facts. We all have that right. Look at what happened to Lucia Whalen (and Gates contributed to that if he in fact made the “white woman” remark). (Actually her situation is even more complicated, because there would have been nothing racist about her saying the men she saw were black, if in fact that were true. Any more than it is sexist to say they were men. I always wondered if she had said it only in response to the police question, which could have been the case, because they did ask.) People wanted to kill her. They were sure they knew who she was.
False accusations of racism happen, it is unrealistic to think they don’t.
I don’t think Gates was lying. The problem is that apparently, IF the reports are correct, he was claiming racism from the very beginning, simply because the police came to his door. Based on his past experiences he may have thought it was because he is black, but it’s pretty clear now that had nothing to do with it. So how affected were his subsequent reactions by the past, how much determined by the present?
My knowledge of sexism must be respected, Gates’ knowledge of racism must be respected. But that doesn’t mean either of us is infallible in every situation.
The only solution to these difficult situations, to my mind, is to reserve judgment until the facts are in.
July 30, 2009 at 1:49 PM
Race baiting exists Foxx, no doubt about it. But for some to claim a black man that had been arrested in his own house for disorderly conduct is race baiting???
July 30, 2009 at 1:57 PM
Was Crowley a racist in his actions toward Gates and did Gates feel like this was a racial incident? I don’t know.
I’m not in either one of their shoes. Gates, I’m sure has been exposed to racial inequities in the past. But, listening to the tapes, Crowley didn’t sound like a racist on the radio, but I have no idea what was going on in his head.
That being said, that’s all I’m gonna say on this topic except this: As a white male I’ve got enough sense to try to keep my cool around the cops; whether it’s them pulling me over on the road or anywhere else. The cop is the one controlling the situation and I’ll do my best not lose my temper or anything else if I’m involved with one for some reason.
And yes I feel the worst for Ms. Whalen. She thought she was being a good citizen and has been put through the wringer for it.
July 30, 2009 at 2:01 PM
Well there goes my vow:
But for some to claim a black man that had been arrested in his own house for disorderly conduct is race baiting???
Was the arrest in his house or was it outside his house once he failed to cooperate? I’ve seen several versions of the story.
Okay, enough from me…no more on this subject.
July 30, 2009 at 2:07 PM
I know that Gary and Mawn were, and probably still are, working on the house, fredster. It was my understanding that is why he was not writing threads, but he was posting. If his not posting for several days in a row had nothing to do with me then I will claim egotism. But if we do need to work out something gary then I think we should. We need every gay voice that we have at The Widdershins to figure out how to join with the feminist community to fight for civil rights.
Also I strongly think that we should be discussing and am glad we are discussing the issue of racism because if Hillary runs again or another white woman against him, or even women in congress and for congress, that we will all need some way to figure out how to deal with race baiting.
I have no doubt that everyone of us as well as the Clinton campaign were so taken aback by race baiting that many of us did not even know how to respond in an effective way. I think us not knowing how to respond actually hurt our momentum in the campaign.
July 30, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Either way Fredster, whether the officer requested and gates complied in following him outside the house doesn’t make much difference to me, i guess.
The fact remains that black men are not race baiting all the time. I think it almost becomes easy to justify a reaction to this because of our experience in the primary. but that doesn’t mean gates was race baiting.
July 30, 2009 at 2:20 PM
How does one reply to a message here? I should have been clearer that I was responding to madamab’s post that a person of color claiming racism is all the evidence we need. Didn’t see how to make it a reply.
July 30, 2009 at 2:21 PM
As I said:
The cop is the one controlling the situation and I’ll do my best not lose my temper or anything else if I’m involved with one for some reason.
July 30, 2009 at 2:28 PM
Fredster, I understand what you are saying. I have been dumb, or courageous, enough (depends which way you look at it) to confront sexism as it is happening to me and it usually isn’t very pretty. i am accused of pulling the female card and usually am punished in one way or another.
Sometimes I let it slide cause i don’t want the hassle.
I am not pulling a female card and i will give gates the benefit of the doubt that he was not pulling out the race card. There is really no evidence of him acting disorderly except a police report, which has now been shown to hold untruths. That isn’t to say he wasn’t, I don’t know.
July 30, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Foxx, we don’t have reply embedding here. If you want to reply to a post, just use their name in your comment. MB now knows you were talking to her! 
July 30, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Wasn’t there some statement made by someone or some agency recently that the police force is now considering marches “low level terrorism”. If that is the case that is some scary stuff. Terror-ist, the newest newest cry to try to scare people into silence.
I have never made any if ands or buts that I do not trust most police. There is “baiting” that goes on in marches and activist rallies all the time. They put undercovers in the crowds. They instigate something to try to discredit the whole. It has been a very effective form of baiting since the environmentalist movement began.
I come from an in-law family of retired police and an undercover detective. The undercover has told me to be careful of the instigators more so than the majority of the movements that are sincere in their cause. Activist have to figure out how to deal with baiting in all forms or we are screwed as a grassroots’ voice.
July 30, 2009 at 3:06 PM
Taggles said – I think it almost becomes easy to justify a reaction to this because of our experience in the primary. but that doesn’t mean gates was race baiting.
All people do not use that kind of thinking. Unfortunately we do have some that do. They can become extremist – like the Boston cop. That was painful to read. Wonderful timing if one wants to throw gas on the fire – CNN will surely cover it daily. You see, corporate uses it. Also, in my exerience, it is the elitist or the poorest who “feel entitlement” of racism, misogny and distain for LGBT or anyone who is handicapped. They are very vocal, very shrill. That is a sweeping statement shaped by my experiences. And they always come off looking ignorant.
The primary left a very bitter ugly taste for me but I understand who worked it and why. There is lots of kindling on both sides of this issue and we do not have a courageage moral statesmen-like leader that was advertised nor does he have that in his handlers. I said the very same thing about Bu$h prior to his selection only we were not talking about racism per se but all social programs for the people. Could have been a real opportunity for progress in human relations. Will not be now because of all the hate directed at every level of humanity by this administration. They have no moral ground to stand on unlike the Clintons.
July 30, 2009 at 3:08 PM
Foxx – sorry, I was away from my desk for a while!
There is a difference between feeling that racism was involved, and taking that feeling into action. I do not think that there should be NO recourse in that situation.
However, I do feel that when a black person tells me he or she feels discriminated against, I give that person the benefit of the doubt. Even with all the race-baiting nonsense that happened in the primaries, I still feel that way.
When a woman tells me she feels she has been the victim of sexism, I give that woman the benefit of the doubt.
When a gay person says he/she has been the victim of homophobia, I give that person the benefit of the doubt.
When a Jewish person says he/she has been the victim of Judeophobia, I give that person the benefit of the doubt.
Is the person claiming to have been the victim of prejudice always telling the truth? Of course not. But usually, they are.
Unless people were there and saw everything that happened, I don’t know where people get off pretending they know what Gates experienced and what Crowley experienced. I don’t know why people are sooooooooo willing to claim Crowley was 100% right. It boggles my mind. And as Taggles has shown, there are people in the Boston police department who are comfortable referring to AA’s as “jungle monkeys.” If that attitude is tolerated AT ALL, doesn’t that show you what is going on in the Boston police department? Doesn’t that show you that there IS institutionalized racism?
Ah well. I’ve gotta get back to work. Hope that is one good, expensive beer they’re having.
July 30, 2009 at 3:09 PM
la-t-da: Here’s one link to what you are saying about demonstrations. I googled and there were several, but from freeper and world nut daily. This link is more legitimate in my opinion:
July 30, 2009 at 3:22 PM
NY Times thinks fighting racism with homophobia (and more racism) is acceptable. According to their beer selection, this author contends that Gates is a race baiter, Obama a closeted homo, and Crowley a klansman. I get that it is satire, but it is offensive, openly homophobic, and in very poor taste imo.
The President, who like every Ivy League Democrat must battle the public impression that he’s an effete snob, made the sensible political decision to go for an American everyman’s beer. But by choosing Bud Light rather than simply Budweiser perhaps he didn’t go far enough. Instead of just grabbing a brew at the end of the day he’s counting calories with a light beer, which might make sense if he were overweight. But he’s thin. So the light beer comes off as a little too fussy, dare we say, a little too girly-man.
Professor Gates, of that elite Cambridge institution, also had to ground himself. But you can look at his choice two ways. The flipside of the serious academic is Spring Break, the seasonal ritual of debauchery, and Red Stripe is a party beer, associated (at least from a northeastern point of view) with loosening up the demanding strictures of academic life. It’s also from Jamaica, an island with a population primarily of African descent, so perhaps Professor Gates chose Red Stripe as an expression of racial solidarity. Hard to tell how that plays. On the one hand, this meeting is partly about overcoming racial attitudes that separate Americans. On the other, can’t we overcome without giving up our individual identities?
Sergeant Crowley’s selection is the most puzzling of all. Clearly, the police officer wanted to go against type. Instead of the shot-and-a-beer brew one might stereotypically associate with a cop, he instead went with something that sounds like a craft beer. Yet, as any craft beer fan will scornfully inform you, Blue Moon is made by Coors Brewing Company, and therefore lacks even a shred of craft-brew cred.
What’s more, the Coors family is known for its conservative politics, which, whatever Sergeant Crowley’s personal politics, may indicate insensitivity to the bigger picture. And while Blue Moon could be read as a nod to Sergeant Crowley’s colleagues in blue, the beer is of the Belgian style known as white ale. Another nod to racial identity? Not well thought out!
http://thepour.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/a-cold-one-at-the-white-house/
what the hell is wrong with these assholes?
July 30, 2009 at 3:36 PM
Better yet give ‘em an Abita Beer (local SE LA brewery) a Turbodog:
http://www.abita.com/brews/turbodog.php
July 30, 2009 at 3:41 PM
Fredster – PBR would be the perfect drink for Obama! All his little Obot trendoids drink it. But why punish Gates and Crowley with that crap?!
July 30, 2009 at 3:43 PM
MB: I was trying to be snarky. I can’t imagine who in the hell would want to drink
horse pi Pabst Blue Ribbon. Ewwwwww!!
July 30, 2009 at 3:46 PM
Oh, I know, Fredster. It blows my mind that PBR is now “cool.” Went out for drinks with Three Wickets, LBNYC and Simofish Monday night on the Lower East Side and the waitress listed it as one of the “beers” on offer. The makers of that questionable brew are laughing their butts off at all the pretentious young ‘uns drinking it to be “ironic.” LOL
July 30, 2009 at 3:50 PM
fredster, as a friend of mine used to say, “how can PBR be bad??? It won an award didn’t it??? 
July 30, 2009 at 3:53 PM
MB: If the “cool ones” only knew. That was always considered a redneck beer because it was cheap.
Off to walk Miss Chloe since rain is coming in later. Hope she finds a spot where she can just let go! She’s getting to where she pees, then has to walk around and sniff a couple of places and do a few drops here and there before she’s done. What cracks me up is when she squats and then has to put one rear leg out too! HAR! 
July 30, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Many people of many races drink RBR and Steel Reserve because that is what we can afford. When, what I think are, elitist restaurants started putting it on the menu BUT jacking up the price it is an insult. Who is that benefiting? The freaking restaurant with probably a 500% markup.
July 30, 2009 at 4:02 PM
Totally OT, but I just watched a clip of Alcee Hastings on Rachel Maddow talking about getting pressure from the White House and members of Congress to put off introducing his bill to end DADT. I admire him so much for this because it takes a lot of guts to speak out against this administration. If only we had about three hundred more members of Congress with his kind of courage.
July 30, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Great informative message from “lady” down below about SWAN and HRC. If I find the link of the video she mentions I will update the thread piece again and put it in there.
What a freaking tangled web they weave when they start using women to up “their” campaign. This is about all of us. HRC did this to Napolitano in AZ also. Ask her for support, but then some make accusations that she would serve the gay community more if she would come out of the closet.
No one knows whether she is a lesbian or not and to judge her on appearances is bullshit.
July 30, 2009 at 4:11 PM
janicen, I guess that’s why he’s doing this:
Harvey Milk will receive a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, from President Barack Obama in a ceremony scheduled for August 12.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid102244.asp
Obama seems to think that his lack of actions is more than made up for with empty gestures. Typical narcissist. It parallels the whole white house beer moment. Same thing, just theater for the African American community to make it look like he really gives a shit about racism in this country. But what has he really done to improve the lives of most African Americans? — Having a beer with the guys doesn’t count
Meanwhile Albania is considering legalizing gay marriage. That’s right, we’re behind a war torn, predominantly muslim nation with a not too distant history of stalin style authoritarinism. just embarrassing.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid102194.asp
July 30, 2009 at 4:15 PM
I thought the teenagers drank PBR and Iron City because it was cheap. Also Maddog wine and nighttrain express wine because of the price and being available.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
July 30, 2009 at 4:25 PM
la-t-da permalink
Many people of many races drink RBR and Steel Reserve
Are they that much cheaper? I don’t drink beer much. Usually with fried seafood or something similar.
July 30, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Also Maddog wine and nighttrain express wine because of the price and being available.
In my college days it was Boone’s Farm. That tells how far back that was!!
July 30, 2009 at 4:38 PM
They are cheaper. One the alcohol content is higher so their is more bang for the buck. As I was a restaurant manger for one of those elitist restaurants that I judged above for many years, their is already around a 250% markup on alcohol. So I could see an easy 500% markup as the wholesale price is already low.
July 30, 2009 at 4:43 PM
What drives me crazy, Gary, is the “gays have to wait” attitude. Seven years ago I damned near ruined Christmas dinner with my inlaws because my FIL called me naive and told me that gays just needed to wait for their rights. Seven fricking years ago and nothing has changed. I guess I should have pinned him down and asked him how long gays have to wait. Ten years? Twenty? Hastings is right, if you admit that there is discrimination going on, the time is now to stop it.
July 30, 2009 at 9:00 PM
http://countusout.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/disturbing-content-on-new-black-panthers-myspace-page/
I agree with people who say the cop who wrote to the boston globe was wrong. He was.
How come no outrage over the black panther website?
racism comes in all colors and is wrong on all counts.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
July 30, 2009 at 9:19 PM
I did not see the link to the black panther website in the link you posted above. I would rather look at their site than another blog talking about their site so I know whether to be outraged or not. Did they include the link to the black panther site and I just missed it.
July 30, 2009 at 10:04 PM
The black panther’s name is Jerry Jackson and it was posted on his My Space site.
I do not have access to My Space but if you do you can check it out.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
July 30, 2009 at 10:22 PM
I do not understand this “gotcha” game. If people here are supposedly not outraged enough about a black panther site, Helen, what does that mean?
People here were certainly outraged about Reverend Wright and his racist comments. We were certainly outraged about Obama’s race-baiting and Jim Clyburn’s race-baiting and Jesse Jackson’s anti-Semitism. I’m sure you remember that.
So what exactly are you trying to say? That if we give Gates the benefit of the doubt, we are racist? That there is no such thing as institutionalized racism in this country? That the fact that a police officer who uses the term “jungle monkeys” is allowed to remain on the Boston police force says nothing about the culture in that institution?
I don’t understand what you’re trying to prove, Helen. But I must say that I really do not like the implication that we are not paying sufficient attention to black racism against whites. When AAs run society and most young white men are in prison, then I’ll be worried about institutionalized black racism.
But the key word for me is “institutionalized.” Not an individual on Facebook. Not people acting crazy about MLK’s death, or any other examples you used. None of those are societal problems.
IMHO.
July 30, 2009 at 10:51 PM
Madam
When I commented earlier about if you only go by experience that I could be racist if I only picked on bad experience. I talked about facing mob that happened to be black when MLK was killed.
The first response was they had a right to be a mob because they were black. No regard to the fact that I had a right to walk safely even if I was white.
Racism is stupid and making excuses for racism shown by either side is wrong.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
July 30, 2009 at 11:13 PM
The first response was they had a right to be a mob because they were black. No regard to the fact that I had a right to walk safely even if I was white.
__________________
Since that part was directed at me, I will address that. First, mob is in the eye of the beholder and technically we all have the right to be a mob, though I think that most of the time a march. The reality is that we can all be subjected to police brutality for “taking it to the street”.
Second I was not not showing empathy for your experience, I was saying that a black women who was pregnant might have joined in on a march that might have later become a mob mentality. She would have been trapped just like you were if she wanted to get out of it for the sake of her unborn child. That fear, feeling, makes you both the same.
When a crowd is marching, it is hard to get out of it because you might get run over as you experienced it also.
July 30, 2009 at 11:23 PM
So does the fear that someone else experiences when they see a march coming toward them give the police the right to take us down? Protect the few for the sake of the many? Do you know how sanitized marches are today. Permit this. Permit that. Go down the street here. Go down that street there. Fence here. Fence there. Our system of law (one of but five societal institutions) has made marching ineffective and that is deliberate. That is why most activist are hanging out on blogs now. (Except the environmentalist.)
July 30, 2009 at 11:28 PM
La-t-da
I truly hope you never know what that feels like. It was a mob not a march. They were angry that the Bell Telephone buildings did not have their flags at half mast.
I was not part of the mob, I was facing the mob. It was not my choice. We had riots in Philadelphia and neighborhoods were burned and people were hurt.
Nobody won and a city lost.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
July 30, 2009 at 11:40 PM
You have no clue what I know what a march taking on the energy of its own feels like, Helen, for I would have probably been one of the ones in the march to the building, but would have been trapped as well if I wanted to get out. Those are the people that I am talking about that makes you one and the same.
I’m sure the city recovered by collecting fees for permits for future “demonstrations” or a sanitized word for “tone it down people, you are scaring the other folks.”
July 31, 2009 at 12:07 AM
Good night, Helen. You and I will probably never see eye to eye on this, but I hope you can hear me say that I am sorry you had that experience and that it is still with you today.
July 31, 2009 at 7:46 AM
Helen – once again, what you are talking about is not institutionalized racism.
Police officers who threaten you with arrest while treating you like a criminal for being a law-abiding citizen, driving down the street? That’s institutionalized racism. And you, Helen, have NEVER experienced it.
Do you know who has? Professor Gates. Why won’t you acknowledge that? That history with the police is what he brought to that encounter. And clearly, in some cases, he wold have been right to assume the cop was a racist.
I am very sorry that you experienced that mob mentality. I am sure it was terrifying.
July 31, 2009 at 8:43 AM
Institutionalized racism is bad. That said, I don’t know of anything that permits the type of mob mentality that burns cities. If we do not find a way past this, we will never go forward as a people or as a nation. Slavery was. We cannot change that. We cannot atone for that. We cannot legislate morality. We cannot dictate an end to hate between people for any reason whatsoever. We must somehow, some way find a method to lay this burden down or it will take us out. It is exhausting and it is counterproductive.
July 31, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Chatblu – step 1, I would think, is to admit that it still exists. The Repubs are constantly saying that we don’t need affirmative action any more because there is no more institutionalized racism. There is a large section of the public that believes this to be true.
As for the solution, I agree that you cannot legislate morality. I don’t know if a Truth and Reconciliation Commission here would do it, similar to what they had in South Africa after apartheid. But one thing we can absolutely do legislatively, is to end the idiotic “war on drugs” that is putting so many AA young men in prison.
Here are some statistics that detail what the war on drugs has done to the black and Hispanic communities. It is unbelievable.
One reason Obama was claiming to be for legalization of marijuana was because of these statistics. (Of course he was lying as usual.)
I say, legalize everything (except the really hard stuff like heroin, PCP and meth) and regulate the hell out of the production of it all. The government will make so much money on taxes on marijuana alone! And of course, we’d have the same DUI restrictions for the legalized drugs as we currently do for alcohol.
July 31, 2009 at 11:35 AM
I agree that penalties for drugs fall disproportionately onto AAs and Hispanics. You can get into worse trouble for a handful of crack than for a handful of blow. You don’t have to tell me about the effects of drugs, either. I spent my career in large public hospital ERs. I had the rare “privilege” of working during the Miami cocaine wars immortalized by “Scarface”, as well as through riots in Philadelphia and Miami. (None in Atlanta.) Racism does exist, but not as law. Of course, we saw during the 70′s that rioting in Roxbury, Detroit and Philadelphia occured vociferously after the Justice Department went after de facto segregation. I think that we can safely say that there is some de facto racism still afoot. I also think that we can safely say that it is a bilateral thing. As one coworker once told me, she’d love to ask me over, but her husband just did not like white people. Fair enough – at least he was honest – but racism is racism is racism, and I do not accept the concept that when blacks don’t like whites, it’s not racism. Of course it is, and it is as unhelpful to finding a solution as any other type of racism would be. Now, what can we do, as reasonable educated people in a constructive manner? Well, the first step to problem solving is to admit that there is one. Yep, we have racists of all sizes, colors, ages and descriptions. There are no laws on the books that support suppression of any race, but there are folkways, norms and mores that do, as they do is sexism. My question is, can we lay down the burdens of the past and move forward, or do we stand on the sticky pathway of past injustices screaming “Foul!” without forward progress? Inasmuch as I understand that frustration causes rioting, I remember my AA coworkers who had their homes and family businesses burned and looted during the 1980 McDuffy riots. What did they have to pay for? We somehow, someway, must reach deep inside and find the will to go forward with as few recriminations as we possibly can muster. I hope that we can do this, and sooner rather than later.
July 31, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Chatblu –
I do not accept the concept that when blacks don’t like whites, it’s not racism.
If you are getting that idea from anyone here, it is certainly not me. I never said, or implied ANYTHING of the sort.
The point is that white people have the power in America, and they routinely use it to discriminate against black people. That’s the institutionalized racism I’m talking about. I’m sorry, but having a black President does not change that institutionalized racism. We made fun of the Obots for pretending otherwise. I hope we are not going to fall into that same trap.
Racism is a power issue as much as a skin color issue. If some guy on the street hates me because I’m white, chances are it will not affect me very much. But if a white police officer is racist against a black man, that black man can get arrested and even jailed.
That is what we must address, IMHO. This is institutionalized racism. And it does NOT GO FROM BLACK TO WHITE.
July 31, 2009 at 1:02 PM
First, I apologize if you thought that I was accusing you of stating that black on white is not racism. I have, however, seen that as a recurring theme in a number of blogs, not neccesarily this one. As for institutionalized racism, I must most respectfully state that this depends upon where you are. There are cities and counties in the South that are 70% black. Dade County is only 30% non-Hispanic white. (Kenny Loggins once said in concert here that the Miami phone book has two volumes: one is A-Z and the other is Perez.) The city of Miami PD has few non-Hispanic white officers. They are mainly AA and Hispanic. (Now, many Hispanics have skin tones as milky white as my own, but they will correct you muy rapidamente if you were to call them “white”.) Miami=Dade County Sheriff is probably 40% non-Hispanic white. The city of Hialeah lost a huge reverse discrimination suit many years ago and it had to hire non-Hispanic whites, but they are probably less than 10% of the force. Sean Taylor, the murdered football player’s father is the chief of the Florida City police force. Carlos Alvarez is the strong mayor of Miami-Dade County (yes, it does sound a bit “banana republic”, but it was done after Hurricane Andrew to have a final voice over the cities). Sadly, having elected an AA hasn’t helped a thing. We must figure out what will and do so soon, for the sake of our country as well as for our troubled souls.
Comments are closed.
L 2012 – Support Your Local Lefties!
Recent Comments
 | madamab on New Year’s Eve Widdershi… |
 | Eddie on New Year’s Eve Widdershi… |
 | HT on New Year’s Eve Widdershi… |
| madamab on New Year’s Eve Widdershi… |
| madamab on Happy New Year – We… |
July 30, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Very well-said, Taggles.
Frankly, the only way we will confront the “isms” in this country is when we admit that we DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.
I know what it’s like to be discriminated against because I am a woman. I know what it’s like to be discriminated against because I’m Jewish.
I do NOT know what it feels like to be stopped for “walking while black” or “driving while black”. Thus, for me, as a white person, to decide that that no racism existed in this encounter with Officer Crowley and Professor Gates, is simply ludicrous. If Gates says it was there, it was there. We cannot credibly challenge him because he would know better than we would.
That’s my take on the matter.