Unfresh.: The Case For Acceptable Racism

Unfresh.

Friday, December 09, 2005

The Case For Acceptable Racism

Currently listening to
Always
by Kirk Franklin

Students at Highland Park High School dressed as gang members, rap stars, maids and yard workers this month during homecoming week – a tradition one Dallas civil-rights leader says is racially insensitive.

“The scary part of something like this is you have to wonder how long these kids will continue to think this way,” said Bob Lydia, president of the Dallas chapter of the NAACP. “These kids will be leaders of this country one day.”

The case for acceptable racism. Things like this are so commonplace, and people accept them as such, without thinking about the people who aren't laughing about it.

The thing about racism, is that once we become desensitized to it, and think that it is no longer there, is when we lose compassion for others. This leads me to the list of words that are not in my vocabulary any longer:
chink

nigger

beaner

gay

I've never even really used them (the only one I ever use is gay). I didn't know that chink was offensive until about the 12th grade because I had never heard it directed at a person before, only like, "chink in the chain" or something like that. Didn't know what beaner was until the 10th grade, when I was talking to someone and they said "Oh, you mean that beaner" and I had no idea what they were talking about. And I've just re-evaluated the word "gay". When used as an adjective or pronoun, it is completely stupid. We sound like third graders when we call each other gay all the time, so I'm not going to use the word anymore. But the thing is, even though white people may be hesitant to say nigger, they will say chink or beaner in a second, whi

ch to me, even without the historical background that the word nigger has, is still pretty offensive.

Next point. At the Freshman Formal on Saturday, out of everyone there, there were all of 7 people of color there. Its what I expected, but I had somewhat higher hopes. But here's the thing. I don't know how I feel about a group of basically white hicks/rich people at a dance hall that is little more than a converted bar/bingo hall, singing, "I aint sayin she a gold digga/ but she aint messin wit no broke nigga" Seriously. They all said it. Like it was nothing.

Hmm.

Next. The use of the word "ghetto." I hear it from people at least 30 times a day. Not kidding. The only problem is, it is used to describe a crappy place, usually replete with balck people. "No, my high school was ghetto. I was like, the only white person in my school." Or, in reference to the city itself. Now, I dislike Waco as much as the next person, but these are the same people who rush over to Africa on "mission trips" to help, when there is just as much to do right off campus. I swear, I don't get half the people in this school sometimes, ignorance definately prevails.

Link Roundup

Here is the worst rendition of The Star Spangled Banner ever. By R. Kelly. Especially fun is when he goes "Oh say does, CLAP YO HANDS YALL, that star, whoo! Spangled Banner yet wave." Your life will not be complete without it, it even has a breakdown section at the end. It takes a second to download, but its worth it.

The opening act for the Fugees tries to be cute and takes a stage dive at the end of her set. Remember that scene in Mean Girls where Gretchen "apologizes" and she falls back and no one catches her? Yeah, complete with a thud.

posted by DeAndre' @ 11:26 AM

3 Put ya thang down flip it and reverse it:

At 5:55 PM, Chox said…

Let me ask you something...what do you call homosexuals now that you're not using the word "gay" anymore? Just wondering...I'm not trying to be a smartass or anything. I also want to ask you a question: Is it possible for me, someone with white skin, to be a Person Of Color?

Nice blog. You're obviously an intelligent guy.

I'll be back.
At 6:55 PM, DeAndre' said…

Thanks for the comment man! Its more like, the way that my generation slings around the word gay as synonymous with bad like. "Dude, you are so gay" or "That shirt is gay" in a derragatory manner. Its just sort of stupid to me. Thanks for the comment!
At 6:59 PM, Chox said…

What's your zip code, 212-fuck-you? ;-)

Serial Mom is a good movie.