Some thoughts on dealing with Racism in this Election.

[johnaries]

Some confessions first. I am white. My father was a racist. My mother was not, and luckily she was my major developmental influence until she died of cancer when I was 11.

I went to a pre-dominantly black elementary school, but I never noticed until I proudly showed an aunt on my father’s side a class picture and her first response was “look at all those black babies!”. Looking back, that is proof to me that racism is a learned trait.

I will say that having grown up in the 60’s and 70’s in the South that I have seen great progress in race relations. I can say first-hand that diversity programs work, as people I have seen that obviously came from racist backgrounds but who worked side-by-side with people of other races slowly came to respect them, and to understand that their concerns and priorities were the same: the same concerns over teenaged children, the same issues with In-Laws, etc., etc. I watched many people who felt that “those others” were so different really weren’t that different, after all!

But despite all the progress we have made, I still see examples of “under-lying” racism. It’s thte old excuse of “I ain’t got nothing’ agin those people, I just wouldn’ want one to marry my sister!”

Every day, I see people who don’t consider themselves “racist” and who will argue vehemently that they are NOT racist display racist attitudes. If I can see this and recognize it as a White Man, I can only imagine what AA’s, Latinos, etc must see.

With regards to the Presidential Election, I talk to people every day who won’t support Obama “just because”, without giving any real reason.

Based on previous elections, most of this is NOT based on racism but on political bias. I don’t have to remind anyone here how Liberals have been painted as “evil” and should be rounded up and executed as traitors, if RW Talk Radio had their way. A lot of people refuse to listen to Obama’s message because he’s “Muslim” or because he’s…. well, you know.

Back to my own experiences, I remember that my father did develop a great deal of love and respect for some of those “people” once he got to know them. They were one of the “good ones”.

I also remember that the neighbor’s house to my father’s house went HUD, and an unwed Black mother bought it. OH! You should have heard my father “go off!” about that! Still, he felt it was his “Christian Duty” to reach out to her (sometimes Fundies aren’t so bad). I remember when she was trying to mow her yard with an old, beat-up lawn mower that kept quitting on her. Well, my father was very proud of his lawn-mower maintenance skills and just HAD to help her out! They were just what each other needed - she needed help as a working mother, and he needed to help someone to break out of his retirement boredom. In the end, this woman that my father first saw as a “n****r welfare wh*re” became just like a daughter to him.

I am very proud about Obama that he has not made this race about Race (hey, I’m pretty proud of that pun!!). Some RW sites have even tried to claim that Obama has played the Race card, but they sink rapidly because Obama has been very careful.

Still, I hear comments all the time when I try to talk about the Issues and I get shut down because of some kind of prejudice. I’m not sure if it’s Republican prejudice, or racial prejudice. They look very much alike, frankly.

OK that’s a whole lot of lead up to a proposal that will probably get shot down immediately, but here goes:
When dealing with known Racists, would it give us at least an opening to discuss Obama’s plans if we presented him as “one of the good ones”?

I know that will offend many here, with good reason. It offends me to feel that I have to offer it as an option. But we are dealing with irrational thinking that has been passed down from generation to generation, and we have to find a way to “break through”.

I’m hoping that this may be a “small” breakthrough that we can build upon, later.

However, I can also see where it could be so offensive that some may think it doesn’t even deserve any consideration.

Which is why I bring it to you, DU, the best open discussion forum I can think of. True Democracy in action.

So, am I a genius or an asshole? I await your input!

[BlooInBloo]

1. (shrug) We're doing fine so far. Ultimately it's up to each individual to decide....

What's more important to them: their interests, or the fact that Obama is blackityblackityblackblack.

[Frances]

2. Thoughtful post

I was born and raised in Alabama. I am old enough that I went from first grade through college attending TOTALLY segregated PUBLIC schools.

I moved out of Alabama when I was 26 years old and have lived in the Boston area, Maryland, and now California. There are racists everywhere.

But I notice that some of my Alabama friends, who are basically very good, caring people, have racial prejudices that they are not aware of. I think part of it is that Alabama had so little diversity except for the black-white thing for so many years.

Perhaps it was because of white guilt, that whites I knew (I am white)focused on differences between the two groups, and just assumed that whites were superior.

Because I lived so far away, I began to see similarities: a love of the same food; a music (rock and roll) that combined white hillbilly and black blues; religious beliefs.

[johnaries]

8. Thank you. That's one of the problems

I see in all relationships, whether it is internal cultural differences or foreign relations. We tend to focus on the "differences" and not the "similarities".

I sincerely hope that changes very soon.

[Lil Missy]

3. I honestly don't see anything offensive about your proposal.

But I understand your point too. I was raised by a grandparent that was EXTREMELY prejudiced. But it was soooo damned ridiculous that I never took it seriously.

I don't find your suggestion offensive at all. And I don't see Obama as a "small breakthrough" at all. I think he has BLASTED THE SHIT out of every barrier.

[gateley]

4. How I approached this with a racist friend of mine

(although she would never believe that of herself, but trust me...) I took Obama and McCain personally out of it. I told her I was looking at the legislation each party had passed, comparing what the different parties had done for us, etc. That I wasn't voting for a person, as that one person doesn't run things all by himself, but rather which party would serve us better, and which party got us into the mess we're now in. Totally objective, no personalities involved (except I had to rave about Biden a bit, but she likes him, too).

That's the only way I know how to deal with it. I can't prove to her (or others like her) how stupid racism is. i can't make her un-do her beliefs. I just got the candidates out of the way, and looked at the big picture. And she agreed, and says she'll now vote for the Dem ticket.

Don't know if this will help anybody else or not, but I pass it along whenever I see the topic raised here.

[johnaries]

10. That's the wierd thing,

you can talk issues all day long, and find out they agree with Obama on almost every single issue. But once you mention Obama, they come up with some "lame" excuse that they refuse to explain.

This has happened with people that I would have SWORN were not racist in the least. And yet their reactions can only be explained by some kind of prejudice. Whether Political prejudice or Racial prejudice I can't swear on, but it's some kind of illogical prejudice, nevertheless.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

5. You are human. We all have to self-check and examine ourselves based on our upbringing,

experiences, etc.

Some people are forever locked in their self imposed prisons of hate. Nothing you say or do, no mater how
politically motivated or justified you try to make it will change them. Why lower yourself...fuck'em...seriously.

Obama will win. He will win with honesty and dignity and "those people" will be dead and gone in another generation.

[firedupdem]

6. I'm a black person and I'm not offended....I will say that I think

any person that isn't voting for Obama based on race is probably not going to change his or her mind. I have to say.....fuck em. I don't generally have conversations like this because for one..I'm black, my white friends would never say anything like that to my face, and all my black friends are already voting democrats. You never know what a person will do once they get the ballot in their hand...so...don't waste your time...fuck em. sorry..had to say it again!

[johnaries]

9. Thanks! I try not to "accuse them" of racism

even though I "know" that's what going on. To be honest, I usually just try to convince them to vote for Bob Barr or another 3rd party candidate. That's really my way of saying "fuck you, just don't vote for McCain".

[EC]

7. Wouldn't just saying he's a good man,

accomplish the same result?

[johnaries]

11. Apparently not. It hasn't worked so far, anyway. nt

[Karenina]

12. If the "dog whistle" of the code gets their attention

GO FOR IT! In these times we must use whatever effective tools we have.

[Karenina]

13. Confrontation with conservatives is NOT a winner.

They just dig in their heels. Check this out:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4011775

[sop]

14. Most Americans are racist in general, not in particular

Things are definitely changing. I've witnessed a lot of changing attitudes at every level in my own lifetime.

I think most Americans are still racist in general, that is they look down on other races as a group. But, when they relate to individuals of another race as friends, acquaintances, co-workers or even individual strangers, they are remarkably open and accepting and exhibit little to no racism. There will always be exceptions.

When it comes to this presidential election, the more people come to know Obama as a person, an individual separate from the overall group, the more likely they will be to disregard race as their determining factor. I have a 92 year old aunt who initially supported Hillary. When Obama won the primary, she said she could never vote for a black man, even though she is a lifeling democrat. In recent weeks, after seeing him repeatdly on TV and listening to his DNC speech, she has changed her outlook and admits he looks like a "fine young man", "he's handsome", "he speaks so well" and so on. Now she says she will vote for him and the black issue doesn't even come up.