PHOTOS: She's so pretty for a black girl!

[Bluebear]

She's very pretty for a black girl!



That Michelle Obama. She's so, so...articulate! . . . .




“Wouldn't they be surprised when one day I woke out of my black ugly dream, and my real hair, which was long and blond, would take the place of the kinky mass Momma wouldn't let me straighten? My light-blue eyes would hypnotize them ... “

- I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.



Observed on the web: "Ho does NOT mean whore!"

Ho (n) A prostitute. Shorthand for the word whore. This word originated from prostitutes who trick at hotels. In some cases people refer to them as sluts but what makes it different is that hoes get paid for what they do. (pl n) Hoes. Alternate: Prostitute, Whore, Hooker, Tramp, Slut

FreeRepublic:

How long before “Nappy Headed Hos” comes into regular useage because of this episode?...Political correctness run amok....some speech is "more free" than others as you well know....I saw the press conference, and to me, the coach appeared to be coached...The hypocrisy of the Left is mind boggling...As Fred Barnes said on Fox: “They are ministers; aren’t they supposed to forgive?”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1815194/posts


Flagellation of a Female Samboe Slave

....In order to overcome the Victorian boundaries set for women, slaveholders developed the Jezebel image of black women to enable to continue their breeding practices and sexual abuse. White describes the Jezebel figure as the, “counterimage of the Victorian lady”. Black women, or Jezebel, supposedly possessed an innate sexual hunger and sensuality. Whites’ misinterpretation of African cultural traditions, such as polygamy, tribal dances, and religious ceremonies, contributed to their belief in Jezebel’s consuming sexual power. The rate of pregnancy and increase amongst blacks provided evidence for the Jezebel image. Even if a black woman wanted to practice chastity, the overwhelming beliefs surrounding the Jezebel image hindered them. Without fear of punishment, slaveholders raped the, ‘lustful,’ female slaves.

http://personal.tcu.edu/~SWOODWORTH/White.htm

"Why does she seem so...so....ANGRY all the time?":




"....Don't get me wrong, I am a black woman who is angry about many things, none of which I bite my tongue about: failing schools, violent crime, sexism, racism and a host of other societal ills and injustices. But don’t slap your Angry Black Woman ("Omarosa") label on me. There is a difference. You won't find me wagging my finger, rolling my neck and clicking my tongue because someone bumped my grocery cart any more than you'll find me secretly plotting the sabotage of a colleague because I want his job. You won't find most black women behaving this badly (unless of course, they happen to be on TV)."

http://www.tolerance.org/news/article_tol.jsp?id=987


Imus explained at DU: A trilogy


ACT I: "Ho is a mildly to very disrespectful slang for a woman, especially a woman you don't respect.It's the same way when a man calls another man a faggot he may mean that the man he is calling a faggot is weak, not necessarily a homosexual.

Is any of the above language right? No. But you have to look at the context.

Nappy headed is another very mild insult in the context he used it."

====
ACT II "In my opinion being offended ranks up there with having a bad meal. You get over it and you move on."
====

ACT III: "Sharpton and Jackson have pushed this so far that Imus has become the victim. Yes, that's what DEMOCRATS are saying quietly, in the quiet corners of cafes. This has blown up so big that it has backfired on any chance to talk about race.

And when you start calling basketball-playing women HEROES just because someone called them a bad name - well, there are a lot of us who are shaking our heads over that. They're not heroes. They're victims. Stop making victimhood a reason for automatic sainthood.

====


And sometimes, changing the world comes in small steps, from people who never knew they would be part of the change...

[lligrd]

1. Beautiful Women All

But I am not certain that anyone was making a hero out of Imus (that would be far fetched indeed).
Some of us, at least I, am just not comfortable with singling him out as a devil. In fairness, if Imus hadn't made his remarks the team would have gone unnoticed. Imus is one of the few that watch women's basketball. He also is one of the few on television that dared to criticize Bush and go out of his way to help kids with cancer. Devils are among us but Imus (while being mo saint) is not one of them - at least not a ranking member.

[Bluebear]

2. There's a bigger point....

maybe I didn't make it well, but it's so much more than Imus. Black women finally see some consequences for who men in power treat them. And that people even here at DU minimized the whole "ho" event.

And truly I hope somebody steps in to help those kids with cancer that everyone mentions.

[Raine]

4. I'm looking for the day when

all those big corps like CBS pull out of the promotion of the music and culture that demean black women and all women with their disgusting racist sexist lyrics. I think the next step should be following the money and exposing those that make a living promoting that garbage and filth and driving them into the ground.

[Bluebear]

7. This is the first tick picked from the dog.

I truly believe something important happened this week. I think the hate jocks are on notice, and I hope that slowly, very slowly, we are as a whole changing.

[Pacifist Patriot]

20. Your metaphor is exactly why I supported Imus' removal.

I'd like to see this as more than an isolated incident, but the beginning of a major shift.

[CrispyQ]

27. "I'd like to see this as more than an isolated incident, but the beginning of a major shift."

I so hope you are right!

[Bluebear]

35. We can only hope, and get to work. nt

[Usrename]

53. I wish I could share your optimism.

In my reality, he may have been hurled under the bus because he keeps calling Cheney a war-criminal.

Bush lost about seven points in the polls during the recent Walter Reed story. Imus was the one who kept the pressure on about it, too, and everyone should know this. Before that story broke (I know, it initially broke in the print media), Bush's numbers were rising, they had launched a Herculean effort to try and rehabilitate him, starting way back with the Iraq Study Group and going all the way up through his "surge" policy.

It was all starting to work, too. Google "the surge is working" and see how many positive stories the M$M were running about our success in Iraq, just under a month ago, about this latest surge. Bush's numbers were going up with all these reports. Of course we also know that the last week of March was the bloodiest week of the war to date, and that has yet to be reported by the M$M, as far as I know.

When Bush's approval rating dropped back below thirty percent at the height of the Walter Reed thing, I kind of suspected then that Imus was doomed. And I think the reasons that are given for this are sort of like cancelling "Politically Incorrect" for not being pro-war enough, or, if it were to happen, it would be like canceling "South Park" because they somehow went "over the line."

I do like your reality a lot better than mine. The monsters in my reality are real monsters, and they will stop at nothing. They will never police themselves, they don't even know why they should.

[jobycom]

43. You and Al Sharpton are in agreement, then, though I think that's not enough

Sharpton's quote: I think we also have to have now a broad discussion on how the music industry allows this to be used,” Sharpton said. “I don’t think that we should stop at NBC, and I don’t think we should stop at Imus.

----

I think the whole rap music debate is a misdirection. Rap is a reflection of inner motivations and passions and assumptions, as all art forms are. The violence and degradation in the music is a reflection of the same underlying issues that have created the situations today. We should be more interested in fighting the underlying causes than the symptoms, and I believe that the underlying cause is the horrible inequality in America today. Fighting the symptoms might help, but when you turn the fight on the very people who are being victimized in the first place, you are likely to make the problem worse, not better.

And no, I don't see Imus's words and attitudes as a symptom, but rather as part of the cause. His dehumanizing comments further the image of African Americans as cheaper, uglier, lower, whatever, than white Americans. Worse, even. Many African American women straighten their hair to be more "beautiful," meaning more like the images they see of beauty on television and magazines. "Nappy headed" implies the woman hasn't straightened her hair, meaning she's too poor or too something to even try to overcome her race. THAT's the problem--that attitude, that basic assumption that being black is inferior. That's exactly what I hear in Maya Angelou's quote above. Imus may not have meant all of that at once, but it was implicit in his comments, and that attitude is what creates the race problem in America. So when a young African American man gets upset with his girlfriend and has to find the language to express his hurt, that's the language, the image, he latches on to.

Stop Imus and the people like him, and that side of rap music will go away. It's a symptom, not a cause, and I don't believe we get anywhere by targeting it. We get a lot further by opening a dialog, though. That's the one thing we should thank Imus for.

By the way, I think much the same argument could be made for why women in general are struggling to attain true equality in America. They are too often slaves to the male-created image of beauty and success, too. In that case, going after white music and white videos and white magazines and white films would be a good thing. But so far all I hear is how rap music is so bad, and not anything about the dehumanization of women by white pop culture.

There, that's my rant. :)

[femrap]

50. It's the rich, white male CEOs who are

behind all of this misogyny and racism. Do you think for one second that these rich guys care one iota about respecting women???? Just look at all of the advertisements on TV...women are nothing more than sexual objects or cleaning ladies.

And what about the TV sitcoms? Where are the Roseannes? The Murphy Browns? The Designing Women? The Cagney and Laceys? All we have today is an 'Ugly Betty.'

The Business Roundtable and this women-hating administration have made it very clear where a woman's place is to be. They are putting us back into the '50's.

Maybe we should thank Imus for bringing this long overdue subject to the fore.

[Kahuna]

6. I'm a black woman and I've been discussing the Imus situtaion with

my adult son. Neither of us are outraged at Imus. We're sad of course that black women are still not given the respect that they so richly deserve. But that is not the fault of Imus. Our owm people are doing more to disrespect us than Imus ever did. If black men took more pride and had more respect for black women, no white man would ever have the nerve to make the comments that Imus did for fear of his life.

[Bluebear]

8. I'm a white man and I am outraged at Imus.

I will help take care of the pudgy wudgy white racists on the radio. You keep raising awareness of how you think black men can help the situation for black women. Together, we will accomplish something, if not for us, for the next generation to carry on.

[Kahuna]

9. Amen Brother!

:toast:

[EFerrari]

48. Right on, Bluebear. Exactly.

And I have to believe we, insters or outsters, surely can do better than this.

[B Calm]

13. I agree

[Pacifist Patriot]

21. But could it be the system itself, which grants inordinate power to..

white males that creates the environment in which black men's pride and respect have been quashed? Much responsibility to go around and much work to be done by all people of any color.

[erpowers]

30. Slavery and Rape

So I guess that is why black women were raped during slavery. No matter what black people do there will always be white people who will say horrible things about black people. The white people who disrespect black people do not do it because black men and black people do not respect themselves; they do it because that is how they feel and they know they can just use the excuse that black people do it also. The white people who hate black people do not hate black people because of the rap music and videos.

[lligrd]

10. I Agree

I am glad the issue got some attention. It should have but I think a suspension would have been fair. And I agree that the racism of the remark got much more "press" than the sexism of it which was equally as bad.

[hlthe2b]

12. "so much more than Imus..." yes, indeed

While I share your hope that this is just the start of a massively delayed "clean up" to those who espouse hate, misogyny, racism, and all other forms of bigotry on the airwaves and media, I know I am not alone in thinking that with Imus gone, that will be it. That is troublesome to lots of people who view the Limbaughs, Hannities, Becks, Coulters, O'lielys of the world and their ilck as far more malicious and damaging in their past and ongoing hate incitement.

I think there is a general theory that society would target the worst offenders first and as disgusting as Imus and his crew may have been, he arguably is not the very worst. Thus will the worst offenders ever be addressed or having had the one purge (Imus), will these others be allowed to "lie low" for a short time and escape any consequences. In the more crude vernacular, have we "shot our load" and that is that?

I think many who espouse this concern are looking at the big picture and have been sometimes misconstrued as defending Imus. At least from my personal point of view, that is NOT the case at all.

I also am worried that the misogyny is somehow being lost under the horror of the racism, when BOTH need to be addressed.

I hope I am wrong, but I get the same feeling from those who celebrate the small victory (and I mean SMALL victory) that came from the conviction of Scooter Libby. Is this our token victory, when there remain the immense numbers of scandals and perpetrators of crimes associated with this administration so much larger and of such comparatively larger consequence? Does the attention given the squashed flea allow the masses of giant disease-laden cockroaches to flourish unfettered?

[CrispyQ]

28. Best post of the day.

"Thus will the worst offenders ever be addressed or having had the one purge (Imus), will these others be allowed to "lie low" for a short time and escape any consequences."

"I also am worried that the misogyny is somehow being lost under the horror of the racism, when BOTH need to be addressed."

"Does the attention given the squashed flea allow the masses of giant disease-laden cockroaches to flourish unfettered?"

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[file83]

29. I second that!!

:thumbsup:

I wonder would have happened if those basketball players had all been white and Imus said, "Look at those cracker ho's".

I guarantee you that Imus would still have his radio show and MSNBC show if that had happened instead.

Is there a point? Read between the lines.

[Morgana LaFey]

33. Your worry is well-founded

I also am worried that the misogyny is somehow being lost under the horror of the racism, when BOTH need to be addressed.

We've seen it even here at DU, in excess. The sexism, to too many DUers, is just invisible. Just doesn't exist.

Nor is it a case of prioritizing the two outrages (sexism and racism) -- but simply acknowledging them both.

Frankly, I've looked at the comments and thought about them and looked at the responses, etc., and I am quite positive the case could be made that Imus's sexism undergirded and enabled the racism to blossom as well. IOW, the basic disrespect for them as women made the disrespect for them as African Americans happen.

AT THE SAME TIME, the very opposite case could easily be made: that his inherent racism allowed the sexism to come to the fore. "Oh, they're black. That must mean, since they are also women, that they're ho's."

MY POINT is this: the two outrages, the two types of bigotry are inextricably linked. WHile separate, in this case at least there is no dividing line. One causes the other, feeds the other, enables and ensures the other -- without dividing line, without the ability to identify the core sine qua non bigotry.

That's why it is such an outrge to me that DUers don't "see" the sexism, or seeing it, discount it. Bah!

I'll say it again, tho, as I've said it in what feels like hundreds of Imus threads now: The SEXISM wasn't lost on the Rutgers women athletes. How additionally hurtful that those who otherwise "feel their pain" discount that part of their pain.

[Threedifferentones]

36. I am inclined to say his comment was much more sexist than racist.

The insult, "nappy-headed ho," comes from a culture that is primarily black, and is most often directed at black women by other black people. As such it was not developed as a racist term. But, judging women on their appearance first and their achievements second is clearly sexist. What I wonder is if he had just said "so Tennessee beat Rutgers last night in the womens basketball championship and man are those UT girls way hotter than the Rutgers ones," would there have been anywhere near as much outrage? I doubt, and I think that's a shame...and btw I am a male.

[dogday]

15. I tried to take it a step further yesterday by

saying women, black, white, hispanic and otherwise are being raped and denigrated by our Military... And all I get is how does this compare with that? Man oh man....

[kdpeters]

49. I sure hope so, bluebear. I sure hope so.

Black women finally see some consequences for who men in power treat them

I for one, think it is a wonderful thing!! I felt a similar sense that we'd reached a watershed moment with "faggot" recently. I've waited 30 years for that kind of backlash against the word that stole my self-esteem that winter morning in Mrs. Mitchell's 3rd grade class. If only there had been someone to fight it when I was figuring out who I was, it would have saved me most of my life dealing with the consequences.

I only hope that this incident is likewise noticed by some young black girl who can see us taking up for her so that she knows that it's bigotry and racism and sexism that are ugly and unwanted. She should know, as should that young boy figuring out that his sexuality is different from others, that they are wanted and valued and those that would hurt them are NOT.

It's long since been any sort of anti-gay remark can bother me. I'm actually a bit -- well, a lot -- on the arrogant and confrontational side. I doubt you would spend a moment's consideration with a racist's opinion yourself. But I don't fight back for me. I fight back for those who aren't yet where I am, and in honor of those who came before me who made it possible for me to get here.

Keep fighting the good fight.

[ObaMania]

14. Beautiful last picture too..

.. but I can't help but wonder where the caucasion gals are that were, IMO, referred to in the same generalization by Imus.

[blondeatlast]

60. That pic is cropped, you can see just a bit of another warm-up suit

on either side.

[CTyankee]

23. not true that team would have gone unnoticed w/o Imus remark

My husband and I have been following women's basketball along with plenty others in CT for years. While I don't particularly care for the Rutgers' team's verbiage on the court, that could happen with any team, not just a black NJ team. Our CT women Huskies team has had outstanding black players over the years and their court verbiage (and that of their white counterparts) is strictly enforced by coach Auriemmo.

It is sad and horrible if Imus (who lived in CT for many years) had picked up the "trash talk" meme and applied it only, and racially, to Rutgers and vomited it up with his racist crap.

[erpowers]

32. What About DT

I am not trying to contradict you, but I heard something different about UCONN's women's basketball team. I read on the espn message board that Diana Taurasi used horrible language during games. The person wrote that she constantly said Damn and the "F" word. Do you know if this is true or false? Can you tell me anything about the Rutgers team's verbiage? Do they use curse words, or do they just do a great deal of trash talking?

[CTyankee]

38. Since I have never heard "trash talking" during a game that I watched

(I've only watched games on TV and you can't really hear talk goig on on the court)it is hard to say personally. "Trash talking" seems to be a term of art applied to teams of both sexes and any race butit was applied to the Rutgers team more. It usually means a form of verbal intimidation; in this case, tho, I now wonder if it was used more specifically (and in a racist manner) to just the Rutgers women's team. If that is so, shame on us CT fans.

Maybe every fan of sports should reexamine their use of the term. Perhaps we should look to ourselves for racist bones in our bodies!

[Casper Alabaster]

3. Imus, is that you?

:P

[qanda]

5. ...

:applause: :applause:

[flobee1]

11. Damn!

Barack shure knows how to pick em!

[Morgana LaFey]

34. This is so hurtful

But you knew that. You inserted a comment like this quite purposefully.

Reading down the thread on racism and SEXISM your comment is a slap in the face. Your remark reduces this woman -- yes, a beautiful woman -- to a piece of meat, a thing, an object. She's probably smarter than you and she's damn sure better educated than you, and yet YOU can weigh in on her attractiveness, her desirability, her "thingness" in relationship to her husband who "picked" her like someone picks a tie or a pair of shoes.

For those of us who have been negatively affected by Imus's racist and SEXIST remarks, yours is a cruel reminder that NO WOMAN IS IMMUNE, that ANY WOMAN anywhere, no matter what her personal qualities or attributes or accomplishments, can be more or less instantly reduced to "thingness," to a level of sub-human-ness that reduces her basic humanity and for damn sure undercuts her talents and abilities and accomplishments -- all in one fell swoop, by means of a single crude remark from any ignorant (usually white) male on the planet.

What really galls is that you KNOW you couldn't get away with a RACIST remark about any of these women, but your for damn sure knew you could probably get away with your damn sexism.

[A Simple Game]

42. Maybe the idea came from the original post.

"She's very pretty for a black girl!"

For a black girl! What does that mean?
Pretty for a black but not so much if she was white?
Black girls are rarely that pretty?

I think she is a very pretty girl. Period!

[AspenRose]

52. I've had white people tell me that to my face

So it's not so far off the mark....William Cohen's wife has been told that, too.

Black women in American society aren't supposed to be 'pretty.' (And if they are, they are immediately sexualized as a "Jezebel".) Pretty, pure and innocent is reserved for white women and the occasional 'exotic' latin or asian beauty. It may be meant as a compliment (like some people mean "articulate" to be a compliment) but it's basically saying that beauty in african-american women is supposed to be the exception and not the norm. Especially if said black woman embraces 'natural' beauty (e.g. doesn't straighten her hair).

[ncabot22]

54. So true

My niece is biracial. My brother is married to an African-American woman. I was showing my niece's picture (she was 7 at the time) to some co-workers. My supervisor said, "If she got a nose job you wouldn't even be able to tell she's black". I was horrified and offended. I left the job shortly after.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

69. Let's take out sex and race altogether. That's a very pretty person.

[flying_monkeys]

66. Morgana, I agree.

But ya know, women are really just here to fulfill men and their desires.....


Barak clearly scored because he got a nice looking wife - - who cares how smart she is or anything else, because she LOOKS GOOD on his arm! She is an asset to him and guys see that Barak is worthy of their votes, because he got a pretty one from the herd. HE IS THE RAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


:sarcasm:

[Beer Snob-50]

16. In all the words typed about this over the last week

has it been discussed (I am sure it has) how artist like Snoop Dogg and others use this discription of women all the time. We call them the voice of their race. Don't get me wrong, Imus was wrong at what he said, but shouldn't we, shouldn't Sharpton and Jackson, also come down on these artist?

[Catherine Vincent]

19. "shouldn't Sharpton and Jackson, also come down on these artist?"

They have. For some time now. It's just that they couldn't get any leeway to curtail it. Maybe now that Imus brought it to the forefront, there will be some changes. I overheard my 12 year old nephew listening to some rap song and it pissed me off to no end. I heard a lot of profanity like mother**, bitches, etc. It pissed me off more because his mother (father not around...divorced) allowed him to listen to this garbage.

[Beer Snob-50]

22. thank you for the clarification

I have always thought of myself as open minded when it comes to the arts, but I have trouble with much of what rap is all about. It doesn't say much for us as a culture if this is the voice of the black community.

[malaise]

17. Lovely post

K & R

[Catherine Vincent]

18. I gotta recommend this!

:kick:

[ellacott]

24. The hypocrisy of the hypocrites

Fred Barnes should be ashamed of himself. Many people have forgiven Imus but that doesn't mean they don't have to suffer the consequences. This is an issue of accountability not forgiveness. I guess you can say that people have been forgiving Imus for 30yrs. but he still says the same things. Why, because he was never held accountable for what he said.

This isn't a left or right issue. I do agree that the issue of sexism has been overshadowed with the issue of racism. I was more offended as a woman by his remarks.

People keep trying to deflect the issue by being critical of Al Sharpton. It was Imus who approached Al Sharpton first. During the Micheal Richards incident it was Micheal who reached out to Sharpton and Jackson first. It was CNN and the others stations who invited Sharpton and Jackson on their programs to talk about this. The MSM sent their cameras to those press conferences. When Al Sharpton went to the FCC, had protests, press conferences and forums where he confronted the issue of rap lyrics there was no press for this. Where were they.

I do wish CNN would have called representatives from NOW on their shows.

Many on the right are defending Imus because they're afraid they are going to be next. Limbaugh was already telling his audience that they are coming after him next.

[spooky3]

26. very good points

[CTyankee]

39. Limbaugh makes it "all about him". LOL

Now that's funny. Leave to the rushbo to envision his own victimization. Good ole drug addled gas bag, sexist, racist, homophobic shithead. I hope he's good and worried. He should be. His day will come!

[myrna minx]

25. Oh Bluebear, thank you so much for this beautiful illustration.

:applause: K&R.

[EstimatedProphet]

31. DAMN! Well put!

This is what gets me about the whole Imus thing...

Every now and again there's a story in the media, or maybe it actually happens in your town, where a radio DJ goes overboard and says something particularly nasty. I remember a time when I was younger when a local DJ made some racist comments. I remember another time when a DJ somewhere made a comment tho the effect that Saddam Hussein should be hunted down and killed. In both these cases, and in every case I can think of that was similar, they were shown the door post haste. The next day at the absolute latest they were off the air.

So why should it be different for Imus? All he is is a DJ. If he weren't distributed nationally this wouldn't even be discussed.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

37. Recommended!

Great post! :hi:

[devilgrrl]

40. More Fabulous Black Women...

Nina Simone - Wilma Rudolph - Ruby Dee

[Bluebear]

44. Nina, a goddess. nt

[bliss_eternal]

64. OMG--NINA...!

LOVE, Nina!

Ruby Dee---so gorgeous!

I've never seen this pic of Wilma Rudolph--it's really pretty, I like that hairstyle on her.

Thanks for these gorgeous pics! :hi:

[stuntcat]

70. Nina

Ok I know it's silly to have idols but Nina is mine.

The one time I saw her in concert, 2002, she stood up from her piano and said about W- "Get him the fuck out of there!"
Everyone cheered and one stupid couple got up and left. Yes LEFT a Nina Simone show.. out of love for W.

[NashVegas]

41. Vanessa Williams Is Da BOMB on Ugly Betty!

I hope she gets an Emmy.

But .. back to the subject at hand. I'd never call anyone a 'ho' or a whore, unless I meant it as a compliment.

Nappy headed? I work with some black people, and one of them occasionally comes in nappy as a fashion statement. But ya know, the joke of that word is between he and me and anyone else who cares to use it with him, personally. I don't know that it would be appropriate to call it out from across a room, in front of people we didn't know very well.

[femrap]

51. After this entire week of reading about

racism and misogyny...and you still think that calling a woman a whore is a compliment because YOU want it to be a compliment?

Do you have any comprehension whatsoever what a whore's life entails? The dangers? The abuse? Do you know how desperate a woman has to be to finally have to sell her body so she can buy food or pay the rent? And then have some man/pimp take the money from her?

Wake up. Read some feminist literature on the topic.

[NashVegas]

56. Misogyny

I really don't care what so-called feminists say. A whore is simply someone who knows what they want, knows they have something of value to offer in a fair exchange, and knows and agrees to a set of terms in which they will make the exchange. Some people (both male and female) have this bizarre notion that a woman should have no say in the terms. That's misogyny, in my book. The women you're talking about, they may be hookers, but they aren't necessarily whores.

[femrap]

68. willful ignorance isn't very pretty...

nor is it appreciated.

buh bye.

oh...and ignored

[kdpeters]

45. Your point is WELL made but

completely wasted on those who don't already get it. I get it. And I'm tired of decent people like you always having to "make a point". Those who don't see the special and extraordinary beauty, strength, and yes, heroism of black women, haven't earned it.

[bbernardini]

46. Gotta say it, Vanessa Williams' hair in that picture reminds me of Queensryche, circa 1988-1989...

I believe their lead singer had a similar hairstyle in all the videos for "Operation: Mindcrime." :)

Not that it's a bad thing, mind you, as "Operation: Mindcrime" is probably one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time.

[EFerrari]

47. K&R

We don't stop fighting.

[proud patriot]

55. Thanks for posting this

[Cha]

57. fred barnes'

mutterings are about as relevant as white bread.

Michele Obama is intelligent, creative, and beautiful.

The basketball players do seem like "heros" to me..I take 'em where I can get them.

[JeffR]

58. Damn! What a great post

thank you for this.

[Fran Kubelik]

59. I love this post, thank you.

:applause:

[blondeatlast]

61. Amen, amen, AMEN!

Glad you are still here, friend.

[Bluebear]

67. Are you kidding

Kicking and screaming I'll go :) :hug:

[nam78_two]

62. Great post

:kick:

[bliss_eternal]

63. bliss hearts Bluebear...!

:loveya::bounce::pals:

:yourock:

Kicked and recommended! This made my day!:hi:

[mzmolly]

65. Thank you Bluebear for not forgetting WOMEN in your lovely post.

So many pretend that the offensive words were racist alone, that using the word "ho" was ok, it was the rest of the comment that was really "the problem."

One more rec for ya.