Today is a busy day but I'll be posting more later on the fear of being labeled RWW (racist while white). Meanwhile, go read Robert Stacy McCain's take on Gone with the Wind (haha, that guy is fearless). Stacy and I talked on the phone yesterday about the fear and its origin.
I'm not taking this subject lightly; as a matter of fact I am galled by it. It is insidious.
UPDATE: I should have known that my political father, Shelby Steele, had gotten down to the root of the matter of what created this environment.
Just a cursory glance over the reviews reveals a gold mine.
Racism is simply a political contrivance.
At some point, a psychologist with integrity is going to do a paper on the remarkable circumstance that in America only Republicans have racist intent in their beings.
The good news is that Republicans can head down to their local County Clerk and Recorder and change political affilation to something other than Republican. They are immediately absolved of racism!
Nobody in America dares label a non-Republican a racist.
Posted by: Howard Towt | December 15, 2009 at 11:13 AM
So, Howard Towt, all we have to do is say, "How dare you call me racist?!! I'm a Socialist! You must be racist to call me that!"?
Posted by: Buford Gooch | December 15, 2009 at 01:12 PM
I often wonder whether I'm somewhat racist when I see certain youth in their hoodies and scowls, and then I remember that I have that same reaction to white kids in their hoodies and scowls.
My wife works with a number of people of another color (man, I'm afraid to say black!). She's the receptionist/customer rep with unemployment. Many are the clients who will refuse to talk to her and insist on talking to one of her co-workers.
She's had a few who were down right nasty.
A lot of those lightened up after a while, and one day when faced with a rude client, one of the former nasty clients turned to the new client and said, "Honey, you just back off of her, she's just trying to help you is all."
My wife's patience is often marveled on, and she just attributes it to Jesus.
Most people aren't racist. They are just wary.
Posted by: Ed Bonderenka | December 15, 2009 at 02:32 PM
Well, I did tell you it was the White Guilt thing... :-)
The reviews of Steele's book are pure gold.
Posted by: Tully | December 16, 2009 at 11:39 AM
You linked to the imdb thing twice but I googled RSM and found the post you mention. Very interesting.
Posted by: Samantha | December 16, 2009 at 05:23 PM
Thanks, Samantha (I blame Typepad's buggy html editor). Now I know who clicks the links. :)
Posted by: baldilocks | December 16, 2009 at 06:18 PM
I fear the label.
I do not fear being labeled a thief as it is an accusation that can be proven false.
Racism, though, is a belief and as such can't easily be proven false.
Posted by: john walker | December 17, 2009 at 06:43 PM
I went around and around in an essay about this, on [url=http://open.salon.com/blog/sgt_mom/2009/11/11/blackness_-_whiteness]Open Salon[/url] a week or so ago, and predictably got called a racist in comments.
It's purely infuriating, because there is no possible defense, the accusation can have ruinous consequences, depending on the field you work in ... and then to top it all off, a fool like Eric Holder gets up on his high-horse and rips us for being too cowardly to have an honest conversation about race...
Posted by: CeliaHayes | December 18, 2009 at 07:12 AM
a fool like Eric Holder gets up on his high-horse and rips us for being too cowardly to have an honest conversation about race
To Eric Holder, "an honest conversation" means agreeing totally with HIM. Remember we're talking about people who live in an upside-down head space, and cannot be swayed by truly honest conversations. The Original Sin of White Privilege makes you guilty of racism, and if you don't agree, you're at best ignorant of the Holy Revealed Truth of your guilt.
Posted by: Tully | December 18, 2009 at 08:40 AM