I watched yesterday as the Governor of Virginia apologized to Gail King for being white. As she pressured him more and more he began to make concessions. It was a sight that made me just a little sick to my stomach. What I watched was a man desperate to keep his job. It's obvious his reputation is ruined amid all the cries for him to resign. His continual defense was simply, I'm white and I'm sorry. Gail King loved every minute of it. She got to lord over him like a high school principle over student. She spoke to him in a most condescending fashion. Repeatedly she said, you should have known. She all but called him a liar to his face. All he could do was squirm and apologize.
Now I'm not saying what he did was right. Yes it was offensive. No he doesn't get excused just because it was 35 years ago. Still, he was twenty five at the time and social sensibilities were not quite as sensitive as they are today. Since that bad decision he has been a pediatric doctor treating every race of child. He has been in public service for 12 years. Not once during those years has so much as a complaint been voiced against this guy. If he is such a racist he sure kept it hidden. And that is the whole deal to me. He is being labeled a racist for what? For wearing blackface, or wearing a KKK outfit? He at first apologized, didn't say which he was, and now denies it is him at all. The whole blackface thing has been done by many famous people and in more modern times than the Governor. I don't hear any uproar about any of that. The pictures are out there and the silence on them is deafening. Maybe we are only offended in certain circumstances. Conditionally offended? Seems to me that is the way it used to be. We called it having a sense of humor. We still do, under certain conditions. When Ted Danson was married to Whoopi and he appeared in blackface, that was a riot. Whoopi thought so and so did many others. Hey, not offensive at all. Why was that, their comediennes right? Bill Cosby doing Fat Albert! Hilarious, great for the children. Tyler Perry has made a career out of being Madea. Then it's okay to offend people, that's their stock in trade. They can't be racists though, no way. Well in the case of Bill Cosby and Tyler Perry they are black so that makes it fine, not offensive at all. Not that I listen a great deal but these rappers say things that are quite offensive but that's called social commentary and you get awards for that. But back to that interview I watched.
Gail King asked him, did you have black friends. Just what kind of question is that? I always thought telling a black person that I have black friends was offensive. Isn't that patronizing? Sounds like it to me and I suspect it sounds that way to black people. Of course as Gail King pointed out, white people will never understand what it is to be black. I agree, I will never understand what it is to be black. On the same token , Gail King will never know what it is like to be white. Ah, but that isn't a valid argument is it? Why, because the perception is white people get everything, we're privileged at birth. Well, I had whatever my parents could provide for me, that's true enough. Some have more, some have less. I really had no control over that. I got what I worked for and I did meet with obstacles. It's true the color of my skin was never an issue but there were plenty of other things that people are prejudiced against. But anyway, she says did you have black friends. If I were being interviewed I would have told her like I tell anyone that asks, I have friends. My friends are the people that I share common interests with. The color of their skin, their religious beliefs, how much money they have, or what their parents had, means little to me. If I liked them, I liked them. Where some of a different race? Yes, I guess they were, although it wasn't mentioned. The topic just never came up. The time and place I grew up there was no restrictions on people do to the color of their skin. What I mean is, the schools were integrated, there were no places you couldn't go ( either race ) and prejudice was an individual thing. It wasn't sponsored by the state as it had been in the south, I heard about that. I was two years old when Rosa Parks made her stand. But that stuff was in the south, in the past. Now, there were places were it wasn't the wisest choice to go. Prejudice is a two way street. For the most part these undrawn boundaries were observed out of common sense. Besides, as I said, my friends are those I share common interests with. I don't like Rap music, so I don't go to Rap concerts. It's really quite a simple thing to understand. Could I go? Sure I could, but I'm thinking I may meet with some conditional prejudice, may not be the best choice I could make. Can I take a stroll through Compton or Harlem? Sure I can, should I? Again probably not the best idea. Is that because of prejudice? Yup, it is.
I think I'm like everyone else, I want us all to just get along. I don't believe anyone wants to live with fear, hate, and prejudice. Life is hard enough without being oppressed by others. The thing is until we once again learn to talk to one another, without accusations, the situation will not improve. I believe we had made great strides in America in that regard. Then agitators' knocked things off the tracks once again. Those agitators are the malcontents that believe they deserve special treatment. They come in every race, every color, every religion, every culture. With this latest thing, the whole blackface issue, you have to ask yourself why. Why has this incident from 35 years ago ignited such an uproar? What force is behind this? When was the last time you heard or saw anyone wearing blackface? There are things happening right now that are far more offensive than that. I don't know about you but it sure makes me wonder. Can offense ever be anything but conditional? I believe it is offensive if you allow it to be. Offense is an emotion. Don't let others control your emotions. That is what leads to the mob mentality.
Now I'm not saying what he did was right. Yes it was offensive. No he doesn't get excused just because it was 35 years ago. Still, he was twenty five at the time and social sensibilities were not quite as sensitive as they are today. Since that bad decision he has been a pediatric doctor treating every race of child. He has been in public service for 12 years. Not once during those years has so much as a complaint been voiced against this guy. If he is such a racist he sure kept it hidden. And that is the whole deal to me. He is being labeled a racist for what? For wearing blackface, or wearing a KKK outfit? He at first apologized, didn't say which he was, and now denies it is him at all. The whole blackface thing has been done by many famous people and in more modern times than the Governor. I don't hear any uproar about any of that. The pictures are out there and the silence on them is deafening. Maybe we are only offended in certain circumstances. Conditionally offended? Seems to me that is the way it used to be. We called it having a sense of humor. We still do, under certain conditions. When Ted Danson was married to Whoopi and he appeared in blackface, that was a riot. Whoopi thought so and so did many others. Hey, not offensive at all. Why was that, their comediennes right? Bill Cosby doing Fat Albert! Hilarious, great for the children. Tyler Perry has made a career out of being Madea. Then it's okay to offend people, that's their stock in trade. They can't be racists though, no way. Well in the case of Bill Cosby and Tyler Perry they are black so that makes it fine, not offensive at all. Not that I listen a great deal but these rappers say things that are quite offensive but that's called social commentary and you get awards for that. But back to that interview I watched.
Gail King asked him, did you have black friends. Just what kind of question is that? I always thought telling a black person that I have black friends was offensive. Isn't that patronizing? Sounds like it to me and I suspect it sounds that way to black people. Of course as Gail King pointed out, white people will never understand what it is to be black. I agree, I will never understand what it is to be black. On the same token , Gail King will never know what it is like to be white. Ah, but that isn't a valid argument is it? Why, because the perception is white people get everything, we're privileged at birth. Well, I had whatever my parents could provide for me, that's true enough. Some have more, some have less. I really had no control over that. I got what I worked for and I did meet with obstacles. It's true the color of my skin was never an issue but there were plenty of other things that people are prejudiced against. But anyway, she says did you have black friends. If I were being interviewed I would have told her like I tell anyone that asks, I have friends. My friends are the people that I share common interests with. The color of their skin, their religious beliefs, how much money they have, or what their parents had, means little to me. If I liked them, I liked them. Where some of a different race? Yes, I guess they were, although it wasn't mentioned. The topic just never came up. The time and place I grew up there was no restrictions on people do to the color of their skin. What I mean is, the schools were integrated, there were no places you couldn't go ( either race ) and prejudice was an individual thing. It wasn't sponsored by the state as it had been in the south, I heard about that. I was two years old when Rosa Parks made her stand. But that stuff was in the south, in the past. Now, there were places were it wasn't the wisest choice to go. Prejudice is a two way street. For the most part these undrawn boundaries were observed out of common sense. Besides, as I said, my friends are those I share common interests with. I don't like Rap music, so I don't go to Rap concerts. It's really quite a simple thing to understand. Could I go? Sure I could, but I'm thinking I may meet with some conditional prejudice, may not be the best choice I could make. Can I take a stroll through Compton or Harlem? Sure I can, should I? Again probably not the best idea. Is that because of prejudice? Yup, it is.
I think I'm like everyone else, I want us all to just get along. I don't believe anyone wants to live with fear, hate, and prejudice. Life is hard enough without being oppressed by others. The thing is until we once again learn to talk to one another, without accusations, the situation will not improve. I believe we had made great strides in America in that regard. Then agitators' knocked things off the tracks once again. Those agitators are the malcontents that believe they deserve special treatment. They come in every race, every color, every religion, every culture. With this latest thing, the whole blackface issue, you have to ask yourself why. Why has this incident from 35 years ago ignited such an uproar? What force is behind this? When was the last time you heard or saw anyone wearing blackface? There are things happening right now that are far more offensive than that. I don't know about you but it sure makes me wonder. Can offense ever be anything but conditional? I believe it is offensive if you allow it to be. Offense is an emotion. Don't let others control your emotions. That is what leads to the mob mentality.
No comments:
Post a Comment