Turned Tables

"Imagine if the Tea Party Was Black" - by Tim Wise

Let’s play a game, shall we? The name of the game is called “Imagine.” The way it’s played is simple: we’ll envision recent happenings in the news, but then change them up a bit. Instead of envisioning white people as the main actors in the scenes we’ll conjure - the ones who are driving the action - we’ll envision black folks or other people of color instead. The object of the game is to imagine the public reaction to the events or incidents, if the main actors were of color, rather than white. Whoever gains the most insight into the workings of race in America, at the end of the game, wins.

So let’s begin.

Imagine that hundreds of black protesters were to descend upon Washington DC and Northern Virginia, just a few miles from the Capitol and White House, armed with AK-47s, assorted handguns, and ammunition. And imagine that some of these protesters - the black protesters - spoke of the need for political revolution, and possibly even armed conflict in the event that laws they didn’t like were enforced by the government? Would these protesters — these black protesters with guns — be seen as brave defenders of the Second Amendment, or would they be viewed by most whites as a danger to the republic? What if they were Arab-Americans? Because, after all, that’s what happened recently when white gun enthusiasts descended upon the nation’s capital, arms in hand, and verbally announced their readiness to make war on the country’s political leaders if the need arose.

Imagine that white members of Congress, while walking to work, were surrounded by thousands of angry black people, one of whom proceeded to spit on one of those congressmen for not voting the way the black demonstrators desired. Would the protesters be seen as merely patriotic Americans voicing their opinions, or as an angry, potentially violent, and even insurrectionary mob? After all, this is what white Tea Party protesters did recently in Washington.

Imagine that a rap artist were to say, in reference to a white president: “He’s a piece of shit and I told him to suck on my machine gun.” Because that’s what rocker Ted Nugent said recently about President Obama.

Imagine that a prominent mainstream black political commentator had long employed an overt bigot as Executive Director of his organization, and that this bigot regularly participated in black separatist conferences, and once assaulted a white person while calling them by a racial slur. When that prominent black commentator and his sister — who also works for the organization — defended the bigot as a good guy who was misunderstood and “going through a tough time in his life” would anyone accept their excuse-making? Would that commentator still have a place on a mainstream network? Because that’s what happened in the real world, when Pat Buchanan employed as Executive Director of his group, America’s Cause, a blatant racist who did all these things, or at least their white equivalents: attending white separatist conferences and attacking a black woman while calling her the n-word.

Imagine that a black radio host were to suggest that the only way to get promoted in the administration of a white president is by “hating black people,” or that a prominent white person had only endorsed a white presidential candidate as an act of racial bonding, or blamed a white president for a fight on a school bus in which a black kid was jumped by two white kids, or said that he wouldn’t want to kill all conservatives, but rather, would like to leave just enough—“living fossils” as he called them—“so we will never forget what these people stood for.” After all, these are things that Rush Limbaugh has said, about Barack Obama’s administration, Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama, a fight on a school bus in Belleville, Illinois in which two black kids beat up a white kid, and about liberals, generally.

Imagine that a black pastor, formerly a member of the U.S. military, were to declare, as part of his opposition to a white president’s policies, that he was ready to “suit up, get my gun, go to Washington, and do what they trained me to do.” This is, after all, what Pastor Stan Craig said recently at a Tea Party rally in Greenville, South Carolina.

Imagine a black radio talk show host gleefully predicting a revolution by people of color if the government continues to be dominated by the rich white men who have been “destroying” the country, or if said radio personality were to call Christians or Jews non-humans, or say that when it came to conservatives, the best solution would be to “hang ‘em high.” And what would happen to any congressional representative who praised that commentator for “speaking common sense” and likened his hate talk to “American values?” After all, those are among the things said by radio host and best-selling author Michael Savage, predicting white revolution in the face of multiculturalism, or said by Savage about Muslims and liberals, respectively. And it was Congressman Culbertson, from Texas, who praised Savage in that way, despite his hateful rhetoric.

Imagine a black political commentator suggesting that the only thing the guy who flew his plane into the Austin, Texas IRS building did wrong was not blowing up Fox News instead. This is, after all, what Anne Coulter said about Tim McVeigh, when she noted that his only mistake was not blowing up the New York Times.

Imagine that a popular black liberal website posted comments about the daughter of a white president, calling her “typical redneck trash,” or a “whore” whose mother entertains her by “making monkey sounds.” After all that’s comparable to what conservatives posted about Malia Obama on freerepublic.com last year, when they referred to her as “ghetto trash.”

Imagine that black protesters at a large political rally were walking around with signs calling for the lynching of their congressional enemies. Because that’s what white conservatives did last year, in reference to Democratic party leaders in Congress.

In other words, imagine that even one-third of the anger and vitriol currently being hurled at President Obama, by folks who are almost exclusively white, were being aimed, instead, at a white president, by people of color. How many whites viewing the anger, the hatred, the contempt for that white president would then wax eloquent about free speech, and the glories of democracy? And how many would be calling for further crackdowns on thuggish behavior, and investigations into the radical agendas of those same people of color?

To ask any of these questions is to answer them. Protest is only seen as fundamentally American when those who have long had the luxury of seeing themselves as prototypically American engage in it. When the dangerous and dark “other” does so, however, it isn’t viewed as normal or natural, let alone patriotic. Which is why Rush Limbaugh could say, this past week, that the Tea Parties are the first time since the Civil War that ordinary, common Americans stood up for their rights: a statement that erases the normalcy and “American-ness” of blacks in the civil rights struggle, not to mention women in the fight for suffrage and equality, working people in the fight for better working conditions, and LGBT folks as they struggle to be treated as full and equal human beings.

And this, my friends, is what white privilege is all about. The ability to threaten others, to engage in violent and incendiary rhetoric without consequence, to be viewed as patriotic and normal no matter what you do, and never to be feared and despised as people of color would be, if they tried to get away with half the shit we do, on a daily basis.

Game Over.

Tim Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and activists in the U.S. Wise has spoken in 48 states, on over 400 college campuses, and to community groups around the nation. Wise has provided anti-racism training to teachers nationwide, and has trained physicians and medical industry professionals on how to combat racial inequities in health care. His latest book is called Between Barack and a Hard Place.

(Special Thanks to LeLannie for bringing this contribution to my attention via this source.)

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Jesus Christ And His Tennis Shoes

I received the following excerpts from a friend of mine today;

****"Our "moral imperative" as Americans is to get this done. Do not be the silent majority...speak out for the 12,000,000 people who have lost their health care. People are dying because they are being denied coverage for necessary treatments. We must ask ourselves why this has taken 40 years to get done?

How is it moral and justified for senior citizens to be fed lies about losing their Medicare and that "death panels" will decide whether they will be allowed to live or die? Where were all these people when Bush spent millions of dollars on a needless war that cost thousands of lives? This is not a partisan issue ...it is an American issue! It is not a racial issue...it is an American issue!

The Health Care Industry is spending $ 2,000,000 a day to fight this reform. Ask yourselves why? Why have Health Care insurance costs risen as much as 43% while services have diminished?

Our voices do count! Put an end to the rantings of the lunatic fringe who call themselves "patriotic" Americans and Christians. The lunatic fringe who won't allow their children to listen to a speech by the President on staying in school and working hard no matter what your background is. The lunatic fringe who won't allow a healthy debate in a town hall meeting and shouted down the woman in a wheelchair who feared that her home would be lost because of her health care costs. They will not rest until they take down Obama and therein lies the problem. Ask yourself if you want to be a part of that.

We are better than this......so please speak out and stand up for what is just and right!!!!!! September 11 brought us together as a nation and so should this!

Peace" ****

It was very well-put and true.

I'm so fricking tired of people comparing President Obama to Hitler. And screaming "SOCIALIST". They don't even know what that means... They've been caught up truly, in lunacy. And the really unfortunate part? They have guns.

But, before I get carried away on a tangent, let's just very briefly look at some of our allies that lean toward socialistic ideals.

According to a report released by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), happiness levels are highest in "socialist" European countries like Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. While the U.S. didn't even make it to the top 10. (source)

Sweden mostly consists of private industry, but many well-funded government social programs are offered. Universal healthcare and government-provided education at all levels is made available.

They may lean towards socialist societies, but they're still democracies.

And the last time I checked, Sweden wasn't oppressing its citizens, but taking care of them. Nor is Sweden taking over the world, unless you include Ikea.

And besides, we already have socialized medicine here in the States. It's called the VA and Medicare.

People don't even know what the fuck they're mad about. They don't even know what's going on, but they're sure pissed about it.

"How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct."
-Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)

Analysis: 'You lie!' further erodes discourse

I have a different theory. Is it any wonder that Joe "You Lie" Wilson is from South Carolina? Does anyone remember from their American History classes that a vital transcription was left out of the Declaration of Independence because of greedy businessmen (racist plantation owners) in Georgia and South Carolina?

A portion of the original draft of the Declaration of Independence denouncing slavery was removed from the final document in order to secure the unanimous vote needed for approval, Georgia and South Carolina refused to vote for independence as long as this paragraph was in the Declaration. (source)

Imagine... Imagine what our country would be like if it had been born without slavery. If it had truly been born with all people created equal.

I have a distinct feeling that no matter WHAT President Obama proposes, these bigot hillbillies are going to have something to say. And it will never be based in logic. (Health Care Debate Based on Total Lack of Logic)

Thousands march to US Capitol to protest spending

Where were these dumb fuckers when we were about to invade a sovereign nation that had NOTHING to do with 9/11? Where were they when we started learning of the cost of that un-necessary war and the no-bid contracts that followed for companies that had ties to that administration??

And as a veteran myself, HOW DARE they not march against that administration that NEEDLESSLY put our service men and women in harm's way. That administration toyed with lives. Literally sent people to their deaths, all cloaked in lies. And these pieces of shit did nothing. They probably sat on their dumb, trash asses watching Nascar.

And where were these dumb fuckers when our rights were being eroded away in front of our very eyes and we were on the precipice of a fascist state? Fascist America, in 10 easy steps

And who, pray tell, were fascists?


That's Mussolini in case you didn't recognize him standing right side up. (As opposed to being hung upside down in Piazzale Loreto, Milan.)


And of course, this sick fuck.

They were fascists, not socialists. There's a difference.

And when I think of true "Socialists", people that we idolize in history who would most likely seem to be the ones most inclined to take care of the needy, the meek and the weak? Who would seem most likely to be inclined to SHARE??

Well, the first two I think of are;


Big Mama-T

And


Jazzy J.C.

Yeah, bishes... THINK about it. Mother Teresa was all, "Here, have my soup and we can split this Budweiser." And Jesus was all, "Here, have my sneakers and you can borrow my i-pod." Or something like that...

These extremist freaks who consider themselves "Christians" would kill Jesus Christ all over again. They'd be the first in line to tell him to sell more fish to pay for his cancer treatment, even if his cancer was preventing him from being able to fish in the first place.

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The emotional fervor that is being stoked in this country is breeding a dangerous environment that has a very possible, violent outcome. And it's not just on the fringe.

*AP: Militia Groups on Rise in USA -- 'All That is Lacking is a Spark'

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