Recognition of a cultural and systemic racism within a sect of society that is of a particular race is not in and of itself racist. Yes, I am writing about a group dominated by black people, a group that comprises the majority of the minority, and it feels annoyingly dirty. What is annoying about this is the implicit racist overtone in addressing a culture that identifies itself by virtue of its skin color. FUBU (for us by us). Inherently racist, yet socially acceptable because of an ugly history where the racism was on the other side, and dealt horror, rape, torture, and death. Nobody denies this. The black cultural acceptance of racism against non-blacks is deemed as birthright. It is a problem that is born of guilt's exploitation, and that is what I want to address... among other things.
This is pretty much a straw man argument, but I have dealt with it before so I will engage on principal. To try and vault the notion that blacks cannot be racist is ludicrous. The logic of the argument is that racism is at its core a power struggle, that it is a win or lose philosophy. Words are only effective if you are the winner, the one in power. It's a cool idea, and a great way to avoid looking inward, but an invalid argument. The problems with this are the nebulous term power, and the redefinition of racism to mean power struggle/war. It is a defeatist mentality. The term defeatist mentality is of defeatist mentality. It implies struggle, war. Wars do not cease until one side eradicates the other. Look at our status with the rest of the world. We went to Iraq once before... anyone remember why? We fought the North Koreans once before. Anyone remember why? We fought the Germans in the war to end all wars, and again in the second war to end all wars. We fought the together in all of these wars, including the civil war. If you remember, that was not a slave revolution. It was a white cultural revolution, imbedded in an argument about the independence of states from the government.
Some of what I am discussing is linguistic in nature, so I will say now that the Oxford English Dictionary is the de-facto standard on the language and I will not be accepting www.anything that argues with it. That is like trying to change the amount a pound weighs. Racism is one of those words that has a definition:
(Belief in, adherence to, or advocacy of) the theory that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, qualities, etc., specific to that race, especially distinguishing it as inferior or superior to another race or races; Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism based on this.
That does not mean that you have to stop believing in the notion that black people possess characteristics or qualities like heavy melanin in their skin. Recognizing the traits that define the races, that makes us genetically different on a molecular level is not racist. It is, in fact, necessary in order to define race; so as to determine if something is racist or not. Presuming that any actions are derived from these different features is racist.
Race/reIs/ noun.
I 1 A group or set, especially of people, having a common feature or features.
Power, on the other hand, has lots of definitions. What does power in society mean? If it means money... there certainly is wealth in the black community... if it means media influence... what is power? Who is empowered? Their culture has been commercialized... but I'm getting ahead of myself.
I grew up in poor black neighborhoods and lived in some very shady areas. I've been to jail on more than one occasion for motorcycle related activity, for more than an overnight visit. I have lived in most major metropolitan cities, and a few other countries, and a few counties nobody has ever heard of. I have a broad spectrum of experience in a broad number of places. Including every chocolate city (Parliament) that made the most wanted list. St. Louis finally beat out Detroit this year for most dangerous city in America. GO CARDS!
I will need to define some terms.
Black people: Black people. Traditionally, descendants of African ancestry, but if you consider yourself black, I do too. If you consider yourself not black, and are genetically of African decent, you are arguing semantics and I don't like you already. I'm not racist, but I am anti-semantic (that's nerd humor).
Black culture: The culture of primarily black America. To not accept this culture does not make you less black, and accepting it doesn't make you more black... There simply is no other term that should be used to define it, because in truth it is fundamentally a racist issue amongst blacks. Most of black America subscribes to it... and by subscribes, I mean at worst engages in all negative aspects of it, and at best allows it to continue without visible protest for fear, among other fears, of being an "uncle tom". If you actively fight it, you aren't part of what black culture has become, but where it needs to go, and you have my full support.
Us, our, we: Anyone not part of black culture, regardless of skin color/ethnicity.
They, them: Members of black society who identify with black culture and find themselves in defiance of anything they see as not being "black enough". Black racists, who have indoctrinated a movement. Can I get a high yella witness?
I'm random white guy. Unless my leg is over a bike, I'm no different than anyone else. I don't speak with any "ethnic dialect"... even when black people are around. I see people do it. I will spare you what I would think of that, or anything else, if I were black, as there is no possible way for me to truly know, as I have not grown up black. I will say that I find it offensive and false. Nobody likes a kiss ass. The easiest way for me, personally, to identify members of "black culture", presuming they are not violating some social etiquette, is indeed by their manner of speech. This includes white kids from the suburbs. Everyone knows precisely who I am speaking about without having to describe any further, but I am going to. I am going to, because while everyone knows what I am saying, and I believe most of us agree, nobody says it except for those whom I do not want to be aligned with. Nobody says it but racists, because if you dare say it, you will be labeled as such. I defy that logic. You are not shielded from condemnation for anti-social behavior because those who would condemn you are afraid of being condemned. I am not racist, and do not need to justify my comments or quantify my "acceptance" of people not like myself. Nobody is like my self. I "accept" people who show themselves worthy of it. I spoke then as I speak now because even then I was not so hungry for social acceptance that I would pretend to be something that I am not, which is uneducated. Yes... that is the term for those unfamiliar with the language... and it is unacceptable. Somehow they have glorified ignorance. Black kids, in black neighborhoods who would dare try to speak correctly are mocked and bullied. "What? You think you betta den urrbody?" God forbid they try to be. Does my attempt to mimic them just smack of racism to you? Why? Attempting to excel at anything other than physical activity is met with resistance from the culture.
This isn't the squeaky wheel, this is simply the norm. Not the old folks. They are appalled by the acceptance of gang culture within their own. The elderly blacks are not standing for this, they simply lack the strength or influence to fight it anymore. There is a complete loss of center, it took place in the 60's and 70's... when laws were enacted to end discrimination. They WON their battle, and lost the role of "******". There was a void then, a place from which to begin... but no direction. The role defined itself and continues to. They didn't fight so that you could become what you have.
There are ignorant, classless people of all cultures and races. I am focusing on this group because of their acceptance of this behavior. Their racism is masked behind impending condemnation for what ends up being REVERSE racism for non-blacks. That is what I will be accused of here... reverse racism against racist blacks. This is why I bother to define and prove out the definition of racist. I don't think there is a damned thing genetic about this argument. They do.
This is pretty much a straw man argument, but I have dealt with it before so I will engage on principal. To try and vault the notion that blacks cannot be racist is ludicrous. The logic of the argument is that racism is at its core a power struggle, that it is a win or lose philosophy. Words are only effective if you are the winner, the one in power. It's a cool idea, and a great way to avoid looking inward, but an invalid argument. The problems with this are the nebulous term power, and the redefinition of racism to mean power struggle/war. It is a defeatist mentality. The term defeatist mentality is of defeatist mentality. It implies struggle, war. Wars do not cease until one side eradicates the other. Look at our status with the rest of the world. We went to Iraq once before... anyone remember why? We fought the North Koreans once before. Anyone remember why? We fought the Germans in the war to end all wars, and again in the second war to end all wars. We fought the together in all of these wars, including the civil war. If you remember, that was not a slave revolution. It was a white cultural revolution, imbedded in an argument about the independence of states from the government.
Some of what I am discussing is linguistic in nature, so I will say now that the Oxford English Dictionary is the de-facto standard on the language and I will not be accepting www.anything that argues with it. That is like trying to change the amount a pound weighs. Racism is one of those words that has a definition:
(Belief in, adherence to, or advocacy of) the theory that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, qualities, etc., specific to that race, especially distinguishing it as inferior or superior to another race or races; Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism based on this.
That does not mean that you have to stop believing in the notion that black people possess characteristics or qualities like heavy melanin in their skin. Recognizing the traits that define the races, that makes us genetically different on a molecular level is not racist. It is, in fact, necessary in order to define race; so as to determine if something is racist or not. Presuming that any actions are derived from these different features is racist.
Race/reIs/ noun.
I 1 A group or set, especially of people, having a common feature or features.
Power, on the other hand, has lots of definitions. What does power in society mean? If it means money... there certainly is wealth in the black community... if it means media influence... what is power? Who is empowered? Their culture has been commercialized... but I'm getting ahead of myself.
I grew up in poor black neighborhoods and lived in some very shady areas. I've been to jail on more than one occasion for motorcycle related activity, for more than an overnight visit. I have lived in most major metropolitan cities, and a few other countries, and a few counties nobody has ever heard of. I have a broad spectrum of experience in a broad number of places. Including every chocolate city (Parliament) that made the most wanted list. St. Louis finally beat out Detroit this year for most dangerous city in America. GO CARDS!
I will need to define some terms.
Black people: Black people. Traditionally, descendants of African ancestry, but if you consider yourself black, I do too. If you consider yourself not black, and are genetically of African decent, you are arguing semantics and I don't like you already. I'm not racist, but I am anti-semantic (that's nerd humor).
Black culture: The culture of primarily black America. To not accept this culture does not make you less black, and accepting it doesn't make you more black... There simply is no other term that should be used to define it, because in truth it is fundamentally a racist issue amongst blacks. Most of black America subscribes to it... and by subscribes, I mean at worst engages in all negative aspects of it, and at best allows it to continue without visible protest for fear, among other fears, of being an "uncle tom". If you actively fight it, you aren't part of what black culture has become, but where it needs to go, and you have my full support.
Us, our, we: Anyone not part of black culture, regardless of skin color/ethnicity.
They, them: Members of black society who identify with black culture and find themselves in defiance of anything they see as not being "black enough". Black racists, who have indoctrinated a movement. Can I get a high yella witness?
I'm random white guy. Unless my leg is over a bike, I'm no different than anyone else. I don't speak with any "ethnic dialect"... even when black people are around. I see people do it. I will spare you what I would think of that, or anything else, if I were black, as there is no possible way for me to truly know, as I have not grown up black. I will say that I find it offensive and false. Nobody likes a kiss ass. The easiest way for me, personally, to identify members of "black culture", presuming they are not violating some social etiquette, is indeed by their manner of speech. This includes white kids from the suburbs. Everyone knows precisely who I am speaking about without having to describe any further, but I am going to. I am going to, because while everyone knows what I am saying, and I believe most of us agree, nobody says it except for those whom I do not want to be aligned with. Nobody says it but racists, because if you dare say it, you will be labeled as such. I defy that logic. You are not shielded from condemnation for anti-social behavior because those who would condemn you are afraid of being condemned. I am not racist, and do not need to justify my comments or quantify my "acceptance" of people not like myself. Nobody is like my self. I "accept" people who show themselves worthy of it. I spoke then as I speak now because even then I was not so hungry for social acceptance that I would pretend to be something that I am not, which is uneducated. Yes... that is the term for those unfamiliar with the language... and it is unacceptable. Somehow they have glorified ignorance. Black kids, in black neighborhoods who would dare try to speak correctly are mocked and bullied. "What? You think you betta den urrbody?" God forbid they try to be. Does my attempt to mimic them just smack of racism to you? Why? Attempting to excel at anything other than physical activity is met with resistance from the culture.
This isn't the squeaky wheel, this is simply the norm. Not the old folks. They are appalled by the acceptance of gang culture within their own. The elderly blacks are not standing for this, they simply lack the strength or influence to fight it anymore. There is a complete loss of center, it took place in the 60's and 70's... when laws were enacted to end discrimination. They WON their battle, and lost the role of "******". There was a void then, a place from which to begin... but no direction. The role defined itself and continues to. They didn't fight so that you could become what you have.
There are ignorant, classless people of all cultures and races. I am focusing on this group because of their acceptance of this behavior. Their racism is masked behind impending condemnation for what ends up being REVERSE racism for non-blacks. That is what I will be accused of here... reverse racism against racist blacks. This is why I bother to define and prove out the definition of racist. I don't think there is a damned thing genetic about this argument. They do.
