So I finally watched this show tonight and I loved it. If you haven't seen it yet, WATCH IT!!I found it a little unsettling I have to admit. I think that we're conditioned in this nation to avoid the questions that race brings with it. I felt that twinge of discomfort every time there is a confrontation between the two fathers. They seem to see the world from two different perspectives.
One point I found particularly uncomfortable is that the white father seems to think that blacks are looking for racism. He seems to be of the opinion that everytime a black man is slighted, the black man thinks it's because of his race while whites might just attribute it to a bad day. I think we've all been in a situation where we've been slighted due to some immutable characteristic that we possess.
When are we being discriminated against due to our race, sex, looks, etc. and when is the offender just having a bad day? That is the million dollar question there. Unfortunately, as I've written before, I've had an experience or two with racism. But there are those borderline incidents and I believe that is where the problem with defining racism begins.
When you've got some shitstain wearing a white hood and burning crosses, it's easy to ferret out the behavior. While we may agree he has the right to freedom of speech, I'd say 99% of people will think Bubba is a brain dead fuck. In other words, it's easy to spot and easy to stamp out. It's those shades of grey (unlike the white hoods) that present the problem.
If a Latino goes into a Macy's and seems to feel he's being followed, is it racism? When a successful black man wearing street clothes is pulled over in his BMW in an exclusive gated community, is that racism? When a white woman goes into an inner city restaurant and is treated with what she considers less than exemplary customer service, is that racism?
Hell .... I don't know. I'll admit, I have no answers; only more questions. But let's face it, there are no answers to most of these things. It truly is in the eye of the beholder, so to speak, as to whether the act in question was racist or not. And people being what they are ... well, we'll never know if those grey areas cross over into racism. Again ... just some random thoughts about the state of race in America today.
3 comments:
Awesome post.
Seems most people like to think that we as a society have gotten past our biases. Sometimes I think in our world of politcal correctness, people have to give others second chances. Unless there is a pattern of prejudiced behavior, you may be judging unfairly.
Mariemm3-
Thanks for stopping by and I am going to definitely be stopping by your blog! I agree that sometimes we need to give people a second chance. Some of my best friends came from giving someone a second chance. We haven't gotten past racism in this nation, but I sincerely think most people hate the same sort of person regardless of race (i.e. trashy people, lazy people, cocky people, etc..) but it's just easier to attach a race to those characteristics.
I haven't seen the show due to my lack of cable and my inability to stay up past 830 most nights because of my new job...but I have to agree with you that racism these days seems to be more grey instead of black and white.
keep me updated on the show if you don't mind
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