Mrgoodtude,
You know this is my point with the MOB rule mentality I mentioned in my thought police thread.
We as a country have stepped backwards to the early 1950’s with the concept that we should not talk about things due to the need be conformist. Back then it was communism, today it is race.
We should not in anyway fear talking about things in an open and honest manner. We should talk about everything from our own point of view to learn from and to teach others. But there is some overwhelming fear we have of being branded a racist and become an outcast in society if we offend someone by our views and by standards set not by society but by a few self-anointed people who call themselves leaders.
We now have a very clear double standard, a twisted double standard if you want to correctly define it. What we say, what we think, what our attitudes are don’t count unless it conforms to this standard.
It comes down to having our rights removed by MOB rule and the creation of the thought police. If you don’t believe me, take a close look at the public school system (all systems) and how they chastise students for open expression or look at the Confederate flag issues.
Shh… don’t think those thoughts, the thought police will come and get you.
I for one am tired of this mess; I have been called racist, a bigot, a homophobe, a NAZI, race baiter and a lot of other things. It is not for any reason because I have been discriminating against anyone, because I called someone a ‘bad’ name or for any other reason outside of my opinion. I have been told I am ‘true racist’ because I firmly believe that everyone has the right and an obligation to speak about civil rights, not just a black person or not just a Hispanic person or not just any ethnic base entity – everyone. I also have been called a racist because I don’t believe in any way shape or form that one needs to be elevated by laws to get a job, which means that I do not believe in affirmative action in today’s world. At one time this was necessary but it has outlived its usefulness and caused more problems by elevating mediocrity instead of promoting confidence and excellence.
It seems because I don’t live the culture, because I was not born of a certain race, a certain culture I can not speak of equality, and I can not demonstrate equality but I have to have all of that defined by others who are of a certain race and a certain culture.
But today we see problems with our kids and what some believed a bigger problem that cuts across all races. No civil rights leaders are addressing this, surly we don’t see Oprah putting in an effort to teach kids the right path or see anyone else stepping up to the plate to say this has to stop except Cosby. What I see with a lot of today’s kids is a struggle to be included, to be part of something rebellious – hence the promotion of the culture of rap and the criticism of those who do not live that culture. They fail to grasp the real meaning of things, and the history of real struggles, instead they defend the live style of criminal behavior as a rebellious position against the norms. I see it in the recent push for felons and their ‘right’ to vote on campus.
The Imus issue is very one sided and very self-serving to only self appointed leaders of a minority who has been led down the path of their own internal destruction by these same leaders who allowed a degrading culture (hip hop/rap) to take over and become the norm. No where in today’s rhetoric can be found the practices of one man who set a goal of equality and a world without color, that man of course is Rev King. It is far too simple to make everyone a victim of racism, discrimination and other things which is truly part of human nature then to take the hard path of education, hard work and proving worthiness to one's self. It is far easier to force acceptance through guilt and shame than to allow it to properly progress into a more unifying and cohesive bond of acceptance and true harmony.
The biggest problem is power, power of the select few who lead others, the power of the all mighty dollar and the power of oppression. Most if not all leaders in most areas of life have all of this in common, it is not limited to civil rights. The problem here is once we give these self-serving leaders a platform, they are elevated above all of us and their rhetoric is taken as gospel. They want the oppression to continue because that is how they stay in power. Success for all means a failure for them.
With the Imus issue, we have the coach who for some odd reason led the charge to make it a point that she and all the other minorities on the team are victims because of Imus. She took 30 minutes to say something that could have been said in 30 seconds which would have left more of an impact on everyone. The true victims of her rant were the team members who did not stand up for themselves and simply say that it is not acceptable but it is his right to say it.
I think for me the limit was when the NOW got on the platform and weigh in on the issue. I think that they should go after every rapper and a few comedians who denigrate women as part of their job first before throwing stones.
Who are the true victims? We all are. It is not because of what Imus said, it is because everyone kowtowed to the few who have yet to address real issues that plague their race and the country at large. We lost a little bit of our rights and the thought that an offensive comment outweighs the right of the person who says it, is simply wrong.