During the election, there was (thankfully) very little discussion of Mitt Romney’s religion, but quite a bit about Barack Obama’s race. The word racist got thrown around a lot, and I’ll admit that I brought up the subject of racism a few times myself.
I just couldn’t understand the level of hatred for the president. There’s simply no way that people could be that fired up about a crappy economy or even about socialism (which was wrongly applied to Obama by millions of people who don’t understand the term). There had to be an element of race in there somewhere.
Therefore, as the holidays approach, I offer this public service that might help you deal with those inner demons. Together, we will answer the question that asks:
AM I AUTOMATICALLY A RACIST?
• If I get really upset when I see a vehicle with Mexican plates blow by me going 80 mph on the freeway or 55 on Oracle Road?
Answer: No, you’re normal. That angers just about everybody. And don’t let those whiners from some group like Los Hermanos Sin Bardas Con Agua Para Tu Madre try to guilt you by claiming that you’re picking on Mexicans. I’m sure that we’d all be equally upset if we witnessed the same behavior from someone driving a car with plates from China or Cameroon or Diego Garcia. But you hardly ever see those in Tucson.
Plus, they can save all that crap about different cultures. Go to their country and break the law, and see how nicely you get treated.
A friend of mine in law enforcement tells me that they don’t even bother stopping vehicles with Mexican plates, because they know that the tickets won’t get paid and/or the drivers won’t show up in court. Boy, it’s a good thing that information isn’t common knowledge among Mexican drivers.
• If I belong to the Tea Party?
Answer: No, but it probably helps.
• If I think that Megyn Kelly of Fox News is better-looking than Lucy Liu?
Answer: That’s just different strokes. Besides, Lucy Liu ain’t all that. However, if you think that Megyn Kelly is better looking than Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Grace Park and Padma Lakshmi, perhaps you might consider broadening your horizons.
However, if you think that Greta Van Susteren of Fox News is better looking than Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Grace Park, and Padma Lakshmi, well …
• If I’m a right-wing radio talk show host and I use obviously racial references and sound bites to get my gun-totin’, God-fearin’, Obama-hatin’ audience all riled up?
Answer: There’s no way of knowing, but you’re probably just a jerk, which is part of the job description for people in your line of work. The bigger the jerk, the bigger the audience.
What really kills me about these guys (and Tucson has at least two of them) is that they could play a sound bite from an episode of the old Amos ‘n’ Andy TV show, and when a caller complained about the use of racial stereotypes, the host would say, “I never brought up race; you did!”
That doesn’t make the host a racist, but neither does it put him on the side of the angels.
(You’ll notice that I didn’t mention the Amos ‘n’ Andy radio show, because the two actors on radio were both white doing exaggerated black voices.)
I tuned in the other day and caught one of the morning guys using the phrase “Obama phone,” as though there is some administration program handing out free cell phones in the inner city in exchange for votes, which is what deflated gasbag Rush Limbaugh claims. I don’t have a whole lot of space to go into it here, but please do yourself a favor, and look up the Lifeline program, which was the idea of Republican Sen. Bob Packwood back in 1983 and was quickly adopted by the administration of that conservative demigod, Ronald Reagan. It was designed to provide phone service to low-income households.
Yes, the Obama cell phone was originally the Reagan landline phone, funded through a surcharge on phone bills and administered through a nonprofit organization. Are there abuses of the program? Almost certainly. But when the program first began back in the 1980s in California, a spokesman for Pacific Bell told the Los Angeles Times that the company had no way of verifying the financial status of people who signed up for the free phone service, adding that several doctors were using the program.
So, if you talk-show guys want people to take your arguments seriously, maybe you should stop using low-brow stereotypes to lie to your audiences.
Now back to our regularly scheduled column.
• If I don’t even like the thought of fried chicken?
Answer: No, but you’re probably a vegan. At least a racist can be reasoned with. And they generally don’t smell funny.
• If I voted for Barack Obama strictly because he’s black?
Answer: Yes.
This article appears in Dec 13-19, 2012.
It seems to me that everybody is at least a little bit racist. A lot of people are overly sensitive to the issue, blowback from the 60’s perhaps, but if you dig deep enough into anybody’s prejudices, you will probably find all kinds of ugly stuff rattling around in there that is racially based. It’s a matter of how one deals with their prejudices that makes one a racist. Same goes for sexism.
Kentop is correct. We all have some degree of racism. Those of us who endured the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s are a bit more sensitive to the issue because we saw the very ugly side of race. If one spent ant time in the Deep South, you saw the worst in the country. If one wants to see it in today’s world, go to the ghettos or barrios of the country and it is alive and well and generally pointed at the non-residents regardless of color.
My father was very racist and my mother was from the deep south. Probably because of their examples, I have never been racist as it was just too ugly to see all of the time.
The only time I have ever been the slightest bit prejudiced was about 35 years ago when I applied for a job, I was told that because of minority quota hiring requirements I wasn’t considered because I was a white male.
I’m all for equality and believe that anyone should be considered based strictly on their capabilities, education, or skill levels.
Race, sex, or age has no place in being a deciding factor for anything in this 21st century.
I’m not sure, Danehy, I understood this: “Go to their country and break the law, and see how nicely you get treated.”
Frankly, what you wrote came across to me as still another idiotic affirmation of the myth as to how dangerous it is for Americans to risk driving in Mexico.
Which, surely, has not been my experience.
Because, over the last decade, I’ve taken 300 or so trips into Mexico, which at last count, now totals some 25,000 miles I’ve put on my car.
During those trips I have never, ever once been flagged down.
During those trips, I have never, ever met a Mexican policeman that even hinted that he was seeking a “mordita.” (Which, translated, means a bribe.)
During my always delightful trips into Mexico, I have never, ever been asked to show my US Passport. Or, even, my visa.
Which makes me want to ask you, Danehy.
When was the last trip you made south of the border?
I agree with both Kentop and Nam687. We all have some degree of prejudice in one way or another. What’s important is to recognize it for what it is and not act on it. I got beat up in junior high school for being white. But I am also aware of the injustices that many black people had to deal with. In school it was youthful behavior and most people grow out of that
The show of blatant contempt for President Obama is apalling. And the tea party controlled GOP does little to discourage it.
Tom forgot one category: Are you a racist if …
…you write a column about racism as if you know real racism when you see it.
Answer: yes.
You’ll have to forgive good ol’ Tom, a legend in his own mind. An obese sad excuse for a person in reality.
There you go again, CW13, with still another of your ugly, juvenile personal attacks.
Still lodged in junior high school, are you?
That’s me !! Fraid not. Dropped out in the fifth grade. But it’s o.k. for Tom to insult my friend by calling him a jerk and insuitating he’s a racist.
Thanks for clearing that up. Complexity clearly not needed. Also thanks for further supporting other stereotypes too (i.e. vegan). Sometimes people are witty and intelligent and can get their point across (i.e. Jon Stewart) and sometimes people think they are witty and intelligent but continue to make others shake their heads in disbelief. I will let you figure out which you are……(sigh).
I think Tom Danehy is very funny. I read his column all the time.
I notice the wackos at either end of the political spectrum dislike Danehy. Must be something to that…yep, neither has the ability to laugh at themselves and just wants everything to be their way all the time. And for someone who clearly does not understand satire to bring Stewart to this…the irony is priceless-thanks for the laugh.