| « | Fundamental Flaw |
»
|
|
Friday, February 20, 2009
“A Nation Of Cowards:” The Frank Discussion Of Race You’ve All Been Waiting For
Attorney-General Eric Holder has raised quite a buzz with his comment that for our reluctance to have "a frank discussion of race," we are therefore "a nation of cowards." Not being the sort to turn down a challenge of that sort, your Curmudgeon has decided to leap into the fray.
Here are some statistics from 2004, courtesy of the Statistical Abstract of the United States:
| Category | Caucasian (incl. "Hispanic") | Negro | Asian |
| % of Population | 80.5% | 12.8% | 4.1% |
| % With HS Diploma or higher | 83.6% | 72.3% | 80.4% |
| Total Live Births | 3,175,000 | 594,000 | N/A |
| Illegitimate Live Births | 904,000 / 28.5% | 405,000 / 68.2% | N/A | Abortions | 733,000 | 580,000 | N/A |
| % of All Persons on Public Income Assistance | 63.6% | 28.6% | N/A |
| % of All Recipients of Food Stamps | 59.8% | 34.9% | 2.8% |
| % of All Persons Arrested for Major Felonies | 64.8% | 32.6% | 1.5% |
| % of All Persons Arrested for Homicide | 47.2% | 50.9% | Less than 1% |
Would anyone like to discuss these statistics? Or is your Curmudgeon doomed to be condemned as a racist for daring to tabulate them?
Many other commentators have already noted that to voice even the mildest imputation that there might be something wrong in black America causes the speaker to be deluged with the most vicious denunciations in the English language. "Racist" isn't even the worst of them. But Attorney-General Holder -- say, isn't he black? -- has called us cowards because we're tired of being vilified.
White Americans have been bludgeoned for half a century about our "racism" and "maltreatment" of blacks. In response, we erected enormous, hugely costly systems and institutions specifically aimed at alleviating black Americans' sufferings and easing their integration into America's social and commercial structure. Our reward has been an intensification of the abuse heaped upon us.
Conservative politicians have gone to great lengths to include blacks in their staffs, and to give their views proper attention. Our first two black Secretaries of State were Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, both put in that position by President George W. Bush -- a Republican. Our Second black Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas, was appointed by President George H. W. Bush -- a Republican. Our first black United States Senator was Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts -- a Republican. Michael Steele, the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, is the first black American to chair a major political party -- either major political party.
Conservatives' reward for their efforts at racial inclusion has been to be sneered at as the party of "white-bread America." Never mind that the foremost black commentators in the game today:
- Thomas Sowell
- Larry Elder
- Walter Williams
- Armstrong Williams
- LaShawn Barber
- Star Parker
- Ken Blackwell
- Ken Hamblin
...are all conservatives. Never mind that leftists' economic prescriptions have done more to retard black Americans' progress than Jim Crow -- a policy promoted and supported by Southern Democrats. Never mind that the Left's signature social policy, abortion on demand, is and has always been aimed squarely at the reduction of the numbers of the Negro race.
Are you sure you want to have that "frank discussion on race," Mr. Holder? Or do you merely want white conservatives to bend the knee to your racialist agenda? If the former, read the table of statistics above and get to work on an extensive, heartfelt apology for what your ideological allies have done to your brethren, whether it was well-intentioned or not. If the latter, you can forget it now and avoid the last-minute rush.
Your Curmudgeon will grant no shrift to the shamans of political correctness, Where do you stand, Gentle Reader?
Comments
Oh yes! By all means, let’s have this ‘frank discussion’.
Let’s have it in Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand as well--and the left isn’t going to like the facts it reveals one bit.Posted by kg on 02/20/2009 at 03:25 PMI don’t think you understood what he meant by “a frank discussion about race” Mr. Porretto.
What he meant was not that we would have a truthful discussion about race, and the problems inherent therein, but another propaganda session where,frankly, all of the problems therein are blamed on white folks, and we are forced to continue backing up and apologizing for things that many of us have never done, nor taken part in.
I, for one, am waiting very patiently for some veteran to confront the AG for calling him a coward. A veteran who risked his own life to protect the AG, and his family.
To call that person a coward…
What an a-hole
Posted by on 02/20/2009 at 03:43 PM’Where do you stand, Gentle Reader?’
I belong to a message board with quite a few liberals. I happened to question why Colin Powell waited so long to endorse Obama. I said I for one expected it because they were both prominent blacks ..and obviously Powell would want Obama to succeed as the first black president. I suggested if Obama won, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Powell in his cabinet for that same reason. (Powell’s never really declared a political affiliation and he served under both parties in the past.)
Oh yes, I was called a racist, a bigot and a few other names. No amount of ‘splaining would get those guys off my back. They said no open minded fair person could believe others would vote for Obama just because he was black...and at the end they even got into questioning my Christianity.
Posted by on 02/20/2009 at 04:53 PMThe real racists—those who judge people purely on their membership in ethnic or racial groups and no other criteria—are on the Left. They are also statists. And statism kills a LOT more people, generates a LOT more human misery than racism.
Next: why are my grandchildren considered “black?” Not by white America, mind, but by black America. Whose the racist, now, foo’?
Why is Barry Obama considered “black?” Hmmm?
If race is a “social construct” (and thereby no a valid criterion for discrimination, I guess), then perhaps racism is, too?
Don’t strain your brain.
M
Posted by Mark Alger on 02/20/2009 at 06:35 PMExcellent post, sir. Sadly, I fear you are correct that the second option is the one Mr. Holder has in mind.
Posted by on 02/20/2009 at 07:00 PMI can’t begin to believe Holder said this. Is this what we employ an AG of the United States for?
Posted by on 02/21/2009 at 01:17 AMAfter years of incompetence, ill-conceived public pronouncements, and general bullying from the tyrant Lord George W. Bush, I am sure glad we voted for the dawn of a new era of hope, good government, and modest public servants.
Oh wait, we voted for Obama.
Posted by on 02/21/2009 at 12:50 PM"Oh wait, we voted for Obama.” What you mean we, white man?
I was just remembering the Tonto joke..after he and the Lone Ranger put up a gallant fight to fight off thousands of attaching Comanches, the inevitable was finally upon them. The Lone Ranger said to Tonto, ..” looks like we’re done for, Tonto...”
Looks like I missed stating my point in my first response to this excellent article, (thank you Mr. Porretto). I was not saying anything derogatory about blacks...but the lib blacks and whites on that board immediately jumped me for even suggesting what I thought was obvious. Yeah, let’s discuss race…
Posted by on 02/21/2009 at 05:01 PMHm. I would say something but I might get banned. What really bugs me is that there is no honesty inherent in any discussion. We are supposed to take the blame.
You know, in Germany, the Germans got heartily sick and tired of the Holocaust being shoved down their throats and the collective, generational guilt.
It led to a backlash of neo-Nazism. I do not endorse such a backlash, but it seems that they will not hear, see or talk about the problems inherent with the individuals in the community.
I get sick of hearing about how the media portrays the dregs of black culture and the abnormal focus it seems to have. Racism, so called, will cease when it stops being functional in order to maintain the status quo.
No, I am not a sociology major.
Posted by on 02/21/2009 at 06:07 PMFrankly? I agree with your use of “vilified”.
I’m a white, heterosexual, independent, taxpaying veteran. I don’t hyphenate my Americanism, because I am simply an American. I work hard for what I have and do not rely on anyone else for my needs. I (nor my ancestors) have never owned a slave, but I’ve worked like one.
I consider myself a very tolerant person: I don’t care if my neighbor is black, yellow, red, brown or blue with orange polka dots. I DO care about what they are as individuals. And, yes, I have lived and worked among all these (except for the blue/orange).
Yet, I am portrayed as the ‘bad guy’, a “cracker”, “pendejo”, or worse: the endless pocket that must pay for the special interests, the one who should defer to their demands. The guy who is turned down for a refinance on a modest home property, while billions of (my)taxpayer’s money goes to bailing out the banks.
Frankly, it’s getting to be damn irritating.
Enough to make a man a “racist”.
Thank you for the opportunity to vent.
Richard
Posted by on 02/21/2009 at 06:27 PM“And, yes, I have lived and worked among all these (except for the blue/orange).”
Yo Richard - you got something against Broncos-fans, then?
- MuscleDaddy
Posted by MuscleDaddy on 02/21/2009 at 07:43 PMHey, M.D.
Used to live in CO....forgot about THAT Blue/Orange.
No problem there, either.
Richard
Posted by on 02/21/2009 at 10:14 PMFrank? I’d give him frank.
I want to hire those who it is to my benefit to hire, regardless of color or last name.
I want an end to Section 8 so I can live in a neighborhood more than 2 or 3 years before it becomes the latest target of social planners.
I would like a return to freedom of assembly.
Frank enough?
Posted by on 02/22/2009 at 09:28 AM’Where do you stand, Gentle Reader?’
“The shamans of political correctness” can kiss my lily white ass.
Posted by Tony on 02/24/2009 at 05:42 PMDid you know, that you yourself are a racist person?
You look at those statistics and say, “Damn, these people are foolish.” I look at those statistics and say, “How?”
It’s not that Black people need our help, they just need to be treated fairly. They will pick themselves up out of the gutter, but they need decent schools, and decent opportunities, just like your children. Sure, Bush appointed a few black people. Did the graduation rates of blacks in this country dramatically rise?
Racism is still real, between 2005-2007 half of the mortgages sold to blacks were sub-prime. How do you explain that without saying they were specifically targeted?
You need to realize that minorities are not keeping themselves down, so unless there is some genetic deficiency in minorities, external forces have kept minorities in the low and poor classes. 1 out of 4 blacks are not finishing high school, what do you think that does to a population?
It’s our duty to provide them decent schools, so that at least a portion of blacks can make it into middle class over the next decades, otherwise they’ll remain poor.
Posted by Fidelity on 02/25/2009 at 02:41 AMNo, “Fidelity,” you’re the racist here.
You’re the one who thinks equality of results is a God-given right—it is not. No two individuals are identical; therefore no two individuals are guaranteed equal outcomes in any setting. But if individuals are not identical, how could anyone postulate that racially aggregated groups are identical, or nearly enough so to be entitled to identical results?
You’re the one who wants to blame the inequality of blacks’ results on whites, and claims whites “have to provide” blacks with decent schools and so forth—who provided them to us? Besides, the amount of tax money that’s gone into providing blacks and majority-black districts with improved facilities has been staggering: trillions of dollars since 1964. That money came primarily from the pockets of white taxpayers!
You’re the one who maintains that blacks are entitled to special treatment because they’re black—a clear statement of racial privilege. If a man is entitled to a specific sort of treatment because of his race, that puts race ahead of all other considerations in human relations! It’s Nazism of the purest water!
In response to decades of white attempts to assist American blacks up the ladder of capitalism and into harmony with American society, we’ve reaped not merely the statistical data I show above, but repeated demands for reparations. As if anyone today had ever enslaved a black man! As if the majority of Americans were even descended from slaveholders!
You’re an ignorant bigot who doesn’t deserve to be an American. My readers and I are a lot brighter than you. Peddle it somewhere else.
Posted by Francis W. Porretto on 02/25/2009 at 06:12 AMLate to the game here (but never too late
...two more facts to “level the playing field”:
1) the only people who gave a damn about Obama’s colour were his supporters, not his opponents.
2) Obama is NOT black (just ask Harry Reid).
Confusion and delusion reign - but not where I stand.
Posted by on 01/15/2010 at 04:53 PM
Comment Form
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
