Those who believe that the election of Barack Obama in 2008 marked the end of racism in this nation are, simply put, wrong. It may symbolize that the majority of the people in this country are willing to, under the right circumstances, vote for an African-American.
In fact, that number is probably larger than Mr. Obama’s vote share in 2008, simply because there is a subset of people who would not vote for Mr. Obama but might have voted for a black Republican.
But the idea that racism is a thing of the past, I think, ignores too much contemporary reality. And even if a bare majority were willing to vote for a black man, that does not preclude a sizable minority harboring racial animus or prejudice.
Look no further than the long “birther movement,” in which Mr. Obama for a variety of reasons was said not to be a natural-born US citizen. Or the assertion that he is Muslim, not Christian.
If you want to argue that there are interlocking factors of race, immigration status and anti-Islamic prejudice permeating these discussion – I don’t disagree. In the end, it does not really matter if it is race, religion, ethnicity, or socio-economic status that is the root of the hatred. The problem is one of prejudice.
If anything, these interlocking beliefs have become more and not less complicated since the fall of Jim Crow. No longer do people oppose equality in the form of equal opportunity, segregation or overt discrimination.
As early as 1973, political science and psychological scholars noted the fundamental shift in attitudes toward race. They developed the term “symbolic racism” to determine and explain why it was that many white Americans supported principles of equality but were less than willing to support various programs to implement these principles.
No longer did people fight over segregation, instead it became a fight over busing or affirmative action.
Adherents of the symbolic racism school believed that racial prejudice and discrimination no longer existed. Instead, the racial divide was over economic outcomes and the extent to which blacks were willing to work hard and were seeking special favors to get ahead without putting in proper work. This has led to a widespread belief that blacks feel entitled to preferential treatment.
I have always been uncomfortable with this thesis, primarily because it conflated so heavily with political conservativism. After all, can we explain these beliefs strictly in terms of racial animus when we have people who simply believe that it is not the government’s job to regulate various activities and ensure equality of outcome?
The problem for analysts and scholars, then, has always been to what extent opposition to busing or affirmative action is due to racial animus and to what extent it is due to political conservatism.
Scholars attempted increasingly sophisticated batteries of questions to determine the answer, but never did they get to a satisfactory point.
What has been surprising under Barack Obama’s administration, however, is how brazen racial animosity for the president has become. It is difficult to deny that things like the birther movement and images of the president as an ape or monkey, among other things, are in fact at least partially racially motivated.
The recent incident involves Paula Smith, a Georgia resident who owns the company Stickatude.com. They’ve been selling a version of an anti-Obama sticker that reads, “Don’t Re-Nig 2012.”
Roger Friedman of Forbes magazine indicated that this has become a very hot selling item.
Ms. Smith insisted in a phone interview that the bumper sticker is not racist.
Mr. Friedman “asked her about the ‘N’ word, for which ‘nig’ is the shortened version.”
She said, “According to the dictionary [the N word] does not mean black. It means a low down, lazy, sorry, low down person. That’s what the N word means.”
Mr. Friedman begs to differ and notes that in the Webester’s Dictionary, the word is defined as “member of any dark skinned race. Taken to be offensive.”
Dictionary.com says the word “is now probably the most offensive word in English. Its degree of offensiveness has increased markedly in recent years, although it has been used in a derogatory manner since at least the Revolutionary War.”
According to her interview, “Ms. Smith said she is not racist, she just wants Obama out of office. She tells me she doesn’t have a preferred replacement candidate.”
Mr. Friedman adds that she says, ” ‘And besides, Obama is not even black. He’s got a mixture of race. It’s his choice of what his nationality is. I’m a mixed breed. I call myself a Heinz 57,’ she says, referring to an ancestry that’s part of French, Scottish, and German.”
“I just want someone that’s going to help the United States and not give it [away to] other countries all the time. And stop giving the immigrants the benefits that most Americans inside their own states can’t even get because they’re giving it [to] others who don’t even live here as an American,” she continued.
The most interesting thing is she said that the N-word is not a bad word.
“No,” she said, ” because I don’t use it. I have kids here around me that are black kids. I call them my own kids. I’ve helped black families…to guide them in the right direction. Paintball is one of these things. We like to laugh and have a good time. That’s our way of life.”
So it’s not a bad word, but she doesn’t use it. Who is she kidding?
It was inevitable that something like this would emerge. The fact that it is universally condemned shows that things are not as they once were. But there is still that element floating just below the surface, and that ought to give everyone just a little bit of pause.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
“Roger Friedman of Forbes indicated that this has become a very hot selling item.”
Wow! And I thought the local examples of discriminatory comments I had posted on the schools thread were blatant.
I found the above quote the most chilling part of the article. Had this been just one obviously delusional woman who thinks that because she “helped black families…to guide them in the right direction”, means she is not demonstrating racist attitudes, that would be understandable, since as rusty49 said, there will always be a few racists. It would strike me that this rather more supports David’s frequently held position that more discrimination than we care to admit is just under the surface in our society.
Meanwhile, Obama’s numbers are sinking fast as people struggle to fill their gas tanks and businesses are finding out how much they’re going to be affected by Obamacare. Didn’t someone say on here recently that Obama was a sure win in November and gas prices didn’t matter?
This is not a story about Obama or the presidential race, please keep discussions on topic.
rusty49
Nothing like completely ignoring the topic of the article.
I don’t recall anybody ever saying that racism has ended in America, and I think I’d remember somebody making such a preposterous claim. Anybody have a authenticated statement that asserts racism in this country is a thing of the past?
“No longer did people fight over segregation instead it became a fight over busing…”
Maybe race but sometimes an aversion to long bus rides for kids.
Yes people frequently riot, throw rocks, and have angry signs over an aversion to long bus rides for kids. Sure.
Phil
I cannot give precise examples because I do not know how to access the archives. However, a review of many articles will show that Jeff Boone has posted repeatedly that he believes that racism no longer plays a significant role in our society excep as a tool of the left for political gain.
I am sure that David and/or Don would have the ability to direct you to multiple such comments.
But the unpopularity of busing transcended the racism and was unpopular in places where none of that occurred. Places such as Los Angeles specifically and California in general, where busing was opposed by huge majorities with, as I recall, no violence at all.
Yes, Boston was sadly racist and violent and race may have played a role in LA as well, but, what I am saying is that the long distances required by the geographic realities in LA were also a problem in and of themselves.
The article is about some stupid racist who’s trying to make a few bucks off of a racist bumper sticker. But the left will try and blow this way over the top because they know it helps Obama. I remember many more monkey caricatures of Bush then I’ve ever seen of Obama. Where was the left then? YES, there are some racists and of all colors, we get it. But for the left to try and throw race into every situation is getting really old. For example: the affluent white families of South Davis white flight comments in last week’s school issue.
rusty49: [i]Obama’s numbers are sinking fast…[/i]
Can you give an example? When I read stories of recent polls on Obama, I don’t see that his numbers are sinking fast.
“I remember many more monkey caricatures of Bush then I’ve ever seen of Obama. Where was the left then? “
This comment suggests you don’t really understand the issue.
“This comment suggests you don’t really understand the issue.”
Yes I get it David, the left tried to make Bush look stupid. I didn’t say they were used in a racist way, but still very demeaning.
[quote]Those who believe that the election of Barack Obama in 2008 marked the end of racism in this nation, are simply put wrong. [/quote]
I agree with Phil Coleman. I think Obama’s election was/is a milestone in American history but it hardly indicates that racism has been eliminated. Unfortunately, there are strong racist elements in the Republican party (I am not saying most Republicans are racist–they aren’t–but there is an element). It appears that there are also people in the party who want to roll back birth control.
wdf1:
“Can you give an example? When I read stories of recent polls on Obama, I don’t see that his numbers are sinking fast.”
President Obama’s sinking poll numbers. According to a brand new “New York Times” CBS poll, just 41 percent of Americans approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing, while 47 percent disapprove. Now just one month ago the numbers told an entirely different story when his approval rating was at 50 percent.
Even worse news for the President are his approval ratings on the economy. Just 39 percent approve of his handling of the economy; 54 percent disapprove.
[i]Ms. Smith insisted in a phone interview . . . [/i]
So help me understand how this particular mental midget managed to get an interview with [i]Forbes[/i], not to mention coverage on most if not all ‘progressive’ websites? Whatever the intent of the (indignant) writers, her phenomenal sales numbers are a direct result of all the free publicity.
I guess congratulations are in order. You’ve been punk’d by a redneck lunatic from Georgia, who is (likely) laughing her ass off all the way to the bank right now.
[quote]Look no further than the long “birther movement,” in which Mr. Obama for a variety of reasons was said not to be a natural-born US citizen. Or the assertion that he is Muslim, not Christian.[/quote]C’mon… do you really think that the “birthers” (no matter how silly they may be) are motivated by RACE? Mitt Romney’s father was born in Mexico, as I recall, and there were those who claimed he could not run for President because he was not “native-born”. That is raw, malicious, partisan politics, IMHO, not racism. As to the Muslim/Christian thing, most Muslims in the United States are NOT ‘black’. Most ‘blacks’ are not Muslim. Anti-religious or other bigotry, but RACISM?… again, I think not.
“Or the assertion that he is Muslim not Christian.”
I don’t assert the birther claim, but I do assert this one. And this is based on things obama has said and done in the campaign and as president.
Furthermore, the vanguard seems locked in this bubble of white on black racism. I met a black man the other night who complained to me that the Hispanics took all the jobs.
Dr. Wu: “Unfortunately, there are strong racist elements in the Republican party (I am not saying most Republicans are racist–they aren’t–but there is an element).
Dr. Wu,
I hate to break the news to you, but there are strong racist elements in the Democratic party – look no further than Robert Byrd, a former Klansman, who used the term “white nigger” not that long ago on national TV, and begged to have a cameo appearance as a Confederate General in the film God’s and Generals and he was on the Budget and finance committee.
furthermore, I remember the ape pictures of bush, I also remember the ape pictures of one of the other republican candidates appearing in the enterprise…
if that dehumanizing form shouldn’t be used for obama, it shouldn’t be used for anyone.
“Or the assertion that he is Muslim not Christian.’ “
“I don’t assert the birther claim, but I do assert this one. And this is based on things obama has said and done in the campaign and as president.”
Really please articulate some examples?
“C’mon… do you really think that the “birthers” (no matter how silly they may be) are motivated by RACE?”
Absolutely. Race, ethnicity, and religion combined.
“Yes I get it David, the left tried to make Bush look stupid. I didn’t say they were used in a racist way, but still very demeaning. “
There is a difference between demeaning and racist. We are not talking about poking fun at Obama. We are talking about the use of overtly racist images and slogans.
“Furthermore, the vanguard seems locked in this bubble of white on black racism. I met a black man the other night who complained to me that the Hispanics took all the jobs.”
You haven’t read my writing very closely then.
How many times have we read on this blog, when confronted with stories of profiling by Davis p.d., “There must have been some other factor…” ? How does at least twenty years of membership and affiliation with the United Church of Christ(UCC) equate to Islam ? Any question on the vitality of racism and prejudice can be answered right here in The Vanguard’s comment section .
You haven’t read my writing very closely then.
sure I did, and I stand by what I said. The overtones of this article center on white on black racism.
i.e. the bumper sticker, examples of barack obama, jim crow, etc.
That is because this article references an incident involving a black man. But I have certainly not couched my concern about anti-Latino prejudice in other writings (including last week).
Really please articulate some examples?
for starters, obama’s grand speech extending the olive branch to Iran- one of our worst enemies.
It is not racist to assert that President Obama is a Muslim, since Islam is not a race. But it is incorrect. He is a Christian. That is provable.