Yeah, that one, the wide assed, day glo orange in honor of Halloween, 20 ton pachyderm, standing next to grandma's credenza, smack dab in the middle of the living room. Careful watch where you're walkin, you don't want to be steppin in that. 
Let me go way the fuck out on a limb here and make a really wild accusation; This election is polarized by fear, race, and a small minority of mouth breathers that are making everyone, on both sides, look, like, shit. I say a small minority, and I want to believe it, but I am beginning to have my doubts. I'm beginning to think that it runs deeper. 
I took these pictures along Ward Parkway, in the low 60's, not sure of the exact street, trust me if you drive by them you can't miss them. These are big signs, 6 foot or so wide. If you are in denial, or on the defensive, you might be thinking, "What does race have to do with it ?", please cut that shit out right now. Never in my memory has a candidate drawn the type of reactions, and vile shit spewing as has Obama. Before I offend my lone Russian expatriate reader, let me just state the obvious, the vandalism in these pictures, is not a political statement nor is it even about the former USSR. This is the politically correct way to avoid a hate crime charge by saying what they really want to say, so allow me to translate. What the vandals wanted to say is " How dare you have the audacity to put up a sign in support of the funny named Muslim terrorist, you fuckin nigger lover", or something to that effect. It's about intimidation, instead of white hoods, they used spray paint.
Look, this race has been embroiled in race from the git go. And it hasn't been just whites, it's been blacks and Hispanics as well. First there was the black folks, who said Obama wasn't black enough, he wasn't an African American, just African. WTF, I didn't get it, still don't. There was the hushed voices from the Hispanic community, many of them as devoutly racist as the worst Cracker from Bug Tussle Arkansas. There are the whites who come right out and say it, "Don't want no galldamn nigger in the white house, and the more subtle ones, the ones who throw around a middle name as if it is an indictment of a mans character.
While many may not believe me, I would be just as quick to slam anyone who attacked McCain in the same manner, but that has not happened, not on such a personal level. Nobody called McCain a baby killer, and after all he flew a plane in Nam, I'm sure someone in the military killed some baby's back then, so guilt by association, right? Fuck no that's not right, it's ridiculous, and it is equally ridiculous and offensive when folks call Obama a terrorist by association.
I was just a kid, but I was around when George Wallace ran for president. A more reprehensible scumbag, you would be hard pressed to find. There was nowhere near the kind of vitriol and plain hate filled horse shit over Wallace as there has been over Obama.
And Breath......................................................
Okay, let me just say that I don't think most conservatives condone this type of thing. This isn't really about politics, as much as people try to pretend it is. Look, we are all a little racist, have some knee jerk reactions, based on color, looks, etc. When I'm outside walking the dogs at night, and I see a couple of young black guys, clothes saggin, hoods on, approaching me , I tense up, I watch them, closely. I haven't had a gun stuck in my face by anyone black, ever. I have had some white people stick guns in my face, sometimes they had badges, sometimes not. My point is, that doesn't make me a Klansman, it makes me human, and not for nothin, but around this area, it makes me smart too. Those same young black guys will automatically assume the worst when a white cop pulls them over, even if they aren't doing anything wrong, and even if they have never been treated poorly by the cops, they will still assume the worst, it's just how we are wired.
So whats my point? My point is, we have come a long way in this country, but not nearly far enough, and we probably never will get there. Here's the rub, there will always be sub sections of society, on all sides of the racial, political and religious divide, who make the rest of us look bad.
So now that we have recognized the elephant, lets just call it what it is. Business as usual.
that should be don't not like Obama because he is black.
ReplyDeleteIf I am not mistake. The gallup poll shows a three point advantage for Obama with voters who will vote based on race. I think it was 9% will vote for him and 6% won't because he's black.
I think I clearly explained my position, I also wouldn't expect everyone to agree. If your looking for a pissing match, you'll need to look elsewhere. I won't waste my time debating with someone who has tunnel vision. Your entire blog is a third rate Limbuagh imitation. I'm done with ya. Keep up the bad work.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't have said it better myself. Your critique of the 'he's a socialist' bullshit is spot on and anyone with any kind of eco-feminism reading would agree. It is a thinly veiled attempt to exploit the middle class white fear of the 'other' that is the black man, and most definitely is a black man with strong African roots. I would love to discuss this with some of my Repub friends but I don't want to be accused of pulling the race card. Unfortunately, this is one of those things that only an evolution over generations will be able to reveal. I would love for them to look back on their comments from this time with their great grandkids and try to explain to them why they believed Obama was a socialist and why he would take away (what little) civil liberties were left. They won't be able to explain that because that's not what they're really afraid of. It's his race. Time will show that.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for a bitchin read.
My personal conviction is that everyone is prejudice. Some people let it take over their lives, some don't but everyone has it even if they don't like to admit to it. I also think that current climate of political correctness makes it even worse, people hate the fact that they can be prosecuted over a word. I've been called names in my lifetime but always dealt with it on my own, never trying to get authorities to take care of the offender.
ReplyDeleteYou are SO right on spot about all this it ain't funny.
ReplyDeleteBTW, great blog
Is your elephant really racism or is it more realistically related to class? Not all poor people are minorities. I come from a poor family. As we speak, my mother is in a nursing home on medicaid. My dad worked. My mother worked. But, given their education, they didn't make or leave much at all, but they raised 6 kids and NEVER took welfare until after dad died and mom had a debilitating stroke and since her assets were practically non-existant, she became a medicaid (welfare) ward of the state who could not afford to pay $60,000/year for her nursing home.
ReplyDeleteOf her six children, 4 of us can afford to make sure she is comfortable. We pay extra for a private room and we pay for her incidentals like her trips to the beauty shop and buy her clothes and make sure she is well cared for..things the state does not provide. But, in the end she is on welfare and believe me it bothers her a lot.
The point is she cannot today do for herself as she is physically unable but while she was, she did and with dignity. We were always clean and well fed but we didn't get to participate in extracurricular school activities, our clothes were pretty wretched and we didn't have the money for a prom dress but we did survive and we learned that hard work and education would lift us out of poverty. So...we got good grades, most of us really good grades.. and we earned money working at restaurants and even in strawberry fields to pay for our education ourselves. And, today we are doing pretty well for ourselves.
What I have described is what I call compassionate capitalism. It pays for those who absolutely cannot but does not reward those who can, but won't. Socialism does not distinguish between those who can and those who cannot, and that is "the rub" for many of us.
I did not write this to argue with you as I respect your opinion and those of others as well. I simply present an alterntive view for you to consider.
And, have a good day.
"They won't be able to explain that because that's not what they're really afraid of. It's his race. Time will show that."
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that I have absolutely no problem at all whatsoever with Obama being black. I'm not "afraid" of him, nor do I believe he has socialist views due to his race, or anything of the kind.
I'm disgusted by behavior on both sides of the party line at this point. The pictures in this post bring tears to my eyes, because I simply do NOT understand what is WRONG with people!!!
I want this election to be done and over with. And for the folks out there who wonder how people can become politically apathetic, I can tell you it's shit like this race that we're currently witnessing that does it for me. I don't care who winds up in the Oval Office at this point. I just want all of this bullshit to stop.
I am confused as well. I don't understand what USSR/Socialism has to do with race?
ReplyDeleteI'm not challenging you--I just don't understand what Russian Socialism has to do with black people?
Please elaborate.
Let my try this again. I do not think the majority of republicans are racist. I don't think that the majority of republicans who consider Obama socialist are racist, even though, I don't recall a big a cry of socialism directed at Hillary, who has almost identical political views to Obama. This post is directed to the type of person who feels it is okay to deface a random persons property. This is directed at the type of person who uses another persons middle name to induce fear, simply based on the "Foriegn" sound of it. There has been more than a little ugliness on both sides, but I think I was fair in saying it didnt apply to the majority. To believe that the people who do these things, don't do it out of a racial hatred, considering the circumstances would be naive. But I dont think what I've said applies to everyone, or even most. Thats why I said there will always be small sections of society, that make all of us look bad. So, calling Obama a socialist, does not make one racist. Calling Obama a socialist, using his middle name like it is a slur, and writing graffittii on someones personal property, is most likely done in this case out of a fear or hatred of obama, either due to his race, or his roots. Normal people can debate,and disagree, without hatred. When they can't we see what we are seeing with Obama.
ReplyDeleteThats my opinion, individual results my vary.
Well, we can all agree that defacing the signs is horrible, whatever the motive. In JoCo, we have a commissioner (soon to be former commissioner who will never hold public office again) caught red handed stealing his opponent's signs. I tell ya it's getting crazy out there.
ReplyDeleteFabulous post, MM. And here I thought your great talent was leaving hilarious comments on MV's blog. Obviously I'm in the minority here (nothing new as a liberal feminist Asian in KC), but I find your analysis trenchant and am 100% in your camp. Everyone really has bent over backwards to mention race as little as possible, and it's B.S. It's SO much about race. I think as someone not educated here Meesh doesn't understand the full history of lynching in the U.S. That's how I excuse his comments on the Palin/McCain effigy (which I find heinous), anyway. The last lynching in this country occurred in 1981. That says a lot. We are so not over race.
ReplyDeleteOk, thanks for clearing that up.
ReplyDeleteI believe Obama has socialist tendencies, and therefore, I will call him a socialist.
Perhaps if Hil made statements eluding to redistributing wealth, then I would call her a socialist as well --but definitely would NOT call her a cracker, because, again, socialism and/or vandalism are not tied to racism.
Not even close.