Sunday, November 09, 2008

Negrophobia


I've seen a lot of it on political discussion groups, and since I'm out in public more these days so I can run my internet off other people's wi-fi routers, I've also heard it in the coffee shops and other public places where I sit and tap.

"Obama used to be a lawyer for the Black Panthers. Don't forget, he's a community organizer from Chicago."

"You know, be glad if you own a gun. It won't be long before Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are telling him what to do."

Even some of the people near and dear to me are echoing those talking fungi on Fox News when it comes to this subject.

Listening to these bombastic bromides, one quickly realizes they can all be reduced to a single short version: "I'm scared to death of the negroes."

At first I was really upset whenever I heard or read this stuff. But then I realized that most of it is coming from old people -- and by that I mean older than me. History has passed them by and made them into dinosaurs.

These are people who got left standing in the station. The train done gone, and they done got left. Too bad for them.

Oh well, we don't need them. We'll just have to go on without 'em.

3 comments:

Joe said...

Sad that old folk who we ought to rely on for wisdom often lack the ability to learn. When the mind goes what persists longest is early memories. That includes things like racism from parents and past eras.

It must not happen to all of us, fortunately. Unfortunately, for the rest who do suffer from it, being dumber at peak mental age just makes the situation worse later.

Rod said...

"The train done gone, and they done got left. Too bad for them."
As the dear departed troubadour sang "This train is bound for glory, Don't carry nothing but the righteous and the holy"...thanks for the post mate and don't worry I've not been bitten by the gospel bug it just seemed fitting to remember Woody, specially in these times. Your comments about the dinosaurs has snapped me out of my torpor (thx for your comment) I suddenly had this awful thought I was giving to age...no way...peter pan rocks.
Now where's that guitar.

Cheers
Rod

Grace Nearing said...

My personal favorite is the "Obama's father is Malcolm X" confabulation. When I finally stopped laughing, I told the person who had relayed this "information" to me: God, that would be so f*@cking cool.