When I was a young man, around the same age as Scott Armstrong's son, I can remember how proud my father was when one of his own, John F. Kennedy, was running for President. In those days, we Catholics were still viewed as something of an underclass in the Lehigh Valley. We weren't quite so bad as those damn Jews or the pork chops (yes, that term was used), but we were still pretty revolting.I noticed this latent prejudice in high school, when Bethlehem Mayor Payrow invited students from Freedom and Liberty High Schools, Bethlehem's two public schools, to be mayor for a day. The now defunct Bethlehem Globe Times ran a story claiming that Bethlehem's high schools had been represented.
They all forgot about Bethlehem Catholic.
A high school junior, I fired off my very first letter to the editor, nailing both Payrow and the Globe Times for their obvious bigotry. Payrow certainly made sure Becahi was included the very next year.
So I can understand what it must mean for a young person of color to see Barack Obama as a candidate for President. Win or lose, Obama's candidacy alone is a great step forward for a people that, not very long ago, were slaves. I suspect I would be quick to label people who support McCain as racists just as my father called Nixon supporters anti-Catholic.
Scott Armstrong's son is putting up with some of this himself. Here's Scott's story, which also appears in the informative Allentown Commentator.
My twelve year old son informed me today that he was called a "racist" at his school lunch table today by his lunch mates when during a political discussion he volunteered that he preferred McCain to Obama. It made no difference to the accusers when he told them that he had hoped Lynn Swann, an African American would win the governors race two years ago. No, apparently anyone who doesn't support Obama is a racist and that is all there is to it. It was that simple to them.
Where does this sort of thinking come from? How sad is it that it comes from the mouths of twelve year olds? How counter productive is it to the ideals of civil discourse and racial harmony?
I told my son it isn't easy to be a conservative these days. He agreed that it would be much easier to just go along and pretend to believe in the liberal agenda. I was proud he didn't.
Scott Armstrong
34 comments:
It doesn't help when MSN runs an article on it's homepage interviewing African Americans saying that if Obama doesn't win it will be "a slap in the Black man's face. If it comes to that, I have no problem seeing a riot.. yeah, I'd be down with that."
That is what we're teaching our kids. That is the discussion around some dinner tables. That is very disappointing.
JR.
Excellent post, Bernie!
I wonder if I'm still a sexist for not supporting Hillary?
AJ,
Thank Scott. He is a wonderful writer.
JR,
Very disappointing, but understandable. Around my dinnertable, anyone who supported Nixon was anti-Catholic.
In fact, that;'s when I first learned about WASPs. Congressman Rooney was talking about someone and called him as wasp. I asked him what that meant, and he said "white Anglo Saxon prick."
geez bernie
our senator called me a racist the other day when i told her i was voting for mcclain (before phalen) now i'm back in the undecided list..........but once a racist i guess always a racist. it's tough being a conservative dem these days. what's ron paul about?
what was a pork chop? I never heard that one.
"pork chops and applesauce"
I never heard the term until all the hype over the Iron Pigs occurred.
When I was growing up in Hellertown, we used the term "pork chop" to refer to Puerto Ricans. I was one of the persons who used the term myself. I was a young bigot.
We used to confront each other at Saucon Creek and call each other names and chase each other.
As a kid, I once went skinny dipping in Saucon Creek with a few friends and those bastards stole my clothing. We all had to run home in the nude while they laughed their asses off. Good thing it was getting dark.
The term stopped being used as I grew older.
Pork Chop is sooo 1980's. I haven't heard that used in forever. Although that is an entirely different subject matter, I was ashamed of my fellow Hispanic leaders for getting their tostones in a bunch over the name for the mascot.
I personally didn't like it because I thought it was not creative but my disdain for the name had no correlation to derogatory terms for Puerto Ricans.
Are McCain supporters racist? I don't think so, generally speaking. I must say that a friend of mine who is Jewish, has discovered the racism in his family now that Obama is running for president. His once (or so he thought) open-minded family has shown their true colors. Some will not be voting for Obama because of the color of his skin. I find it so sad and ironic that those sentiments would come from one of Jewish background.
With that said, the playing ground is entirely different this year. It's not D vs. R, it is amongst a large portion of the country, black vs. not black. I suspect had Hilary been on the ticket, the issue of race would not be such an issue. Granted sexism might be, but not at the grand scale we have seen and heard regarding color.
In the end, I think it all stems from ignorance. I hope we can all rise above this as a people. But of course all I can do is hope.
As for 12 year olds labeling people racist based on candidate preference, that STUPID mentality comes from the home.
Valima,
I know this is OT (forgive me Bernie), but when you made the comment "Hispanic leaders" in regard to the pork chop issue that means more than one - I had heard that it was Guillermo Lopez alone who lead that effort, and I remember other leaders writing letters to the editor in the MC disavowing any role in it.
Can you help me understand what actually happened?
The Banker
Valima,
Actually, it is 1950s in my case. I thought the term "pork chop" as a mascot name would actually remove any vestiges of negative connotation surrounding that term.
Sadly, the overreaction to Lopez' concerns reveals there still is one helluva' lot of prejudice. The MC reader forum is replete with references and the term was actually banned.
Incidentally, I'd like my clothes back.
OK, (I did not know that -really.) So whats applesauce? Thats a new one for me too.
BTW: That picture is effin halarious! nlv
I haven't figured out the applesauce.
Here's useless trivia for you - "Pork chops and applesauce" was from the Brady Bunch, Peter said it when he was trying to sound like Jimmy Durante or someone.
The Banker
Some poll out today says Obama only has a 32% approval rating among white males. Something's up. I suspect there's some racism there.
Personally, I think most McCain supporters are not racist, simply misguided.
Bob Jr, why would McCain supporters be misguided, what makes you say that?
The Banker
Hey I would not say the kid is a racist at all. But to wish Swann was governor is someone showing their youthfull ignorance to subsatnce.
Swann was the worst candidate the GOP could have had. He was Palin like on PA.
Scranton was a better candidate.
I'm leaning towards a Lebanese American for President with this bail out fiasco.
Yet I'll be a racist in many eyes too. And yes a Asshole. But atleast I'm tired of the two teams always blowing it for us.
The true racist vs Obama are not because he's black. (Many of them love Clearance Thomas), but because they THINK he is a muslim.
That is THE RACIST issue we as a nation SHOULD address.
It is like blaming all jews for bringing down the father land.
Post 9-11 NAZI's have infutraited America with terror/terror.
Thats why so many really hated Ali.
And btw Bernie I had my first letter to a National sports weekly when I was 17. Perhaps letter writting at a young age warps the mind,eh?
lol
There might not be outward blatant racism when it concerns Obama (though there is some) but more subconscious racism.
I think Obama will unfortunately become a victim of the Bradley Effect. People will say one thing in public, but once they get behind the curtain their true colors come out. This already happened in New Hampshire during the primaries.
It is unfortunate, but I still do not think the majority of Americans are ready for that kind of change.
Don't be so one sided. If you question Palin your a sexist. Face it there is no doubt that Biden will have to be very careful with Palin and not question her too hard so he does not get pounced on for being sexist. That is the whole strategy bail out Palin from her own words.
Some who question Palin are sexist, just as some who questioned Hillary are sexist. Some who question Obama are racists. But people of good will can have different opinions about each candidate.
I think Biden's best stategy would be to be nice as hell to her. If he comes down hard on her, even if he's right, he will be slammed. The best way for him to win this debate is by losing, as crazy as that sounds.
My guess is that Palin will stick with the stump speech and throw the zingers. Even if the zingers are plain out mistruths, Biden will not fare well if he is constantly on defense.
The fact that it is not an interactive debate may save Biden from himself. However, it will allow Palin to stick to the stump speech.
I think Biden best strategy would be to ignore the zingers and stay on message and speak the issues. The zingers will rev up the base which is already locked in. I suspect the zingers will become annoying to the swing voter and substance may overcome rhetoric.
I agree with Mr. Russo's opening sentence (9:18).
This past weekend I sent two e-mails to a cross-section of McCain-Obama supporters. One was a Newsweek editorial questioning Palin's readiness, and one about Wasilla charging rape victims for the cost of "rape kits" to investigate their attack while Palin was Mayor.
What was the response from the most fervent McCain supporter? A defense of Gov. Palin? No, instead a FW'd column attributed to Pat Buchanan (which is unfortunate because I actually like a lot of his stuff)that includes the below excerpts, so you judge for yourself if "unspoken" racism is not a part of people's private vote. The below had nothing to do with my implied critique of Palin, but was the response I got. I apologize for the length of this Mr. O'Hare, but as someone who left the GOP after a quarter century to return to the Dem party of his blue collar parents, I have been amazed by the overt and covert e-mails I get from my Republican friends with the likes of below.
"Barack says we need to have a conversation about race in America.? Fair enough. But this time, it has to be a two-way conversation. White America needs to be heard from, not just lectured to.....First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks...Wright ought to go down on his knees and thank God he is an American.....Second, no people anywhere has done more to lift up blacks than white Americans. Untold trillions have been spent since the '60s on welfare, food stamps, rent supplements,.....Governments, businesses and colleges have engaged in discrimination against white folks... We hear the grievances. Where is the gratitude??
Barack talks about new 'ladders of opportunity' for blacks.
Let him go to Altoona?and Johnstown, and ask the white kids in Catholic schools how many were visited lately by Ivy League recruiters handing out scholarships for 'deserving' white kids.?
Is white America really responsible for the fact that the crime and incarceration rates for African-Americans are seven times those of white America ? Is it really white America 's fault that illegitimacy in the African-American community has hit 70 percent and the black dropout rate from high schools in some cities has reached 50 percent?
Is that the fault of white America or, first and foremost, a failure of the black community itself?....Is Barack Obama aware that while white criminals choose black victims 3 percent of the time, black criminals choose white victims 45 percent of the time?
Is Barack aware that black-on-white rapes are 100 times more common than the reverse, that black-on-white robberies were 139 times as common in the first three years of this decade as the reverse?.....Sorry, Barack, some of us have heard it all before, about 40 years and 40 trillion tax dollars ago."
Lighthouse, I appreciate your remarks. I learn from them, even when I disagree. So please keep it up. That's what it's about. Thanks.
My thanks go to you for providing this forum and initiating the dialog. I have grown to really enjoy this blog. Sometimes the personal banter gets a bit over the top and I check out, but this blog really provides good insight on the LV scene, esp. NorCo and sometimes my own community. Of course presently all politics is national instead of local. However, you provide a real community service. Keep it going!
Merci.
"Merci"
No, Bernie! Don't give up! Don't let them win!
Well I understand Lighthouses's points, the ratio of blacks to whites in prison is not reflected in violent crimes. There are 12.2 million people incarcerated each year due to DUIs, drug arrests, vagrancy, prostitution, etc.
That is where the black to white discrepancy comes from. While I may not agree with Barack on everything, arguing against the national disaster that is our incarceration rates is an important policy issue.
In this non violent crimes, a large majority of the time the people jailed ARE black. That is a fact.
And if I had the time I could go really go into the Broken Windows Theory and how inherently this causes violent crimes numbers to increase, especially in Urban Areas.
Oh, and I am white America.
banker, it's my sense of humor. but seriously, aren't the McCain backers the same ones who elected Bush twice?
Bernie O'Hare said:
"Some who question Palin are sexist, just as some who questioned Hillary are sexist. Some who question Obama are racists. But people of good will can have different opinions about each candidate. "
Bern don't forget Palin's own supporters are also launching Uber sexist remarks. As I spoke of a few weeks back at my blog http://spikerogan.blogspot.com
The worst comments are from her fans. Rush rallied on about how its nice to see a women who dosn't have "fat ankles", and that the feminist movement is just worried about the advancement of "ugly women".
Which is also laughable Rush makes it sound like pretty women have it tougher in America.
Anyone think people would have gave Hillary so much shit if she looked like Jessica Simpson? Please.
If your a pretty babe in America you can have the brian of a salomander and get plenty of sweet gigs.
Look at the waiting room of a doctors office. Those pharm reps often are hot young women. Those women are often using their good looks and nice bodies to sweet talk doctors into prescribing their drugs.
There is a word for that , and for a short time you could lose your car in the city of Easton.
bob jr, I don't think they are the same voters, I think this year scrambles everything up.
I admit that I voted for Bush, and I'm not happy w/ myself. But I don't look at McCain as "Bush III." Non-defense related federal spending under Bush has been beyond reckless. Granted he had help w/ Congress, but Bush has the veto pen and he never used it.
I think McCain will do his best to get crap like that under control, which will be a requirement given all the debt the Feds are taking on right now. I also think he'll do a great job from a foreign policy perspective - I'm not just concerned about the Middle East, Russia is just a much a worry again.
I would not vote for another Bush, and I dont' think McCain is.
The Banker
"Valima,
I know this is OT (forgive me Bernie), but when you made the comment "Hispanic leaders" in regard to the pork chop issue that means more than one - I had heard that it was Guillermo Lopez alone who lead that effort, and I remember other leaders writing letters to the editor in the MC disavowing any role in it.
Can you help me understand what actually happened?
The Banker"
Banker, I may have mispoke in stating the plural form of leaders. :)
I do, however, remember my disgust with the fact that something that had been dead in the water for so many years, was brought to light by some uber sensitive pseudo spokesperson for the hispanic community. I was embarassed that the term pork chop was even an issue. Uggh!
I loathed reading the articles and commentary on the websites of various news outlets. I felt bad that a young child, even though I didn't like the name itself for the mascot, had her little heart broken becuase her bubble was burst over some idiotic bullshit!
" Bernie O'Hare said...
Some who question Palin are sexist, just as some who questioned Hillary are sexist. Some who question Obama are racists. But people of good will can have different opinions about each candidate.
I think Biden's best stategy would be to be nice as hell to her. If he comes down hard on her, even if he's right, he will be slammed. The best way for him to win this debate is by losing, as crazy as that sounds."
Bernie,
Why should anyone walk on eggshells for anyone? Regardless of sex? The fact that he should be ultra sensitive to her becuase she is a female is a sexist notion in iteself!
I'm not saying he should be rude to her becuase she is a sexist but they will both be engaging in civil discourse and should behave as such.
Valima, thanks for filling me in, and I agree w/ you.
The Banker
Did you ever think about the fact that Sarah Palin started this whole thing after receiving her revised marching orders? McCain's rallies have turned into hate gatherings. You know good and well he and Palin hear those racist remarks being shouted out; they choose to say nothing. Perhaps the finger of blame should be pointed to the Senator and his running mate. I don't think anyone of color would feel comfortable attending a McCain rally these days - even if they did support him. He and Palin are the reason why folks have interjected race into this campaign. Yes it's a shame but I don't blame it on anyone else other than McCain/Palin. And they obviously have no problem with getting support or reaching out to ONLY white people. I think it is a disgrace! They certainly aren't identifying themselves as a ticket for everyone.
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