"Race" Relations

I use quotes around the word "race" because it's a problematic word that has some very specific definitions that often get blurred together. On the one hand, race comes from an Old Italian word, razza, which means "lineage". In many ways, we use this word the same way today. At some point, though, biology commandeered "race" and applied it to animals that were part of a taxonomic category within a species, or a subspecies. And here's where part of the problem arises. There is a danger with these two definitions of people believing that the different "races" of humans are "subspecies" of humans.

Let's be clear about this. There is a human race. We are all members of the human race. There are not enough genetic differences between any two people of any two heritages to squeeze them into separate taxonomic categories. The differences in our appearances, from a biological standpoint, are purely superficial.

The other problem in the whole "race" thought process is the perceived differences between us. For the most part, these differences are based upon cultural perceptions, but the most problematic perceived differences are due to stereotypes. Stereotypes happen when someone interacts with a particular group of people and notices that multiple members of that group share certain personality traits. The fallacy in stereotypes is the assumption that these traits are inherent to all members of that group.

In a recent and fascinating Associated-Press Yahoo! News poll, conducted with Stanford University, one fourth of white Democrats ascribed at least two negative traits to blacks. Now, they didn't go on to specify whether blacks ascribed similar traits to whites or whether either blacks or whites ascribed similar traits to themselves. I would be curious to know how those questions stack up against one another. Some of the negative traits listed in the poll included "boastful", "irresponsible" and "lazy".

One wonders, though, whether or not the people who attributed these stereotypes to blacks understood the dynamics behind what might have caused these behaviors that they have either observed or have heard others observe. Surely, it is easy to understand why someone might be boastful when they think or know that most people don't expect much out of them. A similar argument might be proposed for irresponsibility or laziness. The question then becomes, are these traits really inherent to black people? Or are these traits you might possibly witness in any group of people who are part of a minority who, until fairly recently, were actually legally repressed? When prejudice and racism are a reality in your life and you don't get EVERY SINGLE opportunity that others in your supposedly egalitarian nation get, doesn't it seem reasonable that members of such a group might feel disheartened to the point of apathy or desperation?

I know that there are some who might read the above paragraph and roll their eyes and say something about picking oneself up by one's bootstraps and rising above. There are those who say that blacks are just complainers who scream "racism" at the slightest provocation, maybe even none at all. If you would say that, then I would place you in the group of people who do the exact opposite. That is to say, there are those who minimalize, even deny, the existence and effect of racism in our society. This Associated-Press Yahoo! poll seems to back this up. Whereas 57% of blacks said that the amount of "discrimination against blacks" that exists is "a lot" and all but a fraction of the rest said "some", only 10% of whites said "a lot" and 45% said "some".

That's quite a discrepancy. So, who's right? I don't think it's as clear as that. As I've said before in other posts, I think there's more racism in this country than the majority of whites are willing to admit or recognize, but there's also less than the majority of blacks claim. Regardless, any amount is unacceptable. We are not subspecies of one another, so we are all physically capable of the same things, and we are all susceptible to the same emotions and weaknesses. Before you ascribe negative qualities to someone of another "race", think about how you would react if you had to deal with the same kinds of things in your life. Also, ask yourself if you really can't think of someone, anyone, who has overcome such difficult odds to laugh in the face of such ridiculous stereotypes. Need some hints? How about Harriet Tubman? Frederick Douglass? Booker T. Washington? George Washington Carver? W.E.B. Du Bois? Rosa Parks? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Colin Powell? Barack Obama?

These are only a handful of the most well-known names in the proud tapestry of African American history. These are people who rose up to fight the misguided perceptions of a resistant society. Despite the great impact of these men and women, the perceptions they struggled to overcome still exist. We need to open our eyes as a society and stand up to fear and oppression. We are one race, the human race. Let's stand united and achieve everything we can achieve together.

Profiling III...The Elaboration

Okay, for those of you who haven't been paying attention, the running conversation has been about racial profiling. The reason why this has taken up multiple posts? Well, my buddy Justin, who is usually very sympathetic with my rants, has been making some decent counterpoints that have caused me to further explain my bleeding-heart-liberal tirade. Sure, I could just post follow-up comments, but I don't think everyone reads those, and I think these are some good points to cover in the main blog.

I think the main issue here is that I'm not making my point clearly enough, so it's easily misunderstood. There have been places in my two previous posts where people might think I'm saying that we should totally ignore the fact that militant Islamic groups have committed more severe and simply more terrorist attacks than any other ethnic group in recent history. Well, I'm not saying that at all. Like I said in my last post, I don't think we should be cowed by the PC police either. To treat somebody differently from anyone else because you fear public retribution from the politically-correct watchdogs is reverse racism, and it's not any better than just plain old racism. I do, however, feel a lot of sympathy for the innocent people that have to deal with all the backlash generated by the actions of the crazed members of their ethnic group.

Look, I'm not saying that we should just let Mamoud, Fahid, and Ahmed walk through the beeping metal detector unmolested while we strip search Grandma, John, and Jim-Bob; that's foolish. But I am saying that the exact reverse of that is racist and equally foolish. Islamic terror groups have sent out pleas for sympathetic westerners to join them and help carry out attacks because they know this kind of behavior is going on. So, if I hear one more well-to-do white man bitching about being held up an extra hour or two at the airport while we ensure, not only his safety, but the safety of everyone else on his flight, I'm going to punch him in the face! I am not a criminal. I will gladly let security check my luggage and me before I get on an "airborne missile, complete with a human payload and a thousand pounds of jet fuel" (isn't "airborne" implied in "missile"?).

And yes, while some sort of x-ray device that everyone walked through like in Total Recall would help, people can get pretty inventive when they have a goal in mind. I'm sure a resourceful terrorist group could figure out how to carry out an attack with very little carry-on accoutrements. A sort of "MacGyver Jihad" if you will. I think the only effective technological tool would be a device that can sense resolved malintent. Or perhaps we can station some Care Bears in airports to vanquish the hate from terrorist hearts.

If only we lived in a fantasy world...

Grandma, what a great profile you have!

A few short words on profiling. It's really easy to say as a white American that racial profiling is a good idea in some instances. It's really easy because white Americans have no fear of being profiled. Imagine, however, someone stopping you in an airport or in traffic because you were a member of an ethnic group of which several members have performed or are performing serial criminal acts. Would you not resent the implication that just because you're a member of that ethnic group, you have some part in those activities?

Let's also be clear about something. There's racial profiling, then there's criminal profiling. There's a big difference between these. One is a valid and effective law enforcement tool. The other is manipulating statistics to support prejudice and bigotry.

I mentioned in the previous post about the Belgian woman who suicide bombed troops in Iraq, but let's not forget Timothy McVeigh. He was a home-grown terrorist, right here in the good old US of A. And how about the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski? Did they have to carpet bomb the mountains of some Middle Eastern country to find him? No, he was hiding in a cabin in the mountains of Montana.

I understand that we do have to be realistic. There are a considerable amount of organized terrorist attacks committed by extremist Muslims, but to discount the possibility of a western terrorist out of hand is not just dangerous; it's foolish. I certainly think there needs to be more brains in our security, and I don't believe we should be cowed by the PC police either, but I do believe that there's a lot of sentiment in this that promotes the idea of racial profiling being a good way to keep us safe. That kind of thinking is insidious. It's racism that benignly slips in as a warm fuzzy of security for the greater good. It ends with the average citizen feeling vindicated for treating foreigners like criminals, especially if they have a beard and are wearing a turban.

Yeah, Hitler was eloquent too...

The word being muttered on conservative blogs and other sympathetic information sources is that they have the key to better understanding the situation in Iraq and a crucial element in the "War on Terror". The simple fact, they say, stems from the nature of the single driving force of these terrorists that have us so on edge. What is this force? Religion...but not just any religion. This religion is an irredeemably violent one. The religion, of course, is Islam.

The suggestion is that violence is inherent to Islam, and that the only logical outcome for a person raised in such an environment is fanatical, militant behavior. Therefore, the best way to ward against becoming the victim of terrorist violence is to beware those who practice the Muslim faith. Let's only stop people who "look like Muslims" at the airport. Let's hold Muslim suspects in prison for an invariably long period of time, even though we have no evidence other than their heritage and their religion.

Along a similar vein, these apparent experts in terrorist psychology say we should be wary of those who claim that Islam is a "peaceful religion". They quote organizations like CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) with sarcasm and disdain. They frequently ask why prominent Muslims who speak of a "peaceful" Islam don't condemn horrific acts we hear of in tyrannical Islamic theocracies. Clearly their only interest, some conservatives insist, is in furthering the illusion of a nonviolent faith that is the victim of the terrible publicity of a smaller set of fanatics that happen to have a disproportional amount of influence.

Well, folks...in my opinion, this is all an excuse for bigotry. I know my last post was about racism, and I hate to beat a dead horse, but this stuff really gets me worked up. You see, there are some very educated, well-read individuals spouting this ethnocentric bullsh!t. They go and quote passages from the Koran out of context with a sort of smug satisfaction, as if to say, "See? Doesn't that prove it?"

Well, don't get me started quoting the bible out of context...or referring to several of the crusades that were started, not by Muslims, but Europeans. Oh, hey, let's not forget...

The Inquisition
What a show!
The Inquisition
Here we go!
We know you're wishin' that we'd go away!
But the Inquisition's here and it's here to stay!

It's real easy to take select samples of anything and make it seem like anything you want. Sure, the Koran does say some pretty violent things, and there are places were it seems to be saying some unflattering things about Christians and Jews, but much of the history of the Koran seems to suggest that a lot of this was fabricated or possibly even mistranslated.

The thing that really gets me is that there are people out there reading this conservative stuff and saying to themselves, "Wow, this guy is really eloquent and obviously well read. What he's saying must be true!" Let's not forget how Hitler practically spellbound Germans with his impassioned speeches. These modern day Torquemadas would have us round up every Muslim in the known universe and interrogate them until they "confessed" to some kind of maligned intent and converted to a more "peaceful" religion...say, Christianity. Sound familiar?

No, of course they don't say this outright. They’d even deny it if you suggested it to them. But what other logical inference can you make from their racist ramblings? If the problem in the Middle East is because of the predominant religion, then what is the most logical solution? Theological cleansing?

Here's the real problem...the tyrannical theocracies and fanatical groups that hold so much sway in that area of the world. They warp the philosophies of Allah's followers and mold the religion's influence to their will. And this isn't a recent thing. Caliphs had been twisting the words of the Koran for centuries to suit their own greedy ends. It's no wonder so much intolerant invective can be extracted from the book. The conservative psuedo-nazi's conveniently overlook passages like the following:

Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve. [2:62]

Hmm...sounds dangerous. But what's really dangerous is people just reading the state-sponsored propaganda without seeing what the real deal is. At least if I hear something that makes me mad or that seems like important information for me as it pertains to my freedom and safety, I go check it out. I go look at all the sources, then make a decision for myself. There are people who are going to read this prejudiced drivel, and they won't bother to check the author on his sources. They won't go and look through the Koran to see what it really says, or investigate the history to see why it says it. They'll just take it for granted that the author is offering sound advice.

Well, I have some advice of my own. Let's not be so short sighted and narrow minded. Some say it's ridiculous to search old ladies with walkers and clean-cut, western businessmen at airports. I say if we officially take a stance to not search them, terrorists will search for them. Terrorists will begin using sympathetic westerners to suicide bomb for them or will slip bombs into the little old ladies' carry-on luggage. Granny will unknowingly become a martyr for a terror organization she's never even heard of. And let's not forget the Belgian woman who became a suicide bomber in Iraq, targeting American troops. In this case, judging a book by its cover could turn out to be a deadly mistake.

Don't Judge Me...

AT least not by my cover. Today's post is about prejudice in general but racism in particular. You want to hear a sweeping generalization? All racists are ignorant. I know there are educated racists out there, but an attitude so heinous as racism is a choice made despite what knowledge you may have to the contrary. That's ignorance on a level that seems unfathomable to me. But it happens...

So, what brings on this latest tirade? I was watching this reality show called "Black. White." I know, I know, I hate reality TV too, but this is a fascinating premise. Take two families, one white, one black, and make them up to look like the opposite family's race. Then have these two families go out into the community and see what happens. Yes, a fascinating premise indeed, but I don't think they could have chosen two worse families to do this with. Granted, the choice was proabably made due to the high level of drama it would generate, but I think that messes up some the experiment. Let me explain what bugs me.

First, let's take the white family. What a bunch of hippie-turned-yuppie, strange, ignorant people they are. The mother is ablsolutely insane. Her brain is simply not connected to her mouth. She says things that she seriously believes will be taken positively, or at least in jest, and it's actually something that even I would find offensive, and believe it or not, I'm pretty easygoing. The father just seems oblivious. It's not very far into the show, but so far he almost seems like a nonentity. He thinks he knows what it means to be black or how to fit in as a black man...he's totally oblivious. About the only decent one of all of them is their teenage daughter, who revealed to the black poetry group she had been hanging out with that she was actually a white girk in black make-up. I think that was pretty ballsy. Fortunately, only one person freaked out, and he may well have been speaking about his own ambiguous lifestyle when chastizing her for her deception.

Now, the black family. The mom is okay. At least she's not as insane as the white mom, but she's easily offended, a drama factor that plays well with the white mom's hair trigger tear ducts. The dad is likewise sensitive, but it seems like he's scrutinizing every little reaction, statement, etc. for anything that might possibly be construed in some alternate universe in another dimension as even slightly racist. So far they haven't really followed the son around very much, but his attitude seems to be a mix of his parents'.

While the producers have tailor made a volatile situation, as is the requisite for "good" reality TV, it does seem to highlight an issue that I think is important in understanding the state of racism today. There are really two dynamics going on that exacerbate the existing racism in this country. One is that racism is not nearly as omnipresent as some blacks (and a few other minority members) would like to believe. The other, of course, is that it's far more prevalent than most white people care to admit. I don't think one side is any worse than the other. Ignoring racism won't make it go away, and assuming all people of a specific ethnicity are racist is, in itself, racist.

I'd like to think I am not racist. When I look at another person, I see just a person, regardless of ethnicity, heritage, color, etc. These two dynamics I spoke of, however, sometimes have me thinking of things in more complex ways than should be necessary. When I see a black man, I make no assumptions about how amiable he will be, what his job is, what his family situation is, but if I interact with him, I sometimes find myself unconsciously running everything I say and do through this little filter in my head that asks, "Okay, could this be even unreasonably interpreted as racist?" That sucks! It's totally unfair. I want to be in total control of my thoughts, words and actions, but society has me and everyone else so keyed up about race, it's making almost all of us at least a little bit racist. Because once you start to change how you act and even think around someone based on their race, that's racism, even if it's with good intentions.

I don't want to be racist, and I don't want anyone else to be either. This failure for each side to tone down the exaggeration is almost worse than having them be straight up racist. Like the black family's mom said, at least in the old days, before the civil rights movement, you knew what you were dealing with. The black father was sort of right in saying that racism is a little more covert. Yes, there are probably plenty of straight up racists that are just faking tolerance because of the modern push for true equality, but I think the real covert racism is the unconscious kind of "hyporacism" that most of us are guilty of nowadays. We don't think we're racist, but we're exercising racism by either ignoring it, assuming it, or going to extremes to make people think we aren't.

When it comes right down to it...I guess I really am straight up racist: I have something against the human race, which biologically speaking, is the only true race of homo sapiens sapiens. Humans are dumb. There are a few shining hopefuls among us, but we are, on the whole, pretty stupid. We do the dumbest, most backwards things and don't even realize how we're hindering our own progress. If I were an alien, I think I'd have to insist you drink from your own fountain, and I would definitely make you sit at the back of the spaceship...