Here's and interesting article on why, unlike elsewhere in the world, Americans consider anyone who appears to have African descent as "black." This has been coined as the "one drop" rule.
Barack Obama is the son of a white mother and a black father. In Latin America, he would be identified as “mulatto” or half white and half black, and in South Africa as “colored” or between white and black. Why are all African Americans, regardless of their mixed racial heritage, identified as black? What are the origins of the uniquely American “one drop” rule? Read more.
Do you honestly believe that? Derek Jeter is half white/half black and you never hear that Jeter is black.
ReplyDeleteThink about it. It's more "sexy" for the media to say, "First Black (fill in the blank)", instead of the "First Mullato (fill in the blank)."
That's why I get pissed when people say it's racist (as you do) to not vote for Obama. He's HALF white!!
Now you are just pulling my chain aren't you? Did you even read the article I linked to? And I've never said you are a racist for not voting for Obama. You’re putting words in my mouth. I have said that it IS racism if someone chooses not to vote for Obama based solely on his skin color. It is not racism to vote for him if his skin color is a positive factor in determining your vote. This BS thing that racists like to cling to, called 'reverse racism' is like calling bald a hair color, it just isn't logical.
ReplyDeleteRacism is, as the dictionary defines, "a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others."
Wishing racism away is fine and dandy, but let's not pretend that if we yell loud enough about perceived deleterious effects caused by attempts to rectify racism that you are on the side of enlightened thinking.
Is someone who would like to see a man who appears "black" become president for the first time in this country's history a racist? Even if that person also feels that he is the better of the two major candidates on top of the fact that he's half-black as you like to point out?
Especially considering our country's history! We fought a huge and bloody civil war, in part, over the enslavement of Africans, and continued systemic racist policies, intimidation, and murder of African-descendent citizens for over a hundred years after that war.
My posting clips, articles, discussing my personal feelings, commenting on our culture and its politics as it relates to racism are all I'm doing. You can disagree with me all you like, but you aren't being very persuasive by interjecting that I'm being disingenuous about my own opinion or about the veracity of the things I've posted.
If you get pissed off for being called something, has it occurred to you that they may be on to something, rather than being incorrect in identifying a tendency you apparently exhibit?
I talk about race and racism because I have first-hand experience with it, as we all do, one way or another, but I also talk about it through the lens of this election. Whatever your motivation is for voting for John McCain in this election isn't at issue, and I believe you when you say you aren't voting for McCain because he is white, I get that, and believe that, because I'm sure you would vote the Republican ticket over the Democratic ticket under most circumstances (candidates). I get it, so please stop being so defensive on this issue, at least with me.