Rascism... The Unconscious Varietal

Wait a Hot Minute!

Published on November 16, 2004 By greywar In Current Events

Today's discussion in the not-a-break-room went from my discovery of the meaning of the phrase "a hot minute" onto something a bit more important. This was somewhat prompted by the 9 foot high image of Fox News that is on one wall of our not-a-break-room. This of course was displayed Condi Rice about every 30 seconds.

I was unable to keep from voicing my opinion that the Presidential race in 2008 would be Condi Vs. Hillary in an all out war. Hot Chow then opined that Condi would never win because the country because we are not ready for a black female President. SGT Tumult followed by wondering why that was.

I disagree about the readiness of the nation as a whole but I know why a signifcant chunk of it is not ready. Unconscious rascism. There are folks who have no idea that they don't like minorities. The Democratic party is in fact full of them.

I come from rural Minnesota where for the most part we think that the Germans are a "minority" as for black people? Forget it... None to be seen, much less to be hated right? Wrong. While the emotion may not reach actual hatred there is certainly unconscious rascism present. Lack of contact has brought about a total lack of awareness on the part of many in areas like my home. They don't even know that they look at minorities differently.

For example, a relative of mine recently used the word "pickaninny" to describe a black child to me. I stopped them in the middle of their story with : "What? What word did you just use?"

Them : "Pickaninny. Why is that not the right word?"

Grey : "Why do you need a different word?"

While this is a fairly innocent case it is indicative of something deeper and unrecognized. The fact of the matter is that they didn't recognize black people as a part of their sphere of humanity. The black kids were something other than kids. This fear of the other is ingrained in some parts of the country to this day. It is an evolved behaviour in part stemming from the huge portion of our brain devoted to determining who is part of ours and who is part of the other. This was a crucial survival trait in tribal societies. Just doesn't work well for us now.

I recognize this as a problem but I don't think it represents Majority America... Maybe I am wrong... What do you think?

Comments (Page 1)

chiprj

on Nov 16, 2004

What do I think? Well, I think stamping 2279 on the bottom of all your articles is some sort of code...HAHA!

I know what you are talking about, though. I've experienced something similar. Specifically, before my first tour to Korea, I had an extended family member tell me that I shouldn't go marrying one of them gooks. They said if I did, that my wife would be family and they would love her like family, but it just wouldn't be right.

greywar

on Nov 16, 2004

shouldn't go marrying one of them gooks

I vaguely remember hearing something like this from a family member as well, but it is pretty fogged by time....

citahellion

on Nov 16, 2004

stamping 2279 on the bottom of all your articles

Hmmm... it says "2305" now.... Count-up to doomsday??

And did you tell him that "pickaninny" is about as widely accepted as "spic" or "kraut"?

greywar

on Nov 16, 2004

And did you tell him that "pickaninny" is about as widely accepted as "spic" or "kraut"?

Yes, but more gently.

chiprj

on Nov 16, 2004

Hmmm... it says "2305" now.... Count-up to doomsday??

Aha! Now it's at 2313... and it's a link to site meter! Hmmm.... how did you stamp that in there?

dharmagrl

on Nov 16, 2004

I recognize this as a problem but I don't think it represents Majority America

I duuno about that, Greywar. I think that there's a big chunk of the American voting public that still remember when segregation was in effect....and a sizeable chunk that liked it that way. I think that has a lot to do with it.

From what I can see, that attitude is still going strong in my little corner of rural midwestern America. Black people look different, talk different, act different, are raised different...it's still a matter of 'them/us' around here, it's simply more subtle (as you said).

How did you link to that site meter, anyway?

greywar

on Nov 16, 2004

How did you link to that site meter, anyway?

Magic

Spc Nobody Special

on Nov 16, 2004

I think that Rice is very competent, and I'm not worried about a black female president in the slightest. I think she would do the job far better than some recent candidates I've seen. (JFK2 wannabe for example.....)

However, I do have worries from time to time that some of the staffing done by various members of the republican party (and the democrats for that matter) is done as an affirmitive action movement that reflects true equality about as well as having "Token" on Southpark.

It's often, "hey, look, I appointed two black guys, a hispanic, a gay woman, and a cripple, I must be fair and unprejudiced, right?" It's as condescending and racist as any policy it tries to oppose in appearance.

Texas Wahine

on Nov 16, 2004

Magic

You're so cool greywar.

Spc Nobody Special

on Nov 16, 2004

Magic

Magic, like the cards? or did ya hitch up with a wiccan or something?

greywar

on Nov 16, 2004

did ya hitch up with a wiccan or something?

Dated, but never married.....

SSG Geezer

on Nov 16, 2004

That was my thing. Is it BN?

Roger Layman

on Nov 16, 2004

Your remarks about Minnessota and the paucity of blacks, made me remember a story my phsyc 101 professor told of of a study done at the University of Iowa. In this study, high school students were given a test which was designed to measure their attitudes toward Negro's (Sorry, that was the polite term back then--1960). The tests showed that these students's negative stereotypes were as high as any in Mississippi. Yet most of them had never met an African-American (did I get it right that time?) face to face. They were just reflecting the attitudes that they unconsciously picked up from their parents and others.

With regard to language sensitive, I think it runs wild sometimes. I don't know if it made the national press, but a couple of years ago, a deputy mayer here in DC almost got fired over language. He used the word niggardly (i.e. stingy, esp. in a mean way) in a budget meeting. There were two civil rights complaints filed the day of the meeting. It took intervention from the mayor to tell the hypersensitive types with limited language skills where to head in. Even then, there were some people who said the official "ought to have known what it would sound like to African-Americans."

Another time, while stationed in Germany, I witnessed an almost fight between a black American GI and a German civilian. The GI overheard the German refer to a neger (pronounced nay' ger), German for Negro. The GI got all bent out of shape. If he had taken the trouble at some time during his tour in Germany to learn a little of the culture, the GI would have known that the German was using the polite (1960's) term. The pegorative German word was schwarz (black).

Anyway, just goes to show that if people want to find something to feel bitter about, they'll find it.

oleteach

on Nov 17, 2004

Them : "Pickaninny. Why is that not the right word?"

How well I remember your shock when that sweet, innocent, humble relative used that word, which in your young, limited experience, was always used as a racial slur and is used when a person believes that one race is intrinsically superior to the member of a different race.

Since I have known this relative intimately over a period of many years, I thought you were being a little hidebound yourself… no matter that you were ever so gently censuring this dear, kind soul who would never look down on any other person. Probably the only place this word had ever come up was from readings from books published long before it became known as a racial slur. Jack London used it to describe the babies of West Indian women. His marvelous writings date back to the early 1900’s.

Still, even such innocent remarks should not go unchallenged. We all may be more like the ogre Shrek who claims that he is like an onion with many layers. When his loveable, well-intentioned verbose companion, the jackass, peels off one such film, it might be time to smell the stink that lies hidden deep within. (The movie Shrek is a great one that depicts prejudice in a wonderful, humorous way.)

Dr Guy

on Nov 17, 2004

I know what you mean about it being kind of latent, and tha tis a pity. I use to work with a lady at a theme park. We were supervisors in the Merchandise area, and had a lot of people working for us, of all races. I never detected any bigotry with her in her work assignments or treatments of any employee.

One day, she grabs me and pulls me out to the front of the store to see a 'little black baby' as she said. She thought they were so cute. Ok, so nothing wrong with that I guess. It was a femine thing. Later, she saw an interracial couple walking down the side walk and almost tossed her cookies! Then it dawned on me. I had known her for 2 years, and never suspected.

When we elected the first black governor, he barely won, altho exit polls (oh, no not those again!) showed him winning by about 10%. He actually won by about 5000 votes. again, not overt, but latent bigotry.

And Roger, many blacks still prefer to be called black. African American is just too loose a term as arabs and caucasions can use the term legally. Tersa Heinz Kerry is an African American, but she is not black.

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