busyHolder: US a "Nation of Cowards" on Race Discussions
Terry Frieden, CNN: "In a blunt assessment of race relations in the United States, Attorney General Eric Holder Wednesday called the American people 'essentially a nation of cowards' in failing to openly discuss the issue of race. In his first major speech since being confirmed, the nation's first black attorney general told an overflow crowd celebrating Black History Month at the Justice Department the nation remains 'voluntarily socially segregated.'"
I think that: 1) Americans do not discuss racial issues enough, 2) there are some serious racial problems that need discussion and solution, 3) SOME Americans are cowardly about discussions of race while others are not, 4) and calling people "cowards" unfairly denies credit to courageous debators and activists while merely offending people who don't generally discuss racism. Just because one has a point doesn't necessarily mean that one has expressed it in an efficient and effective manner. If you want people to do something, calling them names is unlikely to make them do it.
Furthermore, just because someone is not an activist on a given issue doesn't necessarily mean they're cowardly about it; they may have their hands full with some other worthy cause(s) and/or they may not have encountered a situation in which that particular issue brought itself to their attention vividly. "Coward" implies a decision to flee from a discussion due to moral failing; not everyone has necessarily confronted such a decision point or had the resources to devote to pursuing it vigorously.
So I found the article interesting, and it had some valid points, but they could have been presented in a more constructive and effective way. When it comes to discussing racism, I've been consistently impressed with Teaching Tolerance.
If you want to start a discussion, there are two pretty reliable ways: 1) Make it attractive to people, usually by attaching it to an interest or benefit of theirs; frex, illuminate how racism relates to other problems America is facing. 2) Put it somewhere they can't simply weasel around it easily, as the civil rights movement did.
Since I am interested in promoting the kind of harmonious heterogenous society that racism undermines, I'll just pick up the ball and see where it goes. Given that we've got a President of mixed ethnic background (commonly identified as "America's first black President") who is building a governing team that includes people of widely assorted ethnic backgrounds, for the purpose of leading a country many of whose citizens prefer to self-segregate ... what do you think is going to happen? Will that delightfully mixed leadership come up with great ideas only to be stonewalled by a citizenship that stubbornly behaves like oil and water? Or will the good example at high levels inspire people farther down to mix more? What are some things we could be doing to facilitate healthy and productive discussions of race issues? Does the current government expand our options in that regard, compared to previous governments, and if so how can we take advantage of new opportunities?
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Re: I agree.
February 20 2009, 02:54:17 UTC 12 years ago
assumption that we should never talk about these things.<<
That can happen, yes. *chuckle* I was discussing it with a black friend in college, whose assessment of me was, "Yeah, you can pass for white ... until you open your mouth." Which is true, because my appearance and prevailing genetics are European, but my cultural background is a great deal more eclectic and that comes out rather quickly.
There are people I don't care to discuss sensitive topics with, because they can't handle such things responsibly. But I usually manage to find some people who can.
Re: I agree.
February 20 2009, 13:51:48 UTC 12 years ago
Re: I agree.
Anonymous
February 20 2009, 14:23:23 UTC 12 years ago
I've never been a subscriber to popular opinion.
I don't even have a cell phone because I hate the
way they have isolated our society. A bunch of
grown ups running around like toddlers with a
security blanket yak, yak, yaking about nothing
at all. And in most cases, just to be seen and
heard.
I personally don't believe in "racism". I think
it's an over rated, misconstrued, political term
devised by some brainiac at some point in time to
address the real more pertanant issue of cultural
bais.
In my mind, there is only one race with a global
myriad of diversified "Cultures". The only true
race that people truly idetify themselves to and
with is the "Human Race".
Take a look at the inhabitants of the island of
Puerto Rico. They come in a myriad of distinctive
colors from white as white to black as black. But
they don't segregate themselves because they identify
themselves to and with one another by "Culture".
The real issue at the heart of the matter is acceptance
of cultural differences. Not race, or racism.
Re: I agree.
February 21 2009, 04:20:03 UTC 12 years ago
way they have isolated our society. <<
Yea, verily.
>>The real issue at the heart of the matter is acceptance
of cultural differences. Not race, or racism.<<
Hmm ... I think that's partly right. Some groups really are defined more by culture than by skin tone. But some people still decide to mistreat other people based solely on skin tone, not on culture.