2 posts tagged “race”

I think Barack Obama played the whole Rev. Wright thing slightly wrong. I don't think he should have disowned him. No, he should have gone hard in the other direction. Maybe it's just me, but I think black folks should be mad at white folks in this country.

Now, bear in mind, I have been friends with 5%ers (Who, it must be said, I still think are a little loco)at the same time as a racist was my governor. Bear in mind I've been a minority, first in east Los Angeles, and then, in the Middle East. Bear in mind, I still think Public Enemy were one of the greatest Rock bands of the past quarter century (Yes, I said "Rock". Certainly, they were Hip Hop, but 4/4 time, plus screaming guitars, plus passion equals rock in my mind). So, maybe I'm not thinking entirely correctly, but whatever my race happens to be, if I had the same history as many black men have in this country? I'd be fairly angry with White men. Maybe, if America thinks it's ready for a Black President, then, it's also ready to redress righteous black Anger, as well.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article2189194.ece

Notice the bit where he's talking about the notion of "race" as it is usually used "black, white, yellow" probably not being real? Ask my wife, ask my friends, ask my Mom: I've been following that line, forever. I understand that, sociologically, and politically, "race" exists. But, biologically? No way. I much, much prefer smaller groupings. Instead of "white" I usually think of things like "slavic groups" and "gallic Celts" and "Saxons". Even those, I recognize aren't fully biologically supported. But, they're close enough. Still, I most fully believe that the genetic differences between me, a guy from Nepal, and a guy from Senegal are far, far less than between me and one of my female cousins. (I recognize that even that isn't a fully supportable stance, but it's still quite a bit more accurate than believing that there's such a thing as "black" or "white" people.)