Getting past race

I'm no authority on racial issues. I just know what I try to do in my own life, and what I wish other people would do in their lives.

In my life, I try not to make such a big deal out of race. It's not that I don't see people's race (I'm not colorblind), or that I'm unaware of racial differences and racial tensions. It's just that I try not to let all of that influence me too much.

That's why, for example, when I'm quoting someone who used the word "nigger," I write out the whole word. I don't call it "the n-word."

With my friends who are Hispanic, or Asian, or Jewish--I would say black, but I don't have any black friends, only black acquaintances, and not many of those--I make jokes that play on racial and ethnic stereotypes. Not all the time, so that it's uncomfortable, but at times when I know they would think it was funny. And I laugh at their jokes about Catholics, whites, and Americans, too. (I know we're getting beyond race here into matters of religion, ethnicity, and nationality, but you get the idea.)

Also, when I'm writing or talking about public policy or plain old social life, I think it's okay to say things that some people think you're not supposed to say. For example, if you look at Census reports, you know that some Hispanics consider themselves white and some don't. So I asked one of my Hispanic friends whether he considered himself white. I told another friend who was entering the world of online dating that he ought to consider looking first at the predominantly black/African-American dating sites. He asked why. I said that among a largely white subscriber base, which is what he would find on match.com, he wouldn't stand out as much in terms of profession, education, and income as he would among a predominantly black subscriber base. (Of course, there's an assumption here that the subscriber bases on these cites mirror the characteristics of the broader population. That may not be true. There's also an assumption that women care a lot about a guy's profession, education, and income. On second thought, that's probably not true...and guys don't care a lot about women's looks, either.)

So, that's how I approach these things. My reasoning is that we're all grown-ups, and we can deal with matters of race as grown-ups. That means we can talk about them openly, honestly, and with a sense of humor. It doesn't mean that we don't have to be sensitive; clearly, we do. But we shouldn't be SO sensitive that we have to rope off entire areas of contemporary life as too difficult to discuss.

What prompted this post? I was reading this Peggy Noonan article about Hillary Clinton. Noonan expresses shock and outrage that Hillary would have said that she can win white votes that Dems will need to carry the fall election, and that Obama may not be able to. Shocking? Outrageous? I don't think so. I'd like Hillary to be able to back up her claim with data, but she may very well be right. It's the same thing with Bill Clinton saying that Jesse Jackson had won a couple of states on the strength of the black vote, but that that didn't mean he could win the presidency. It's true. That's not "playing the race card," as critics said. It's just a statement of fact. (It was also a bogus analogy to what was going on at the time with the Obama campaign, and you should feel free to bust Clinton's chops for that.)

Don't get me wrong. I know that there are plenty of truly embarrassing, disturbing, shocking comments that people make about race and ethnicity every day. Don Imus' "nappy-headed ho's" remark comes to mind, for example. Or take Bill O'Reilly's comment about his experience at Sylvia's restaurant in Harlem:

"I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship."

O'Reilly is speaking frankly and honestly here, as I'm suggesting we all should, but in doing so he's betraying some clear prejudices (literally, pre- judgments). His remarks and the stereotypes behind them ought to be (or ought to have been; they're old news now) addressed in a civil, responsible, honest manner. But there's no doubt that they should have been addressed, and that O'Reilly should have felt chastened. (The day that O'Reilly feels chastened about anything, by the way, is the day that purple unicorns squirt Mrs. Butterworth's reduced-calorie syrup from their horns.)

As I said, there are plenty of instances of genuinely ignorant and irresponsible racial discussion, comments, and commentary in America today. Let's focus our anger and outrage on those. Let's not beat people up, accuse them of racism or "racial insensitivity," or talk about "playing the race card" when someone has done nothing more than speak openly, honestly, and accurately about a matter that in some way touches on the subject of race.

Comments

[Vox]

I think a point worth noting here is that they are the party of identity politics - and the party of outrage.

They have spent inordinate amounts of time assuring that the slightest gaffe is magnified and beaten into the ground. To then expect to avoid the same treatment at a comment about "white votes" is remarkably naive. And very Clintonesque

[Special Agent Johnny Utah]

You're right about that, for sure. So, even though I don't agree with excoriating them for their remarks, it's certainly a case of chickens coming home to roost. (I wish I had lived on a farm at some point so that I would understand the literal meaning of that phrase.)

In truth, I have been shocked, outraged, and offended (yup, those same buzz-words) at some of the things that Democrats have said about Republicans, race, and racism. As I've written here before, I think Cheney's "fuck you" to Patrick Leahy was completely justified...maybe a little on the mild side, in fact. If you're going to casually call Republicans racist, you're going to get an aggressive, hostile response. At least that's what you SHOULD get. Republicans, though, are too caught up in the whole "my respected colleague" culture. Screw that. If Howard Dean called me a racist, I would say, "Howard, you have one chance to take it back. After that, we can be friends again. If you don't take it back, we are enemies. I will do everything in my power to make your life miserable, starting with a forceful, Krav Maga-inspired elbow to your face."

[john]

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