In the event that David Duke carries out his threat to reveal the names of other political figures who have attended his White Supremacist meetings, dont be the least bit surprised if among those names are people known to be Democrat/Liberal Progressives for bigotry is not exclusive to Republicans, Conservatives, Right Wingers, and the like. Theyre just more open with it than folks on the Left but it still exists on both sides of the political aisle; thats just how it is. Some of the most color blind people I have ever known (and still know) are Republicans/Conservatives and some of the most racist people I have ever met are Democrats/Liberals. Bigotry, racism, white supremacy; these ideas are as much a result of upbringing as anything else and the mistake a lot of people make is that they automatically assume that because they have adopted a progressive, Left leaning mindset, that they have automatically purged themselves of their bigotry, and neutralized the racist influences of their past. Yet this is just not how it works. The idea that because a white person assumes a Progressive mindset and supports black people automatically gives them license to tell we black people what we should do, how we should think, and how we should conduct ourselves is a form of racism in itself for no political stance or label ever justifies it. It means nothing to me as a black person that certain white people feel guilt over what white people have done to us; that somehow the expression of that guilt should make us feel more kindly disposed towards, and more willing to listen to those who give expression of such guilt. Whats important to me at least is how people are treated on a one to one basis. Do you as a white person consciously or subconsciously treat and/or think of your friends who happen to be black any differently than you do those who happen to be white? Do you respect the same same social boundaries in your dealings with your friends of color as you do with your friends who are white? Are you more willing to get more personal and at a faster pace with your friends of color than you do with your friends who are white and if so ask yourself why. All of these things we people of color notice, even if we dont give voice to these observations. The bottom line is that like all human beings and like most living things, our differentiating friend & foe is ultimately about instinct; about the vibes we get from a given individual. It ultimately has nothing to do with their politics. It is about the person or to be more precise, it is about the level of comfort we feel in dealing with that particular individual on a one to one basis and the greater the comfort level we feel with that person, the closer we become to them. This cannot be forced. This common chemistry is either there or it isnt. As such in the end, it matters not whether one is Republican/Conservative or Democrat/Liberal. It is the person and not the politics of that person who we people of color, like all people, will ultimately use to determine whether or not that particular person we are dealing with is friend or foe and it is the truly color blind among us who are the ones who not only accept our right to do this, but do so by instinct; by not even having to think about it.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:34:12 +0000
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