I generally have a low tolerance for people who want to make a big deal out of isolated incidents when it comes to racism, sexism, homophobia and what are generally intolerant actions and attitudes. And so with that in mind, I’m a bit reluctant to discuss what appears to be a spike in intolerance among some segments of the U.S. populace as a result of our recent election.
Nonetheless, I’d be remiss for not examining what may be an issue upon which the “everything is better crowd” needs to reflect. None of this is surprising, of course, but it might be happening under the radar of our major media outlets because there is more important news to cover–like the end days of the global capitalist empire. Just a small story that merits a few weeks of saturating coverage.
Check out this article by Andrea Shalal-Esa that was carried by Reuters: “White Community Adapts to Obama Reality”
After reading the article “White Community Adapts to Obama Reality” I can’t say that I was surprised that these situations and circumstances are still occurring in our country. After the election of the first black president Barack Obama last November, I feel that the media has blown out of proportion the fact that our country is finally past the idea of racism and has succeeded in equal rights. Though there is no doubt we are making strides towards these things, it is completely ridiculous to say that they have been accomplished, and I feel that we still have a very long way to go. I think that the election of Barack Obama was definitely a large step, and a huge accomplishment for America, but in no way does it mean that equality has all of a sudden been accomplished. The article demonstrates the racism that can still be found in this country today, and contrary to what many people may think, or the extent that people may or may not have been exposed to racism, I don’t think that the situation or attitudes in this article is of rare form. Although I cannot say the same for myself, I know many people who come from predominantly white neighborhoods that have been surrounded by people with the same attitudes as the ones displayed in this article and am happy to say that I did not grow up in such an environment. It is also crazy to think about the area that just 20 years ago held Ku Klux Klan rallies and racial graffiti so recently has changed incredibly in so little time. In the article when the person said that the racism acts were discouraging but was heartened by the way that it was covered up I didn’t know how to react. I do agree that it was nice for the janitors and students to get rid of the grafitti so quickly after it had happened, but part of me also feels like that is slightly an excuse to make things seem better. If that had happened at my school I would have been so upset and furious and don’t know if just cleaning it up would make me feel better. In the article they mentioned how the United States could be turning into a “Minority-majority” country and this interested me. I never really thought about such a thing but it makes sense to see how people could be predicting this to happen so soon. I know that the United States is supposed to be country of opportunity, somewhere to come and be able to live the American “dream”, and even though I am in no way opposed to the diversity, it definitely made me question if one day minorities will actually make up a majority of the country.
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I would definitely consider myself as a part of the “everything is better” crowed that Dr. Richards mentions in his post. My lack of understanding racism begins with the fact I cannot grasp the reality that people are treated differently based on the color of their skin. It baffles my mind. In the ages of slavery, why weren’t dark skinned people deemed superior instead? At the root of everything is “difference.” It seems to me like humans are programmed to feel a sort of discomfort when exposed to something that they are not used to. Perhaps it comes from intimidation or ignorance. Personally, when I am confronted with something new, I feel a little bit of fear but mostly curiosity. I cannot and will never understand how certain white people convinced every other white person that black people were for slavery. It is beyond my comprehension. Any unease I feel in diverse racial situations is largely based on the fact that a black person or an Asian person appears different than me. I do not put myself above them and I do not know how that has ever been okay in the past.
My mom told me an interesting story lately. She was on the phone with one of my aunts (they are both white), discussing the election. At that point, my mom was unsure which candidate she was going to vote for. My aunt could not fathom the fact my mom would even consider Obama. “You would think about voting for that [n-word]?” my aunt said. My mom casually came back at her with, “Shelly, I didn’t know you were a racist.” My aunt basically stuttered as she insisted that she was not a racist. It is a sad reality that some people with such thoughts do not look at themselves as racist and I guess I can’t blame them. It is not exactly a classification that comes a term of endearment. However, in order for people to overcome racism they need to be honest with themselves. I feel that when my mom posed that question, my aunt was forced to stop and think about the stance she was taking. Admitting you have a problem is the first step, right?
It is scary to know that such bigotry exists. I know that people are racist, but those who I know personally keep their thoughts to themselves. It saddens me to think that there are people in American school systems who are expressing their racism through horrible acts. I believe that a lot of their feelings come from complete ignorance. In a community consisting of 2.2% black people and less of other races, it is fair to say that a white student has never had any interaction with a person of minority. Where do they come off expressing such hatred? That is not to say that someone who has had a single bad experience is justified in generalizing an entire group of people. But at least in that scenario there is some sort of basis behind it.
Okay, so everything is not better and in some places, perhaps it is worse. But I truly believe that a lot of race barriers were broken when Barak Obama was elected president. Maybe we are one step closer to “better.”
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I come from a small, predominately white town as well. I wasn’t home around election time, and I haven’t really spoken to anyone who lives in my town since then, but I can’t imagine what their reactions have been since Obama was elected president. I know a lot of my friends weren’t very happy with the results, but I would be ashamed and appalled if I heard that anything had happened that was as bad as what happened in Westminster, Maryland. I think it’s a crime how closed-minded people can be, even today. On the other hand, I think that the town responded pretty well as a whole. There were no “racial incidents,” and the school community in particular came together really well to get rid of the hate graffiti. I thought it was really cool how the students rallied to help get rid of it/cover it up. I’d like to think that the kids at my school would do the same kind of thing.
I can’t decide what to really think about small-town backwardness. On one hand, my first instinct is to comment on how terrible it is, that there are still people who think like that, that there are still people who think that anyone different than them is less than human. My first response is to shake my head and pity the small towns of the world for being so closed off and closed-minded. After I think about this for a little while, I think of what could be done about it. Should we educate them more, open everyone’s eyes to the culture of the world and show the old white biddies in their front porch rocking chairs that there is more to life than their little town? And I get to thinking again. What would it be like if their racism was completely eliminated? There’s no reason to keep it around, but some weird part of me wonders about leveling the world in such a manner. It seems like culture, especially the culture of America, is comprised of all the different thoughts, views, opinions, judgments, and misjudgments of people all around the country. No one can argue that you know exactly where you are in the country by the way people speak and act and think. Each part of America is like a completely different culture in and of itself. Pennsylvania is different than Arizona is different that Illinois is different than South Carolina is different than Washington state. You don’t even have to ask where you are…you just know. And aren’t the South and the small Northeastern towns kind of known for their bigotry and tight-lipped disapproval of all things different?
These thoughts are very confusing and hard to articulate. Any logical thought process of mine says that racism is wrong and hurtful and should be fixed, or at least attempted to be fixed. And it is wrong, and it is hurtful. But there’s some weird feeling that feels a little bit of regret at the idea of my very old, very small-town, very racist grandma approving of me bringing an Asian boy home, or not indignantly telling my brother and sister that “we don’t need a nigger in the White House.” I can’t find anything right about any of that at all, but something in me smiles just a little bit at the thought of four old wrinkly white ladies in big hats sitting around playing bridge and talking about how great things were before the Spics invaded the town.
I can’t decide what to really think about all this. Does this make me a bad person? Undoubtedly.
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Barack Obama, a poster boy for white supremacists throughout the United States. It really is not that hard to believe considering some of the widespread ignorance that is still present in parts of the country. The election of our first black president may have definitely pushed some people over the edge to more radical and extremist thinking. Hate/Terrorist groups like the KKK, Skinheads, and the Neo-Nazis have a history of using tough times to bolster their numbers, which have waned since the 90′s. Their dropping numbers may have been one reason they were kept out of the limelight for so long. Now with recent economic crises and the war in Iraq, they may be able to silently gain numbers. It is historically acurate to say that many of these groups often take advantage of economic depression and recession to recruit moderates to their cause. This is even true for terrorist groups abroad and is how Hitler was able to rise to power in Germany before World War II. It is because of groups like these and the economic climate in which Barack Obama has been elected that I am truly worried about his safety. With all the hope and expectations of the people of the United States on his shoulders, it would be crippling to this country if he were to be assassinated by some misguided group of racists. I think that might be the single act that could really hurt the future of this country. At the same time I have a lot of faith in the secret service, and I am sure the need for increased precautions and security has not gone over their head. I would like to think that people would not be so easily swayed into joining these groups but I guess it is worth giving some precaution. Maybe the government should increase surveillance on some of these groups in order to make sure they don’t gain too much power and become increasingly violent.
There are a few things I found to be very disturbing when reading the article. Like how many incidents of violence occured that were suspected to be linked with the Presidential election. It might also have something to do with how long this election has been built up for. The primaries most certainly saw the most press coverage they have ever had, so really the whole campaign process was seen by the public in its entirity. I was happy to see that some teachers were trying to aleviate some of the racial tensions in their community by properly educating and discussing the subject matter with their students. I think more teachers and parents should do this otherwise it can lead to an event, which I found to be the most horrifying of all, 3rd and 4th graders chanting “assassinate Obama” on their school bus. That community could probably supply Jerry Springer with a season’s worth of issues.
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I think it will always seem strange to me how these bits of racism still linger in some parts of our country, however I do think that racism is in its end days. A post racists society is dawning, which is certainly a good thing. Carroll County in Maryland seems to be a rather unique because of it’s homogeneity and perhaps acts of racism still crop up in these places because there is so little variety. There is no exposure to other cultures and for some reason we enjoy being able to exclude others who are not like ourselves. This ostracization of others can be found everywhere in life. Fraternities, sororities, organizations, high school cliques, prestigious colleges, and economic status almost always exhibits some sort of discrimination towards outsiders. What makes this possible is a conceited pride that crops somehow. Perhaps we are engrossed in grounding our identities we have to exclude others in order to feel good about our choices. We need to polarize things, make something the enemy or the opposition or different in order to justify the choices that we make, and feel proud of who we are. If, for example, I needed to justify the importance of monetary wealth in order to achieve happiness I would need to do more than simply saying its comfortable, I would need to create some sort of opposite. I would need to demonize something. So I would demonize those who don’t have what I have. I would need to show that they are inferior in all aspects of life and therefore incapable of being happy in order say, ”I’m right because they are wrong,” and in all seriousness happiness doesn’t really come with great wealth. This is certainly a childish antic but I feel as though it rings true for most social structures. Its like a group of young boys starting a club house where only other boys can join and their justification is because girls are icky. Are girls really icky? No, they aren’t, but it helps those boys feel as though their identity is the right one…the best. I’m not completely sure why we are so obsessed with having the best or greatest identity or why that even matters. I have a hard time understanding why people need to put others below them in order to feel content about who they are. I am reluctant to believe that people are simply that insecure or greedy or whatever but it is certainly a childish and sad thing. Now tying this back to a very homogeneous place such as Carroll County we can see how some of this racism is still lingering. The notion of having a black president was probably so troubling to their insecure little minds that they needed to vent their stupidity by making those racist comments.
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It is clear that there is still a lot of white racism in our country. I do not think that those prejudices will dissolve until people are not growing up in households which harbor and express racist beliefs. Many of us have grandparents who use words which we consider unacceptable, and then many others have parents and siblings who express racist feelings.
After Barack Obama’s election, I have experienced more open conversations about race relations rather than overt discrimination. This may be because we live at a university where many people have open minds because they are here to enlighten themselves. Most of the comments that I hear about Barack Obama’s presidency mention that this is a monumental moment that is really defining change in our country. Of course race is always mentioned when talking about Obama, but I rarely hear it as a negative comments.
It is interesting to read Courtney Case’s comments in the article about the Maryland town; she did not even know that her friends had those feelings (racist ideas). It is almost as if some significant event concerning race needed to occur for those ideas to be outwardly expressed. Since these students live in a predominantly white county, they probably do not come into contact with situations concerning race so people like Courtney do not even hear what her closest friends think about other races.
Although I went to a significantly white high school where there are some people who do not like black people or Latino people, I grew up in a family which did not condone racial prejudice. I do not think that someone’s race affects who they are as a person. I get angry when I see people like guy in the photo on the blog. White supremacists, people in the Aryan Nation, and people harboring Ku Klux Klan-type ideas treat other humans like they are somehow subordinate and unworthy because of the color of their skin. These ideas are infuriating because it is so terrible to see people treated so poorly. Discrimination is so unnecessary, and the sooner people accept that idea, the better off our society will be. These people seem to be so stead-fast in their ideology that it is amazing because I cannot imagine honestly believing that discriminatory practices are not just okay, but right.
I hope that in the future we can move past racial discrimination, especially in towns and counties such as the one in the Maryland article because I think that these places will be the last to move on. It is difficult to change ideas in places that have no people of color to disprove the locals’ current perceptions. Sure, there are some people who perpetuate stereotypes, but for most people, the stereotypes do not hold true and I wish that people would take the time to look around and realize that their black or Latino or Asian neighbor is just like him or her.
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In his famous speech MLK said, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” A couple weeks ago Sam posted something asking us if Obama’s being elected meant that Martin Luther King Junior’s dream had been realized. But if our nation is founded upon freedom, then this article proves that no, we are not as free as we are and therefore are not living out the meaning of our nation’s creed.
We proclaim to be America, the great melting pot that accepts a plethora of views (religious, political, social, racial) but are we really that accepting? Are we really that free? I mean when you compare us to a country like North Korea, who supposedly has no freedom, we really are not that different. In the morning, we wake up and pick out our clothes and what we want to eat and so do they. They are not allowed to speak negatively of their dictator but are we really allowed to speak that freely about ours? Of course, I know we have the freedom of speech and yes, we are freer than North Koreans are in that we can actually voice opposition. However, freedom is the ability to do someone and to make your own choices without consequence. When someone gives an extremist view of any topic, they are buried with criticisms and in some circumstances practically shunned. Like the tattoo for example, just the fact that we’re talking about the point behind the man’s tattoos means that we’re not really that free. If we were that free would we even be having this conversation? It would be so normal for people to tattoo racial slurs on their face it wouldn’t be an issue. And we’re also not as free as we think because we still don’t all feel comfortable talking about our differences and opinions. I don’t think this class would even exist if race was still not an issue because it would be so completely normal for us to approach each other about our differences and are cultural influences. In fact, maybe we wouldn’t have curiosities about these things because they would be completely normal.
If we are as free as we think we are, then why do we hesitate when we see a person wearing a turban? Why do we make jokes about black people not being able to swim or pretend to speak Chinese and then quickly look around us to make sure no Asians or Blacks are around us? I mean, seriously why are we even in this class ( a somewhat controlled setting being exposed to things that just aren’t talked about)? If we were really free then we would say whatever we want and not be inhibited. Yes, some people say whatever they want but in general as a society, when such people speak out, we all stop and stare because that’s just not something we’re accustomed to. If we are really free, then we would say the first things that entered our minds no matter how racist or degrading. We would not be worried about offending anyone. But we’re obviously not free as the tattooed man shows us. Though he acted on his own free will and got a tattoo, the force of society limited that act of freedom by disagreeing with the racial implications of his tattoo.
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When we say, “They have a right to believe whatever they want to believe, but I can’t believe or support what they do,” that’s limiting someone’s freedom. True freedom is very unrestricted and in that sense, we will never be free. So that means that MLK’s dream will never be realized, however discussions like the one our class allows us to have bring us closer to a more pure freedom
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I live about ten minutes away from Carroll County in a neighboring community and I think that this article is a little over exaggerated. Carroll County is predominantly white but I know many people that are products of its public education and I have never seen nor heard any thing that goes on in the article. Also, I think that it is kind of a given that children in high school may say some controversial things. This is because they are not educated. They are only going off of what they hear adults talking about. I am a little upset that the kids from around me were made out to seem like racists, Kids say and do stupid things. They are trying to get attention and what they say normally doesn’t have strong repercussions. The article also mentioned some small acts of violence or verbal fights. It failed to mention that there were other people from the same area that had strong beliefs that went against racism and they were willing to stand up for what they believe in. Carroll County seems to be being attacked because it just happens to have a mostly white community. When a community has on overwhelming majority sometimes people have a slip of the tongue and might assume other people are like them. I do not think it is racism it is just something people do. It is a psychological fact that people assume others families are like theirs. Paying attention to what children do in response to events that affect the whole world generally mean that there are no major problems. Think about it. If something happens why would I be concerned of the least educated, people who are less likely to pay attention, and who are inclined to go against the grain. When the kids of Westminster wrote racial slurs in their courtyard I doubt it was because of particular hate of anyone they just knew it would have a huge response. They were right, now it is in an article that I am reading for a class in college. As for the text message that was sent around, I got a couple of those but they were jokes. I voted for Obama and I laughed. The people who sent them to me voted for Obama sent them to me. The reason I laughed was because I knew that whatever it said was ridiculous. I know that this whole things comes off like I am supporting what those kids did. I am not. It is wrong. But like Dr. Richards said. It is an isolated incident by children. It is not a big deal. I think it is good that we have to look towards high school students to find the racism that has been a product of the election.
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White Racism is a movement that was somewhat squashed a long time ago. The moment that slavery was abolished and black people were given equal rights it signaled the removal of white supremists from the top posts in society. The world began to notice what was right and what wasn’t. Likewise, the incident cited here, about fights in several county schools is immaterial. This isn’t a spike in white racism. This is their ‘natural’ reaction. It is the same reaction you get at the end of an election. The losing side rarely truly accepts defeat and there is always talk of a recount and whispers of how the other candidate did something to influence people. In the Barack Obama-John McCain election it was a landslide win to Obama. This meant that there was no dispute that could be created. There was only the reaction that came from pro-white people activists.
Their small outcry is simply a means to get attention from a crowd that has already recognized the power of co existing in a multicultural society. Nobody wants to listen to how you don’t trust someone because of their skin color. The last president came through and for eight years almost stalled the country. The new president offers hope and motivates people into working harder in one of the hardest times in American history. How could you say that you don’t trust your president because of the color of his skin? If there was any movement, at any time in the world that you could be a part of, I suggest that you join the wave of people who want peace, security, and a better life. There are always going to be racists in society. It is important that we find and get rid of these people because sooner or later they are going to attempt to influence people. Soon enough they are going to attempt to bring down everything American society has fought for all these years. They might try an underground revolution, they might pose a security threat, and when I see a man that the whole nation believes in, the first thing I want is for him to be safe, and that allows him to do his job which in turn helps all of us.
White Supremacy is a lost cause. They may still fight the battle to dominate over everyone who wants to get along in this country but truly speaking it’s a losing battle
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I am glad Dr. Richards decided to post this article, as I had been wondering about the statistics on racism after the election. Living in State College, there aren’t many instances where racist actions are displayed in public, so I didn’t really know if there were many aggressive racists around in the modern day United States. That is, until I read in the article about the 94% white community in Westminster, Maryland. The county is also largely Christian and conservative, with 64% supporting McCain, compared to 32.6% supporting Obama, far from the popular vote.
The most interesting part to me was about the school board member, Jeffrey Morse, who resigned after using a racial slur to describe some black rocks at a school construction site. As bad as that sounds, you have to consider that there had to have been other school administrators there who heard it and created the public controversy, so Morse was either an outspoken racist to say this in front of his superiors, or he made a very big mistake. Either way it’s surprising that a public school system could allow someone with a flaw of character and disrespect for black students be part of the school board. Larry Brumfield, who had the “We’re Watching You” bumper sticker put on his car and his biracial children called zebras, was also very surprising. I had never heard of any outright racist actions such as this, but if these types of actions occur commonly across the nation, I think this is a problem that needs attention. America is going to constantly becoming more diverse over the coming decades, and the people who still have problems with people of different races are going to have to change in order to live with the diverse groups of people they will face in everyday life. While there are a few who opposed Obama as President because he was black and are revealing their racist selves to the public, they can’t continue acting out forever, as their odds aren’t getting any better.
During the election I began to think about how the racist communities and white supremacists would respond if Barack Obama was elected as President. Now that he is in office, I can say that I haven’t noticed any change myself, but the apparent “spike in white racism” is taking place in the more densely white populated and rural areas, from the normal citizens such as those featured in the article. I always knew about the white supremacist subcultures such as the skinheads and the Aryan Nations neo-Nazis, the family featured in the cake story a few blog posts back. I thought of these people as the modern day KKK, the only people performing the hateful acts, but now I can see that it’s normal people too, such as those in Westminster spraying racist graffiti on their school’s entrance courtyard.
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With the recent election, it just better proves that the United States of America is better establishing racial equality. Of course, we all know that there are some white supremacy groups in the U.S. I, for one, believe that can’t be helped. I disagree with the fact that after the election people are turning “racist”. First of all, these groups have always existed way before the 2008 election. It’s not the fact that Obama won the election that caused what appeared to be an increase in the white supremacy groups. It is, rather, more activity and outreach by these groups. For example, you have a neighbor, after the election he suddenly spoke about how he doesn’t like Obama, and how he wished an African-American did not become the president. It’s not the election that turned him “racist” but rather he has never spoken about this before (because there have never been an African-American president). Second of all, the election can be seen as a fuse. These group used to never have anything valid to complain about. Because all of our previous presidents are white, and white population in this country is the majority. However, now it is different. The “taboo” position of presidency have finally been taken by a black men. So these groups will use this as an excuse and go out to petition, rally etc. So we see an increase in activity from these groups but that doesn’t necessarily mean that there is an increase in members.
However, there can be other reasons to explain the election results. First of all is people that are not eligible to vote. If a kid’s parents are in a white supremacy group, then it is very likely that the child will share the same belief as the parents. Therefore, people that are not represented in the polls might have this belief. Second of all, though I find this unlikely, but some immigrants that do not have U.S citizenship that is not African or have dark skin might also have ill-feeling towards him. Like people that are underage, these people are also not represented in the polling population. Although racism should not be tolerated and it is morally wrong, we have to see that there are always two sides to any political means. Such as for and against abortion, for and anti gun rights, so naturally there are going to be people that are against Obama because of his race. Though that is by no means justification for these groups, but there are always two sides to a stone. Obama did win the election, therefore, we as a country can see pass race and elect a president base on his ability. That is a major stepping stone for us to progress as a country and really do one hundred percent realize Martin Luther King Junior’s dream.
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When I first read the article on how a “white community adapts to Obama,” it really shocked me. I am from Maryland, however a different county: Montgomery County. I live about 30 minutes from Washington, DC in a small little town. A small, wealthy, predominately white area. However, my town is so small, we don’t have our own schools, so we join another town’s district instead. So therefore, even though my neighbors and every house around me are filled with whites, my high school was very diverse. My principle was even black. So for me, having a black leader such as Obama does not mean anything different. I am more concerned about their personal qualities and how they will make our lives better than what race they are.
When I read about how this teacher acted and how her students acted about the election, it made me very upset and worried that now, many people will start to believe that all whites from Maryland are like this. The beginning of this article embarrassed me because I don’t want to be categorized in such a way.
At the end of the article, in the changing times section, it states how the daughters of a black man and white woman were called “zebras.” This really got me thinking, for one, about my personal relationship. I have currently been in a relationship with a black man for about six months now. And not that I’m thinking of kids yet or anything, it just makes me nervous that if I do have a child with a man of color, how will my kids be affected. I honestly believe that if I stayed in the area that I am currently living, then my children will not have a problem—that is because of its diversity. I mean my high school contained about 40% Whites, 30% Blacks, 20% Asian, and 10% Hispanic and other minorities. But I think that if I moved a little farther away from the city, about 30 minutes from my home, into the country or even the Potomac area, they will certainly have some issues growing up. I stated the Potomac area just because it is known to be where all the white, rich kids live whom own mansions and beach houses and 5 cars. And honestly, the stereotype is true. My mother actually lived there as a child, however she lived in the “ghetto” part of the town.
This brings me to my next point. I feel that where you grow up as a lot to do with forming a perspective on the world. I also feel that your parents have a lot to do with this too. Since I have been brought up in the wealthier area, yet still went to a public, diverse school, I myself had difficulties growing up. People looked down upon me for having more than they did and it honestly hurt. I originally had fewer friends until they found out what kind of person I really was, and my views on the world. Neither of my parents were given their wealth on a silver platter, and therefore they don’t think I should be given everything that way either. They had to put themselves through college, so therefore they are going to make me work for it as well. And I am really thankful that I have to work for what I want, and also that I had the opportunity to go to such a diverse school, because now I know that the world can be a better place if everyone does their own part, and is more open to other people’s differences.
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I know that this past election was very historic. I was not much of a political person coming into this election but either the history or how important this election was to our country got me more interested in politics. I voted for Obama in the election because I believe in the change he preaches. However, with the election being over three months ago I am tired of hearing about people’s problems with Obama. Whether Obama or McCain won the election, the important thing we needed was for this country to support our leader. For eight years we have dealt with a leader who was one of the least popular presidents in history. I believe for this country to succeed we need to get behind our leader, whether he is democratic or republican, white or black, catholic or muslim, a cardinals fan or a bears fan. We need to look past all this bullshit, and focus on the problems at hand. For those who don’t support Obama, I am sorry McCain lost. However McCain would not have been able to fix this country no better than Obama might be able to without support from its citizens. In case people hadn’t noticed, our economy is almost as bad as it was during the Great Depression. Our reliance on oil and lack there of is going to affect THIS generation greatly. What we need to do is work as one. This country was founded on the principles of for the people, by the people. It is every person, whether an Obama supporter or not, who needs to wake up and shut up. McCain supporters need to stop crying about the election and Obama supports need to stop gloating about the election. Obama winning the election was not the savior this country needed. It’s what happens after he got elected that we need to focus on, and so far not too much has happened. I am scared about the future. I am scared how I am going to find a job in this world after college. I am scared about raising a family during this time. I am scared of how the future is going to be. Am I happy that Obama won, yes. However can we move past the historic factor of this election and help save this country! Our days are numbered. We need the media to stop with this obsession with Obama, and end this honeymoon. We need to focus on restarting this economy. What if this stimulus package doesn’t work? What would happen if the big 3 car companies go under? These are the questions that need to be asked and answered. I don’t care what religion Obama is, or if he’s more muslim than jewish. I care about what my leader is going to do to save this nation!
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In response to the blog “Spike in White Racism”, I think it is very rude how this white man expressed himself. Not only is he proving himself as a racist, but he stands for white people too. As a white person myself, I would be embarrassed to see this man in public, especially with black people around. I grew up in a very white community, with only few black people, but I still have more integrity. If this man really supports this deeply about Hitler than he should have expressed himself more secretly. A tattoo on your face is one thing. Think about that tattoo being racism. I’d never get a tattoo, but if someday I chose my mind, I would certainly pick something meaningful to me as an individual. Maybe I’d pick something about my family or a very close friend. I’d never pick something that is so general.
This also makes me think about the lecture Sam gave today about “Group Think.” When one person believes in one thing, they tend to look for people of the same beliefs, or, they are just affected so much by a group that their beliefs change to that of the group. This can be the reason this man believed in Hitler. When there were those terrible people killing others during the Holocaust, he may have been a follower or just became part of the group. Since then, it’s hard to change that opinion because he already found others that agree with his thinking.
I have noticed that this “Group Thinking” has been occurring today about our new president Obama. Whether or not he is a good president, I feel that some people have either formed groups for him or against him. People need to start believing in what they think is right. They need their individual thinking to come out and maybe then, we can get out country back on track. Even in the Republican and Democratic parties we see this tension. They believe one thing because the rest of their party, or group, does so. Maybe one solution to all this group thinking is to get rid of the political parties. If candidates shared their opinions freely and not based on party then we’d pick a good president. After all, the political parties today are screwed up. Democrats aren’t following all the liberal ways and Republicans are not so conservative.
So with this guy tattooing his face, he is only being part of the group thinking process. He doesn’t even realize how much of a fool he looks. He needs to be an individual and respect other people while doing it. I seriously don’t understand how people are still racist. It puts a bad name on white people and that’s why we get offended when called racist. We don’t like to be called racist because we truly aren’t. There are just some people out there that ruin it for all of us.
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First, I want to comment about the picture first. Tattoo is definitely acceptable in our society. Because it is the way that some people like to express themselves. But what matter is the message on the tattoo. It definitely represents something from you. Honestly if I see this guy walking around, I will freak out a little bit. After I read what each tattoo on his face means, it freaks me out a lot. I can’t imagine there are still many people like this around the world who are so racist and close-minded.
I am not surprised at all after reading the article. I am sure that this small town in Maryland is not the only town that this happen. I know there are still many people around the U.S. that are racist and hate Obama. I’ve been living in many different areas in United States and I can definitely tell that each area is so different from one another. I first live in California which is very diverse place. Having Chinese supermarkets, restaurants, and shopping centers is very common there. So for me, I do not feel difference at all because I am just another Asian there. After living there for a year, I moved to Boise in Idaho. I can tell that it is very difference place from California. Not only the geography, but even how people thought or personality is very different. I am one of the few Asian in my high school. All my friends know nothing about Asian countries. I can tell that they are not as open as Californians. I mean, of course, each person is difference and I don’t mean to offense anyone. But in general, people in smaller town that has very little diversity are not very open about race or sometimes they don’t even think about it. I know a lot of people who think United States is the best country when they have never been outside even once.
It is very sad to see all those little kids already became racist. I think it is the way their parents taught and raised them. Race will always be an issue. Even in the future, minority will become majority, there will always be racist people. Sometimes when we talk about racist, we usually think of white people against other racial group. What about Black or Asian that hate White? This is very controversial issue that is going to go on forever.
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The only thing I really learnt about this article was that white supremacy is basically the same as terrorism. Did I goo to far? I don’t think so. Terrorists want use violence and intimidation upon others that don’t see eye to eye on political and religious views. White supremacists are the same. They accept using violence and intimidation upon those that are different from them. If they see a video of their white friends hanging blacks, gays or lesbians on a tree, they’d love it and cheer em on. Just like terrorists. They’d love to see Americans beheaded or viciously killed.
I believe that people have the right to think however they want too, but that does not give ANYONE the right to threaten, or use violence against innocent lives just because one thinks it’s right to do so. The guy with the tats all over his face…I personally don’t know what to say to that. I think its even better NOT to say anything to that, but I’ll say something anyway. First off, I want to know what this guy does for a living. Doing that to yourself just limits you socially and limits you in the workforce. The man doesn’t even need to bother to dress up for an interview. By the time he sets foot in the interviewer’s office, the interviewer will say “The exit that way”. Secondly, what is this young man thinking?!? He doesn’t have a billboard or a shirt with all the racist signs and symbols., the man has them on his face. Just imagine him getting old and wrinkly. His face is gonna look disgusting (even more disgusting then the way it looks right now). How people do this to themselves is clearly beyond me. I think the million-dollar question is what are his friends or family members teaching him? It’s one thing to teach other people to discriminate and hate others, but its another thing to tattoo those beliefs and teaching on your face. Don’t undermind this act…it’s a pretty deal to tattoo all those things on your face. He’s basically saying “This is what I believe in, I want everyone to see what I believe in and it’ll never change.”
This also shows how self-centered people can be. They don’t give a crap about who is offended by it or finds their actions harmful. All they care about is there way of life, and that’s it. I don’t think you can be more selfish than that. They want other people to know and do what they believe but yet they don’t even consider what other people have to say about it.
They’re many people like this guy out there, it’s just that no one really hears about them. Hopefully this white supremacy movement will go down and they’ll will have to move on with the rest of the world. The sad part is…the movement will never stop.
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As far as I’ve noticed there has been no increase in black hate and white supremacy. But then again here at school everyone is educated enough to see all angles to situations and be more liberal. I was very happy when Obama won the presidency because it promised change. However if with that change comes a resurgence of “white power” then the nation is in for some interesting opinions and demonstrations.
I don’t really think the public will jump on this bandwagon because I know that people are still not over what happened in WWII and that scars are still carried by those most affected. In my hometown there was a man who was in his eighties and he was a former Nazi concentration camp guard. His identity came out that he had been a former Nazi and even after living in the U.S. as a law abiding citizen for almost 50 years, his citizenship was revoked and he was deported back to his native Yugoslavia. Things like this lead me to believe that there is no tolerance for this kind of behavior past, present or future.
The reason most people make a big deal out of isolated incidents is because they are usually personal experiences. More people can relate to things on a more personal level. For instance if you never met a Semite then you may think there is nothing real about anti-Semitism because you have never experienced it. Most people cannot relate to the genocide in Darfur because they do not know anyone personally affected. When it comes down to it people really only care about themselves and how different things affect them. The Laramie Project was a way for those affected by homophobia to show their story and have more people understand their situation. When something is visible like that it is easier to relate to.
In today’s economy there is a possibly of something like the Holocaust happening again. The reason so many believed in Hitler and the Nazi party was because they promised CHANGE from the depression the country was in. Right now our country is looking for CHANGE. That is why Obama has been voted as our next president. He promised change. But the skinheads and Nazis are not for Obama because he is black and they are against everything different from themselves. Being different is what makes this world beautiful. Because the white supremacies are not for our president then they aren’t for the change he is here for. So this makes me think that they will not come to power again.
All in all it’s hard for me to imagine a world where the neo-Nazis and skin heads are making a rise in political scenarios because I personally have not noticed it in any setting that I have been involved in.
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News and Racism
I agree that it is completely annoying to watch news that only concentrates on the small issues of the world, while completely ignoring the main issues. Good examples are how the article concentrated on that small white community, and ignored the dire straits the economy has been forced into. Or how Joe the Plumber has made himself a seat on the Republican party (which is very idiotic in itself, and why am I still talking about him), when the war in Iraq is going on and we are not getting much insight for the past couple of weeks.
Even though, it is a small issue. It does not merit coverage from a large news outlet, and I believe that Prof. Sam Richards is right in the essence that the news concentrates on less important news when it could easily get news on so many more things. Thank god there is the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the Colbert Report to shed light on how the media is doing a fairly inadequate job of reporting news to us. Forget about the fact that the news stations are reporting immensely biased and debilitating news that can tarnish the true facts of life. (A great example is how The O’Reilly factor has done this for many years, and how they will hound senators at their private homes, but then turn face and talk about controlling the paparazzi from bothering teen idols like Mylie Cyrus. Not only is it unimportant, but it’s contradictory to an immense degree.)
Thus, we are down to the facts of life that the media is an ignorant machine that thrives upon the viewers tuning into biased information that tarnishes the true facts of life. Like the youtube clip of Bill O’Reilly dissing Islam and saying that 70% of the world’s violence is from Islam. Also, how they discuss a minor issue such as slight game nudity (it was a side shot and nothing was showing) in a game clearly marked as Rated M (17+), while also only having one guy defending the game against 5 opponents to the game. These small issues are blown out of proportion and they brainwash the masses away from the more important issues. In my opinion, this is one of the things that are making this world a bad place to live in, (Bill O’Reilly spreading of prejudice, hatred, and misunderstanding being at the top of the list). I could probably rant on about how much of an ignoramus he actually is. However, the main point is that I agree with our Professor in saying that something is wrong about the media, and that we as Americans should demand for better than propaganda. We are not the land of the oppressed in beliefs, we are the land of the free (though sociology shows us that may not be completely true).
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Though it can be said that with the inauguration of a black president we have overcome great barriers in the area of inequality and racism, we must face the reality that racism and inequality still remain in this nation and in everyday life. When people try and acknowledge that racism is not a problem today, they are consequently telling a lie because racism is still frequent, not only in many states to the south, but all around the country as a whole. There are still very many areas that are dominated by whites, who also hold onto the belief that they are superior to blacks, Asians, and Hispanics. Racial tensions still subsist in urban communities, and extend out to suburban and rural areas as well. And although we may think it is easy to ignore and escape racism today, in fact, it is virtuously impossible to do so. We still live in a world of generalizations and stereotypes of certain people, and as long as we do so, we will experience racism and inequality.
I find it extremely rare to go a whole evening of watching the news, without seeing a story based upon the lines of race or ethnicity – whereby, it be a robbery, murder, or other inhumane crime against someone based on race or ethnic background. For example, it is common to witness a report involving a white police officer gunning down a black teenager for some reason, either it be in self defense or belief that the victim was carrying a weapon; nonetheless, a case like this sparks outrage, and sometimes riots, among the black community over the suspected racist motive in this type of killing. Judging by this example, it would appear that blacks still believe that racism is a major problem, hence their quickness to become irate over the situation. And I would find it difficult to deny that statement, such that I do believe that racism is still widespread and common.
There is still much political debate concerning the gays and lesbians in the community, and their fight to gain equal rights in regards to marriage. Considering its highly controversial nature, the debate to legalize gay marriage is one that is destined to continue for many years, thereby supporting the notion that inequality is still very much a part of society today.
Nonetheless, as seen here among the gay community, racism and other forms of inequality still control our lives every day. One question we might ask is when will this inequality ever end? That answer, however, may not be that simple – let alone even if there is a numerical figure that is possible. In all of history, there has been inequality and racial differences, so therefore it is hard to imagine a world where all of this inequality is nonexistent. So, in conclusion, instead of working to eliminate inequality and racism (which I see as impossible), the best we can do is work to mitigate it, and teach people (similar to SOC119) to think outside of their personal beliefs.
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It must take a lot for someone to cover their entire face with racial slurs and negative connotations. And the sad part is….in all reality, this man was probably never had a serious run-in with a minority of any kind, but who knows. My guess is this man’s attitude came from his background. The fact that he allowed others to examine and break down the ideas behind his tattoos means he may have a strong sense of pride in them. This is up there with the most extreme racism I have seen. I grew up in a mostly white neighborhood in the suburbs of Philadelphia. My grade school and high school graduating classes did not have many people of color. Despite being a group of mostly white people in a white community, I did not witness much racism. The most I ever heard was a joke or two and an occasional dropping of the infamous n-word. None of these ignorant comments ever amounted to any public display of racism or violence. This of course does not excuse the comments that were made no matter how small they seem. It is the little things like these jokes or comments that are the ripple effects of racism from prior generations. I guarantee most of these children who say these things here it from their home. If not, it may come from a friend, who heard it at home. Children talking in this way also fuel racism. Younger people are always trying to impress their peers. If a child’s friends are all saying hurtful things towards a group of people, he or she will feel obligated to join in. The way this happens is probably something much like bullying. It always confused me as a young kid why my peers found it “funny” to make hurtful comments towards a race. As for the graffiti that was mentioned in that article: it is things like that which make my stomach turn. An interesting question to ask would be why they did this. Of course they did this as a prank or to make a statement. But to whom? This is a mostly white community where this takes place. So the people who see and deal with this vandalism are white! So in the end they did not even get their evil message across to those they “hate.” All they did was give their area a black eye and embarrass themselves. But with sometimes with negatives come positives. The fact that the children who attend the school were offended gives some happy ending. It did bring them together while they erased or covered the ignorant remarks. But the ideal thing to happen would be for these things to never take place at all.
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After reading this article, I had very mixed thoughts. The mere fact that the racism in Westminster is still alive is a bit appalling. It’s hard to imagine hatred so flagrant and uncalled for in a high school, and this is coming from somebody from a predominantly white background. In my high school, whites made up 96% of the student population – but overall our school had very little problems with racism and prejudice. The number of minorities in my suburb of Pittsburgh continues to grow – and as it does our community is becoming more and more diverse and accepting of other cultures. Instead of facing racial tensions head on like the conflicts staff must face at Westminster High, school officials at my high school regularly held assemblies and seminars on diversity and acceptance. Instead of frowning down upon minorities it has created a place where all students can mix, regardless of racial backgrounds. Unfortunately the racial environment that exists in my high school does not exist at every high school, as shown by the conflict at Westminster High after the recent presidential election. This leaves room for debate: why don’t we see these problems at every high school? Is it a matter of geography and location? Generally we see more racism derived from the South. Many people believe it’s also a matter of lack of education: there definitely exists an inverse correlation of education and racism.
In northern parts of the country we see more developed areas, more sophisticated forms of education, and more integrated forms of diversity. There’s no doubt that in the north, with big cities like New York City and Philadelphia sporting massive minority numbers, the area is becoming more and more advanced, from a technological perspective AND a diversity perspective. Many would even argue that it’s thanks to the northeast population – which has become both diverse and voluminous – is a main reason for President Obama’s victory. It’s definitely not a breakthrough – talk of big numbers from the black community in this election has been in news for a while now, but I still think it’s something that interesting to think and reflect about.
On the other hand I look at this event in Westminster with optimism – the fact that students of the high school helped janitors to remove the racist graffiti brings hope to the community in terms of racial divide. Although the racism may still be lingering, it’s enlightening to note that there is a push for change in an area that’s inherently and historically white. It’s possible to view this situation optimistically because what must be taken into consideration is that this area was once the common place of the Ku Klux Klan. Just think: civic groups now offer English lessons to immigrants and there are churches in the area that are sponsoring interfaith dialogues. While the upfront racism that exists in the high school may be appalling, it’s important to note that there lies room for change.
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I think that America is changing and the people who live in America have to change also. The KKK is old, and although they will always have people that agree with their views, people will always stand against the views of the KKK. The views of a few do not mean they are the same view that the masses have. I’m white and I grew up in a small town and I could drive a few miles away and there were active KKK groups and biker gangs who would disagree with a black man running America. Just as many people disagreed with some of the moves our old president Bush made, they, the people who disagree with the new president can have their right to disagree.
I say that they can disagree with the new president but I do not think it is right to disagree just based on race, they can though that is what makes America one of the best places to live because people are free to form their own thoughts. I hope that the people who think just because the president is black he will do and say the stereotypical black things, turns out to be untrue. I think America needed change and they looked for something different and that I why Obama is president. I think it is also time for people who think one way, and that white people are better than everyone else rather than equal need to rethink and change because they will not make it very far in life without being able to deal with people of another race.
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I personally think it is absolutely ridiculous that we can’t all just practice tolerance, understanding, and acceptance. Nonetheless, it is not a reality and, instead, I’ve got to write this blog about the impact Obama has on a white community.
In the school I attended, approximately 35% of our population was considered black, 15% Asian and the rest were white with a small percentage of Indian and Pacific Islanders. Truly though, this made no difference in how we interacted. I had friends of every religion, socioeconomic status and (Heaven forbid) color. We all got along in perfect peace with love and humility—most of the time anyway.
Just down the road from my district was another school district though. This district was (and as far as I know, still is) easily 99% white. This area presents a stark difference to the ideas of my community.
In this town, John McCain was king during the election—in fact, he probably still is in some secret way. The people regularly wrote in to papers expressing their angry sentiments about this black man who had the ‘audacity’ to think he could be president. The students in that high school had Facebook groups expressing the greatness of McCain and the treacherous downfalls of this Barack Obama character.
Now the correlation to the article: Despite the anti-Obama sentiments that were overly abundant before the election, when Obama was the clear victor of the election, the community was surprisingly supportive. (That is, except for those die-hards who moved to Canada… I’m guessing there weren’t many.) Seriously though, this town was just as happy as the rest of the world when Obama was sworn in. The students realized what a historic event it was and the town realized that, amazingly enough, it is actually a good thing to have a black president… in fact, it’s just as good as having a white president! Now, for the disclaimer, this doesn’t mean that all these people support Obama politically, but this very white community became a very supportive community.
Turning focus now specifically to the graffiti, I think it is ridiculous that people truly feel vandalizing property adequately shows their feelings. Let’s think about this; you paint something… that you know will be removed with days or hours anyway… there’s got to be a more permanent method of defacing property. I certainly don’t advocate it, but it can’t be the most effective. One could argue, though, that if you’re dumb enough to do that, maybe you’re too dumb to think of something better. (I don’t mean dumb as an offensive term, simply as a term to describe the intellect and intelligence of said graffiti artist.) Maybe there is a little sarcasm in the preceding sentences, but I end by saying I genuinely appreciate that the students and faculty enacted the response they did… that’s what it’s all about; at least, until we can get beyond doing these acts in the first place.
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I personally do not believe and find it impossible for many people to have no feelings toward racism and prejudice in this society. Even though people are trying to prove that everything has changed completely between white and black, we can still see it in our everyday life. I as an Iranian American have lived with white people for a big part my life and have gone to an all white high school. Many people that I have met along the way never really tried to understand my culture or any cultures other than white. Every year I had to remind them about my new years and the other big holidays that my family and I celebrate, but until today all my white friend have asked me whether I celebrate Christmas or not.
Being racist is not something that we choose for the most part. We all have learned it growing up and it has become part of our nature. Often times we show reaction and act in certain ways toward other races due to what we have learned from parents, school, and friends. I am not saying that we cannot change how we think about other races, but there is always part of us that feels it. My roommate who is white and I were talking about the whole white and black conflicts in this country. She was telling me how she is not racist and has nothing against blacks. I asked her how she would feel if a black family moved right next to her house. Would she still feel the same toward racism? She actually did not know what to say at first and then she responded, well it all depends. Her response clearly proved to me that she is not ok with the fact that a “black” family is moving right next to her. It seemed like she still judges that family based on their color. She does not know anything about their background or whether they are African Americans or are just black. I know for a fact that my roommate is not the only white person that feels this way about another race such as black. I also have to say that she is one of the most open minded individuals that I have met my entire life. I do not blame her for what she has said and I don’t think that would make her a racist, but I believe that racism is in her blood whether she agrees with it or not.
I do not believe that white people chose Obama because he was black; they chose him because he was a skilled and a well qualified candidate. Most whites might still feel the same toward other blacks and think of Obama as an exception. Some white people still deny the fact that Obama is black, because he does not have a black accent and he also has lived with his white grandmother for the majority of his life. Therefore he is a white guy in a black skin that is representing the black community. This country and this culture have a long way to go. Until the day people truly believe what they say and actually accept people for who they are regardless of their color; and actually admit the fact that they are racist whether they say it or not, we are going to see racism and we all going to feel it at one point or another.
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It saddens me deeply that stuff like this is still going on today in our society. I mean come on!!!!!! We are still dealing with racism. We are still dealing with problems like this after a man of color has become president of the United States of America. I can’t believe how some of the teachers reacted to Ms. Doolen’s actions. She was just trying to get the thoughts of her students from this election and clear up some misconceptions about President Obama. What is wrong with that? What wrong with a teacher trying to educate her students. A teacher who is actually is doing her job. This is why I think Dr. King’s Dream is not a reality because issues like this. People are not accepting other people for who they are but judging them and looking at the color of their skin. Why? Everybody is the same. The color of our president should not be an issue. What we need to focus on or worry about is how are we going to get out of this recession. How are we going to saves millions of people from losing their homes? How are we going to create more jobs for people that may not have one? How are we going to pull people out of poverty? We have more serious issues to worry about then the color of our President’s skin. We need to get over it. People have fight so hard for us to have equality. We need to like pass the color of President Obama skin and look towards who he as a leader. We need to look at what he will do as our leader. We need to think about how he will make United States improved and fix the major problems we are facing. Reading this blog and then the article was depressing. I can’t believe people are still acting like this. The reasons why I think racism exist because people don’t take the time to educate themselves on other cultures. If some people put themselves in other people’s shoes they would see what other cultures go through. Just like Dr. Richards explain in his class we need to be taken out of our “comfort zone” in order for us to realize what was going on. What if people were taken out of there “comfort zone?” What would happen? If Obama makes it better for all Americans, will people like pass his skin color or will they look at him as a leader? As I was reading this article not everything was depressing. At the end of this article when the janitors and some of the students help to clean up some of the graffiti was encouraging. I glad to see students and staff coming together and doing what’s right
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I found this article to be saddening in that most people are so ignorant concerning Obama’s religion and racial background, but coming from a predominantly white community the article did not surprise me. The high school I attended was basically all white and mostly conservative. During my senior year, when Obama’s name started to become more and more popular, people in my high school figured that he was just a Muslim African-American, which he is neither of. Only thirty miles west of New York City, 9/11 hit my town hard, and since then many students have had this predisposed hatred towards Muslims. This viewpoint carried over to Obama’s campaign and people never took the time to see that he is actually a great man and also a Christian. In their minds, he was just like any other Muslim, the same as those who were responsible for the world trade center attacks. This article is exactly what my high school was like where ignorance was so common and hatred was the result. In that sense I don’t think that there has been a spike in white or black racism, it’s just that people don’t know any better and they have always had these predisposed prejudices.
In terms of the picture of the man with all the tattoos, that illustration was something I have never seen before. “Skin heads” have been portrayed in the media, especially in movies, and in that regard they seem sort of fake. But to see a picture of a person living their life as a skin head, and having a real passionate hatred towards people of another race is frightening. I have never been around someone like that, and to see a picture of someone with tattoos showing his hate is shocking. I, myself, have a tattoo and it took a long time to figure out what I wanted, where I wanted it and the type of message I was trying to convey to other people, not to mention the kind of message I wanted for myself. I also realized that this is a permanent thing, and cannot just be erased. To see that this man has gone out of his way, spent his money, and suffered the pain of getting a tattoo on his face really shows that he wants the world to see how he feels about others. He wants to show the world how much he hates others and how he feels about white supremacy. I just don’t understand how someone can do that to himself. It’s hideous looking and the thoughts behind them are just as hideous.
Overall I feel like this article wasn’t a big surprise to me. My high school was much like the one in the article in that people were ignorant which resulted in hatred. It’s unfortunate people feel this way, and I think people just need to be more educated so they can eliminate these harsh feelings.
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This topic has a lot to do with one of our earlier blogs about whether or not we feel Martin Luther King’s dream has been fulfilled, now that we have our first black president. I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again, “although there are differences in opinions as to whether or not Martin Luther Kings dream was fulfilled, I personally believe that it was not fulfilled, but improved upon. Obama becoming president has not shown a change in racial discrimination, it has just made the improvements towards discrimination more visible to the eyes of the public.” With that said, along with the fact that improvements towards discrimination are now more visible to the eyes of the public, you have to understand that discrimination in general is going to become more visible as well. You have to see it from both sides of the spectrum. This inaguration of Barack Obama has stirred up a lot of controversy, and with controversy comes differing opinions. The racism in Carroll County, Maryland was there to begin with. It was just kept quiet and under wraps over the years, well for the most part at least. For instance as the article states, during the Spring of last year, racist graffiti was painted on the walls of the school’s courtyard. It is sad to say, but if you look hard enough racism can be found in many school systems, whether it’s from an individual or a group of people. What has to be done, however, includes steps in order to change this racist mindset. I’m obviously not the only one who knows this, but I haven’t seen anything done as a result. I grew up in a town very similar to the one explained in the article. The majority of people are white, and I can probably count the number of black families who live there on my two hands. Now I do not recall any acts of racial discrimination that occurred in my town, but if I ever did witness an event like the graffiti situation explained in the article, I would not only be furious, but ashamed as well. It will probably embarrass not only myself, but also the surrounding community since it is out in the open and reflects such an enormous sense of negativity. These acts of racism do not need to be openly portrayed, and I am glad that the Maryland community was quick to clean it up.
As for the picture in the article of the man with Tatoos…disgusting. As I said, racism does not need to be openly portrayed. Putting tattoos on your face is one thing, but ones that carry with them such a horrific and disheartening meaning is just sickening to say the least.
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In my mind there is one word to define radical white supremacists: ignorant. These people just plain do not know that all races are biologically equal. Anyone who had the opportunity not to grow up with that idea pounded into their head and who also had the opportunity to grow up with a diversity of races who have all been treated as equals will not develop the radical white supremacy beliefs. I went to New Orleans this past summer with my mom, and on the first day we got there, we unpacked our bags and headed to Bourbon Street for a drink. We sat down at a small bar and took out our maps to see where we wanted to go next. Two “sippy” boys (from Missisippy) sat down and started talking to us. They said that two pretty ladies like ourselves need to watch out when alone in New Orleans. They told us to watch out for niggers, “they’ll rob ya blaand, and pass out drunk on the saadwalks”. I was taken back by the really blunt racism, and made a joke in a snobby tone of voice, “Oh, so I guess you’re not voting for Obama then”. “Hell no I’m not voting for Obama! And anyway, he’s not a nigger, he’s a sand-nigger.” Well that was a new word for me. He continued on, swearing that Obama was a Muslim and that he refused to put his hand over his heart for the pledge of allegiance. “Check snoops.com!” one of them told me. (Later on I found out that it was actually snopes.com, a site that tells if rumors are true or false. It did have the Obama – pledge of allegiance rumor on it, but this guy was so dumb he didn’t bother to check if the site said the rumor was true or false. It’s false, according to the site.) We became so disgusted by these guys that we left. So my point is that these guys were brought up like this, and never were exposed to anything that proved this wrong. They never had the opportunity to take Sam’s class, and I’m sure if they did, they wouldn’t be so fucking stupid. They would think twice before they judge people and see that all of us are 99.99% the same. I hope the black man had a little chuckle when he found the “we’re watching you” bumper sticker on his car. He can smile because he is not as idiotic as the person who did this. He is a little bit wiser, and karma just crept a little bit closer to his side. I’m sure he already knew they were watching him, and they wanted to slap him in the face. Cause they’re bored, they have no self confidence and they are unhappy with their own lives. Besides ignorance, it’s unhappiness that keeps racism going. I am happy that Obama becoming president has influenced some schools in racist communities to start promoting awareness and hopefully peeling away some of the hate and prejudice ingrained in many of our nation’s people.
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From what I have understood, and from my interpretations, is that white people have increased thoughts and feelings about racism. They have become more “discriminant” towards colored people. This is because of various reasons, the most shocking one would be how most white parents do not even discuss or touch on the topic about racism or other races around the world which makes it even harder for kids or children like us to react to such events like President Obama or when meeting someone from another country. I have been brought up in and international and multi-cultural environment which does not really hit me hard when it comes to having racist people in our society. Moreover, I have had discussions with my parents on this topic and it is hysterical how they are pretty uneducated themselves in such topics, but I do not blame them too cause it might be generation to generation.
Coming back to the article, I have realized and have had real-life experiences where I have met white people actually voting for McCain or not voting for Obama because he is of a “different race” just because of his appearance and not knowing that he is half-white. I do not blame those spikes within the white populace because they are not and have never been used to a “colored” (appearance wise) President and they are so confused in how to react to it.
White Americans are still the majority and most dominant in America. However, in the last past 50 years, slowly but gradually other communities have begun to adapt and migrate into America. A lot of white Americans as a consequence have been losing jobs, and have also been unofficially told to adapt to them being around. By this I mean, adapt to their accents, adapt to seeing them compete with their jobs and so forth. And now when white people see a colored/multi cultural man be elected as the president of America, this is has come as a quite a shock. They are slowly starting to realize that “their” people are facing deterioration in their population. Accustoming to this is a problem, and unconsciously or consciously they are becoming afraid and are thinking about what is possible if such things are happening.
To conclude, I have to just say that the white people have to adapt and “welcome themselves to the real life in the world of colored people” – it is hard and shocking but everyone should realize that we are all humans, different race, different religion, and various other different categories that we may split ourselves in. It is funny that only white people are being called out, while I have also met many other races who are racist, and more extreme than whites, who you never know but may be spiking too.
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Okay being tolerant to anyone is wrong. I lived in Korea for almost sixteen years and Korean is ninety nine percent Korean and one percent of Chinese. It doesn’t mean that I have a right to tolerate Chinese just because they are different race and I am in a majority group. Just because I am majority doesn’t give me any more rights than any others. I think that it’s up to individual’s experience, their moral, and their belief to act or think however they want to. But, it doesn’t mean that it gives them a power to do anything others. The guy in the picture with bunch of tattoos disturbs me a little bit. Just like in the other article about the naming the kid’s name Adolph Hitler, one of his tattoos has the number 88 which means ‘Heil Hitler’. Okay I don’t think it is appropriate to have it tattooed on his face. Just like people are uncomfortable to right a name of the kid on the kid’s birthday cake, his tattoo is right on his face where everyone can see. It’s not okay for him to believe Hitler completely. In my opinion, it was a catastrophic tragedy that what Hitler did and how he did it. I guess that people can feel like they are better than others. I kind of feel like the KKK people wearing white gown over their body is same thing as getting a tattoos on face. He could’ve got it just because the event could mean something personal to him or he really look up to Hitler’s way of moving people and what he did. I guess it’s okay to have a tattoos about stuff that could be a symbol of the stuff that might be representing racism, sexism, homophobia if they don’t mean to show the people that they are tolerant to them or judge or actually sending a message that mean tolerant to the others. Just because his skin color is white, doesn’t mean that there is a power inside that. Now days, media has a big influence to people who watch it, and listen to it. So, some people who run media might think that they can actually control how people think. I’m pretty sure there aren’t many people who go on the computer to read some article or watch the news on TV. So, if the media shows what they want people to think and see, it’s actually possible to do that if people doesn’t know about the other side of the story. It could be possible to influence them a little bit but, no one should believe them completely just because it’s only one perspective of the situation, they can just take it as a example or guideline.
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Our country has certainly come a long way since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. I agree with Sam that isolated incidents of racism are sometimes blown out of proportion and don’t necessarily represent the rest of the nation accurately. However, Obama’s election, although historic and optimistic, has masked the many problems with regards race relations that still very much exist in our country. Racism may not be as prominent as in the past, but it is still very much alive in our society. The Ku Klux Klan is still prevalent in certain parts of the country, even in Pennsylvania. The article about Maryland’s Carroll County clearly shows that racism is still a part of our county and is predominantly a result of ignorance and poor upbringing. The fact that many people did, and still do, believe that Barack Obama is Muslim just shows them how ignorant they are because of someone’s last name. It also shows the great amount prejudice people have against Muslims. Although Barack Obama isn’t Muslim, there’s no reason we should have to justify it or explain that he’s not a terrorist anyway. The article shows how living in seclusion from other races, cultures and ethnicities affects people. It creates ignorance and naivety in people and that ignorance and naivety fuel acts of racism around the country. The fact that there were clearly many students at Westminster High who were not comfortable with having a black president is unnerving indeed. It’s sad to see the way Larry Brumfield was treated when he first moved into the town. Although it was over 20 years ago, people pasting bumper stickers that read “We’re watching you” is absolutely shameless nonetheless. Having his kids called “zebras” is absolutely inexcusable. A big problem is also that many of these ignorant people are in positions of power and influence in the community. It’s not a good thing to have school board members uttering racial slurs. It’s good to see that people like Larry Brumfield and Laura Doolan are trying to make a difference in the community and change the attitude of its citizens. Brumfield’s comments are 100 percent correct. People need to engage each other more and be in each other’s homes. Bringing people together and allowing them to understand how the others live will help bring down the barriers set up in places like these. It is nice to see that some people are starting to address the issue head on with programs like Common Ground. It indeed is nice to see that the students and janitors of the school removed the racist graffiti painted on the school’s entrance courtyard. However, the fact that racist acts like these occur in the first place is an issue that cannot be ignored and must be addressed head on in order for our nation to truly move forward.
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Characterizing isolated incidents of racism as a general ‘spike in intolerance’ doesn’t seem accurate. A spike infers a sudden increase. I don’t think that incidents of racism have been just suddenly increasing. That said the Reuters article cites instances of racism in a town where intolerance has been an ever-present affair. The subtle daily acts of discrimination and prejudice throughout the county after the election seem inherent considering it was host to Ku Klux Klan rallies a mere twenty years ago. What we’re seeing are remnants of bigotry in a majority white county. One incident that occurred in the area was discriminatory graffiti drawn on the walls of a high school. Many minorities, as it says in the article say they face daily acts of discrimination and prejudice throughout the county. This is clearly not just a sudden increase if it has been occurring daily for a substantial amount of time. By saying the community has a long way to go to stop racial conflicts does not infer that this is a recent issue.
I don’t believe these occurrences are happening under the radar of our major media outlets. Reuters just published a story on one. These types of occurrences are no longer news to the American people. We have all seen it happening in various areas for a duration of time. It is not just suddenly occurring again. The word ‘news’ was developed as a special use of the plural form “new”. If indeed the ‘subtle daily acts of discrimination and prejudice’ were going under the radar, it wouldn’t be on account of the bigger stories, it’d be on account of what the American people want to hear. Educated Americans are already aware of the uneducated and bigoted segments of the U.S populace.
Did Obama receive a good portion of his votes just because of his race? Especially from citizens of our generation; do most people actually know and understand what his policies actually are and what he intends to do? I think many people are in fact clueless and just wanted a big change and milestone to occur in our country. Although I am a supporter of Obama and did in fact vote for him, I don’t believe that anyone should base their decision about such an important event solely on creating an exciting milestone for our country just because Obama is of a different race. We should support him if we believe that he can make a difference. We should support him if we believe that he will impact our lives in the most positive ways possible. We should support him if we believe he will make the best president he can be, not because we are excited about the fact that we will be ruled by a man of a race other than white. IT DOESN’T MATTER
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Our country has certainly come a long way since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. I agree with Sam that isolated incidents of racism are sometimes blown out of proportion and don’t necessarily represent the rest of the nation accurately. However, Obama’s election, although historic and optimistic, has masked the many problems with regards race relations that still very much exist in our country. Racism may not be as prominent as in the past, but it is still very much alive in our society. The Ku Klux Klan is still prevalent in certain parts of the country, even in Pennsylvania. The article about Maryland’s Carroll County clearly shows that racism is still a part of our county and is predominantly a result of ignorance and poor upbringing. The fact that many people did, and still do, believe that Barack Obama is Muslim just shows them how ignorant they are because of someone’s last name. It also shows the great amount prejudice people have against Muslims. Although Barack Obama isn’t Muslim, there’s no reason we should have to justify it or explain that he’s not a terrorist anyway. The article shows how living in seclusion from other races, cultures and ethnicities affects people. It creates ignorance and naivety in people and that ignorance and naivety fuel acts of racism around the country. The fact that there were clearly many students at Westminster High who were not comfortable with having a black president is unnerving indeed. It’s sad to see the way Larry Brumfield was treated when he first moved into the town. Although it was over 20 years ago, people pasting bumper stickers that read “We’re watching you” is absolutely shameless nonetheless. Having his kids called “zebras” is absolutely inexcusable. A big problem is also that many of these ignorant people are in positions of power and influence in the community. It’s not a good thing to have school board members uttering racial slurs. It’s good to see that people like Larry Brumfield and Laura Doolan are trying to make a difference in the community and change the attitude of its citizens. Brumfield’s comments are 100 percent correct. People need to engage each other more and be in each other’s homes. Bringing people together and allowing them to understand how the others live will help bring down the barriers set up in places like these. It is nice to see that some people are starting to address the issue head on with programs like Common Ground. It indeed is nice to see that the students and janitors of the school removed the racist graffiti painted on the school’s entrance courtyard. However, the fact that racist acts like these occur in the first place is an issue that cannot be ignored and must be addressed head on in order for our nation to truly move forward.
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This week I want to write about the most recent blog posted by Sam and my reaction to the article in Reuters titled, “White Community Adapts to Obama reality”. The things that are talked about in this article are very similar to the kinds of things we have been talking about in our small group discussions. We have been looking at the issue of racial tensions and if they are being ameliorated in society today. I believe that this country has taken many great strides forward, as is evidenced by the fact that Obama has won the presidency. Also, even in areas dominated by a white Republican population, there were little if any uprisings or displays of public hostility on election day or the days following. This is how the world should work. Obama is a candidate who focused on bridging every divide, not just the racial divide, as mentioned in the article. I think people realized this on election day and saw that he was going to use his power and ability to help anyone out there who needed it.
With that being said, these isolated incidents of racism and prejudice still do occur, and frequently at that. These types of things, like racial slurs grafittied on the Maryland high school’s courtyard last year, are things that will be hard to completely eradicate. Prejudice and racism are things that are embedded in the communities and families of some areas of this country and it will take more than 50 or 100 or 500 years to wipe them out entirely. It is nearly impossible to have a nation in which every person is accepting of another and will not judge based on race, ethnicity, or skin color. I do not think people should let isolated incidents like this one at the Maryland high school discourage the progress that has been made in America regarding racial intolerance. People have opened their minds and have welcomed diversity in recent years, and progress continues to be made.
A way to make sure this progress continues is by stepping up as a society against acts of racism and prejudice. If people continue to get away with ignorance then we will not keep moving down the path of improvement. However, if people come together and speak and act out against the shameful acts of others, then maybe that will inspire the rest of the community to do the same. In turn, maybe that could inspire other communities across this nation as well. More stories like the one referencing the students and janitors cleaning up the graffiti and replacing it with signs of unity need to be featured in the national news, rather than ones about the graffiti in the first place. When people get the idea that the country is changing, they will change with it.
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While I can see how it would seem that there is a “spike in white racism” I do not think that is what is happening at all; it seems more likely that people are coming out of “hiding” or whatever you want to call it, and are no longer afraid to admit they are racist, because others are doing so. Being with a group of white people like during my many times in Race Relations Project groups, people seem to be more open about what could be construed as racist if someone else brings it up first. Along with that though, I’m not sure how much of this problem in the Carroll County schools was the children’s fault. As the article stated, Carroll County Maryland is 94% white, and only 2.2% black. How much exposure to black people, and their culture, are these people going to get? I’m from Maryland also, but I’m from Prince George’s County, which is predominately black. The experiences I have had and the experiences they have had regarding black people are going to be very different. I personally do not think we will ever be able to look at someone and not notice race, no matter how the times change. We may not attribute negative connotations to other races, but it will still be noticed. So what else do these Westminster High Schoolers have to base their ideas of black people on but what they see or hear from others?
So how are these kids supposed to “trust” people they have never met? All they have to go on is what their parents and the media have told them about black people, which very often paints a negative picture. For some reason I don’t condemn those kids for their racist remarks, but feel sorry for them.
I think even more frightening and disheartening than the article about Westminster High School was the picture of Curtis Allgier and his many tattoos on his face. While I find racism to be enough of a problem, I cannot even fathom hating someone, let alone a whole group of someones enough to permanently disfigure my face with symbols and references of hate. I actually like the idea of tattoos; I would never get one because I’m terrified of the pain, but getting a tattoo that has a deeper meaning that you would want to carry forever (not a drunken mistake) is sort of uplifting. But going back to the name incident from last week, not if it meant to demean and offend other people. It is fine to be proud of who you are, including your race; but Allgier is doing it at the expense of others, which is not OK. But now that he has mutilated his face people can easily recognize what an ignorant guy he is, and strive to be NOT like him.
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This article really shocked me, although sometimes I think that I am very naïve to things that go on in other parts of the country when considering racism. I come from a suburban area outside of Philadelphia. Neither my grade school nor my high school were very diverse, but in the borough of the town I live in, the area is actually very diverse. When I was younger I would always find myself playing basketball at the YMCA with a plethora of different races, and at the early age of 10, none of us knew we were “supposed” to treat each other differently just because of that. At least from what I see in my town, there isn’t much racism, although there always will be a little I suppose.
Reading this story about the county in Maryland really made me realize how much I don’t know about other places around our country. It’s weird to think that somewhere within just 3 hours of me could have so much racial issues. Even though my schools that I attended were predominantly white, there wasn’t anyone I knew that flat out hated or didn’t accept blacks, Hispanics, or Asians. It’s really disturbing that this much hate is still existent in our country which is supposedly a place where “all men are created equal.”
I know if something like this happened at my high school I would be very offended and I would not feel comfortable there. Although there was not much diversity at my high school I feel like we had a good sense of what was right and wrong and no one would stand for such disrespect.
An article like this makes me fear for the future of the United States because our land is no specific type of people’s property. We are the land of the free and the equal and I don’t understand why people need to judge other people based on their ethnicity or the color of their skin. Every one is a human being. Like Sam said in class, we are 99.99 percent the same genetic makeup and .01 percent different.
That being said I don’t think racism will ever be fully erased from our country because there will always be those little groups of people that can’t get over the fact that they are not the “best” or the superior race. Black, Brown, White, and Blue: all people want to have control over what goes on in this country and instead of banning together to fix the problems our society has, we make them worse by fighting over petty things like one hundredth percent of our genetic makeup. We have a very long way to go in this country. We must make peace within our own land before we can force peace upon other countries.
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This article somewhat shocked me and it hurts that people close to my age are acting in such a way that is immature and ignorant. In her article she claimed that there were reported fights occurring in surrounding schools following the election. I CAN NOT believe that some of the children were so narrow minded as to say that they did not want a black president. This embarrasses me on behalf of the youth in the this country. Barrack Obama hasn’t even been given a chance yet to prove himself and people are already passing judgement because they have no knowledge what’s so ever of what the future holds and what changes will be made, that’s the problems with the majority of the population of this country for the most part we are closed minded and make assumptions based on irrelevant aspects.
When acts such as performing graffiti on school wall still occur you have to ask yourself whether a change is occurring and where are these children, yes I call them children because of their childish ways , are being raised with outlooks on the world today or beliefs over one hundred years ago. The acts that are being done by many of the school staff prove to be promising but by them turning the terrible markings into positive ones is only a cover up and the children attending this school Westminster high are merely set in their ways.
I attended a catholic high school that was outnumbered by whites. The school has never had to deal with the problem of prejudice and race on a high level. Although after graduating I have been informed that the day after the election no one talked about Obama’s win not one person or teacher brought it up. Being the week after the Phillies gained victory in the World Series, it was still of “big talk”. We had a new president and no one had anything to say about it , only that they want McCain to win. This disappointed me greatly.
It saddens me that racism and prejudice will always have a [lace in our society. Things have and will still change but it will never be truly gone. Its crazy that there was only one white girl who felt hurt by the comments as well as the actions of her very close friends. The text messages that were sent to her brought forth something in her, and she knew it was in deed wrong.
In a terrible and annoying fact that Obama will not be congratulated on his terrific efforts to make a change, but if he slips up just as once he will be slaughter with words. Everyone makes mistakes and the president will also because he is human just as the presidents before him.
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It worries me a little to think that people who have such an impact on today’s world can think in such a belittling way. I also grew up in a school that was very small, with my graduating class at only about 200, and less than five percent of our schools population was colored. We never really had many racist comments thrown around or treated someone of color any less than they way a white person was treated, so it does shock me a little to hear that a school can be so strongly opinionated when concerning color. The people who are saying these things are the voice of tomorrow and if they are looking at the world so narrowly, it cannot mean anything to promising for the future. It does not really surprise me that all of this has come about in general though, because after seeing how much racism was brought into the election from the beginning just showed how so many people can judge a man by his appearance as opposed to what he can do for the nation. Still, you would think that racism would exist more strongly in older people who lived during such times, and that looking at students in high schools now, it would be diminishing drastically. The idea of color is being taken into concern way too much with the election. What is done is done and clearly America thought Obama best for the job of leading the country for the next few years. I think hearing the majority of the country speak their mind in the election with Obama’s win should have an affect a little stronger on the minority of the country who are still stuck in the past trying to live a life that the rest of America wants to be big enough to move past. I think it is even more surprising to see so many young people have an issue with the election, especially after the impact Obama had on our campus alone. Everywhere you went on campus, people were screaming about Obama and asking if you were voting for Obama. Clearly he swayed our generation to him, so it just surprises me that people who are only a few years younger can think with such a directly opposite mindset. Maybe the stories were blown out of proportion and the media made it seem like a more dramatic situation than it was, but all in all it just shows that so many people in America are still lingering in the past. Hopefully those who are so negative about the election can start to move past the issue of color and look forward to the positive changes that such a historical election can hold for the future of our country.
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First off, I had no idea those groups existed, especially the ANP. I thought after the KKK started to decline in the media spotlight, people started to realize something. Something is changing. Reading this article made me realize that my eyes were a little closed. I did however like the courage Ms. Doolan showed when she made these kids write about their thoughts. These kids were brought up with the idea that different is bad and it is understandable that when the most powerful man in the world is “different” they would be opposed to it.
I am of Lebanese heritage, but am not Muslim. I do have family members though who are. I know exactly what the Mr. Nasir is speaking of. It just seems that sometimes people don’t get it and with that it seems like people don’t want to get it. This doesn’t only happen in the “typical” areas, but happens in places where different is supposed to be the norm, places like New York. New York is beyond any other place in the world. This is the city where you can walk one block and hit at least 12 different nationalities.
While I look at the world and where we are going, I see a place none of us have ever imagined. When you look at Obama, you don’t see the skid this country had been in for years prior. A non-white president isn’t something you would have considered normal years ago. With the most powerful man in the world being black, what does this do to what we are and who we become?
As a nation that was founded on the backs of those not “normal/different” people it’s funny to see how things have turned. What happens when a woman is elected president? Do we get all those sexist “No woman is going to control me” kind of people going come hiding? I think it’s a little ridiculous to judge people on what they look like. I understand if you are afraid of different but for you to do all that you can so that white rules… are you kidding me? At least make your decision based on character or actions.
At times, when Obama speaks I start thinking the worst. It is the people who are ignorant that scare me the most. It seems they don’t have any limits. In our discussion group the other day, we spoke about terrorists and how when you think of the name you think of someone of Middle Eastern decent or just looks like they are from the Middle East, but if you go back in time some of the most heinous acts ever committed in America have been by “normal” white people; Oklahoma City, the uni-bomber, even what was done to the Native Americans was done by those people. I am intrigued and interested to see what the future holds for this country.
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When reading this article I’m am surprised but not really surprised. I think as a black man I would think people have come really far and that we can put differences aside. I think we can put difference aside, but we don’t know how to do it. I’m not really surprised because the fear and misunderstanding of race, sexuality, culture can sometimes make people feel a though they have to compromise or sacrifice a part of themselves. I think when your culture or belief personally of affect others or is a part of hate then there are going to be problems. I think that they cannot be solved with violence, but for some me included I think violence is the only option. Let me clarify. I don’t promote violence, but as a man sometimes I don’t turn the other cheek if somebody does something to me. If there was a place where people with two differences could meet on a common grounds and talk about it then it would be all good, but when somebody I disrespecting you and your family in front of not only tour family but everyone it very easier to be said than done where turning and ignoring it. When looking at these people who are in the KKK and the Arian Nation and these other hate groups it makes me think that and body who fits the description can be apart of one. I mean I think about the member and wonder who they work for. Where do their kids go to school? What are there favorite restaurants because I feel as though I never see them? I may see them but I don’t notice that they are apart of a hate group because the have only adapted to today society. I think it sad because I think about Muslims and how Americans treat them. Me personally I love who I want based off of me knowing them. I can not hate Muslims because of what group of people did. That makes me wonder what type of group lies here in America. I can understand the fear of lack of understand of Muslim, but hate something totally different. I’m a Christian, my mother believes in different stuff, my brother and sister are Muslims and my uncles are Rasta so I am in a way bless to see different outlooks and there are definitely going to be disagreements, but we all can sit at the same table. If I got to defend myself and my family I’m going to do it. I going to think about what circumstances I will have to take based off of the situation. I’m not going to hit somebody for calling me nigger, but I’ll confront him. If people call my grandmother nigger and make her feel fearful for her life by the way that they are acting then I just might have to do what I have to do for her. I don’t think it would be a stupid decision but more of a conscious decision.
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Unfortunately, today racism still exists today in America, and after the recent election of President Obama there seems to be a spike in racism in some parts of the country. In parts of the country, such as Westminster Maryland, racism is a common topic that in my opinion is due to the lack of education of the students enrolled in their education system. In years before the election of our current President, Westminster was host to a very large population of Klu Klux Klan members. Unfortunately, after the Equal Rights Movement, places like Westminster were not able to adjust as quickly as the rest of the country to the new integrated population. Today only 2.2 percent of Carroll County, inside of Westminster is composed of black people. This low statistic can be linked to the amount of misinformation that the young residents of the county are taught throughout their lives.
Accords to the reports, the students of West Minster were asked to write a report about the newly elected President Barak Obama. The students were given 30-minutes to write down a formally developed essay about their feelings and how to correct many common misconceptions about the president. After reading some of the essays from the students, many teachers were astounded by the amount of racism that existed throughout the schools. The teachers were unaware of the amount of racist comments that appeared in the essay, and were saddened when they realized the amount of misunderstanding of the students.
Racism exists today in many parts of our society because of certain people’s ignorance. In smaller rural areas, ignorance runs ramped among the minds of the young students. Racism is not something that a person randomly acquires; instead it is a terrible quality that seems to be passed from one generation to another. Although the values of the Americas have changed, some people hold strong to the racism that persisted in our country’s early existence.
Communities where racism occurs are usually places deep rooted in their past and the values and beliefs of the past. These places remain secluded because people of different races are afraid of the backlash they will encounter when the move into a community. It is unfortunate to see the statistics where communities remain primarily white, without any integration of the population. In order to combat the ignorance that is encountered in smaller communities, it is imperative that people begin to open their minds and prepare for change.
Racism is outdated and people should realize that the world is changing. In order to support our own country, many white supremacists must remember that our leader is a black man. Although, they disagree that our president is black, they must respect the land of the free and afford our newly elected President much honor and dignity.
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When it comes to issues of racism in this country I’m not really surprised that Obama’s election has brought an out cry of more of those feelings out even if it is in just select areas of the country. In truth I myself was worried his election would bring out violence and riots. It may not being something that we as a society on a whole approve of, but what we have to remember is that this country is a place of free speech and even the most hateful speech is allowed to be spoken. Professor Richards you say that you to speak of the intolerance in this country, but my question is how can we solve the problem of intolerance if we refuse to discuss it? You asked us in class to see the war from the Iraqi point of view so that we could better understand their feelings, should we not also try to see the election from the point of view of the racists in this country so that we can have an open discussion with them and try to understand they’re worries and fears. After all racism and intolerance stems from fear and until that fear is resolved and taken away racism will always be around.
You also speak of how the media gives little coverage to these matters of intolerance and through I’m not sure if you meant that as a criticism or not I assume that you are criticizing the media for that. As a journalism major, I must tell I’m sick and tried of the media getting blamed for everything that others see as wrong in this country. Perhaps the reason things of this nature are not covered in the mainstream media is that they do not want to give this hateful language or of a voice or a stage to speak on. Often times when things like this are not covered in it a conscious decision not to do it as a story because the media feels that by covering it they are giving these hateful people more power to spread their message. While this country is a country of free speech it is not country of grantee media coverage, so by limiting their exposure the media is limiting the amount of people who hear their message, which I think in the end is a good thing. Not to mention I also feel that if the mainstream media did cover things of this nature they would be publicly criticized for giving a voice to these people, so from where I sit the media is in a no win situation, so by not covering it they took the lesser of two evils. What we as a society must do is take these messages of hate and the people they come from and try to understand what makes them feel that way so that we can openly discuss things to try and get rid of those feelings.
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This article is very upsetting to me. I really did grow up in a very white area and I feel as if this never happened in my school or any school around it. How could I know though? Maybe it was going on and I didn’t see it. Free will and the freedom of choice is such an amazing part of our country and things like this are taking away from that. It makes all Americans who are white seem like racist and we all need to remember we were all immigrants at one point or another. Coming from someone who is of a different ethnicity I really do not understand why some kids, who will eventually be the adults, are so discouraging to this. They are looking at this the completely wrong way! An ethnic man running to lead our country is a great thing for all of us as Americans it shows how far we have come and gives everyone a bright future. Not just those in the majority. I do really think that America is getting more diverse and it will take some time but eventually we will see these things happening and it will not be the social norm. I think that’s what it is, the social norm is to put down those who we do not really understand or care for. It is such a terrible site that kids in school feel this way it makes me wonder what the parents think. They must be influenced by someone or something. It is really good to read the last part of this article that a kid like that can have hope is an inspiration. Being of Hispanic decent I have never really identified with my roots but as I read this article I found myself full of pride for Jim Rodriguez. He is a kid just doing what he thinks are right and I pray he can make so many others understand. The article is right the days of the KKK are past mostly but this does not mean racism is in the past at all. Those feelings are clearly out there and will not be gone anytime soon, but together people like Jim can help many understand the struggle of being a minority.
On another note I do not really understand this guy with the tattoos. He clearly needs to have his feelings expressed but this is such a horrible way to do it. To hold out for all to see a time of pain and suffering for so many is so hard and rude. I just hope that the people who make progress with this country are the people like Jim and not this man.
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I also have a fairly low tolerance or respect for people who are extremely intolerant of different beliefs and races. Coming from a small town close to Westminster noted in the article, I have dealt with the same kind of ignorant people at times making racist comments as jokes. This especially was evident during the past couple of months with Obama elected as the new President. Luckily I never witnessed any violent acts or outrageous, degrading messages like the neighborhoods mentioned in the article. I also was fortunate to be away at school during the majority of these months and didn’t have to deal with some of these outspoken racial rednecks. Often in rural communities, individuals have fewer opportunities to participate in diversified social interactions. Because of their limited experiences with people of different cultures their prejudices are a direct result of their fears of what is unknown. They only feel comfortable with what they know. They become defensive and even aggressive with people and situations that are out of their own comfort zone.
With the global exposure that my generation has via the Internet, one would hope that ignorance and prejudice would be eliminated. School activities, sports, exchange programs, diversified populations in college communities, all contribute to opening our hearts and minds to people of all cultures. This contributes to our understanding that there are more likenesses than differences among us. It’s frightening to think that there are still so many people who have close minds and hearts to other human beings just because of their ethnic or racial differences. Education and experience are the only remedies to this tragedy.
Hopefully in the next years with Obama as the President of our country, these people will begin to accept the reality that there are gifted and talented individuals in other races besides their own. The more they see people of color in professional and leadership roles, the more likely they will begin to accept the truth.
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I’m a little surprised by the number of White Supremecist groups still out there and active. I had actually never even heard of Aryan Nation, Duke, or any of those other groups. In times like these, though, it’s hardly surprising that people’s true colors come out. I did not know about the outburst of violence right after the election, but of course not every one was rejoicing in the streets like I was. These people really sound like they need to chill out. People seem to base their hatred on obscured fact: Barack Obama is NOT A MUSLIM, people! I think that’s a bit hard for them to accept, because maybe they just want one more reason to hate him.
Jeff Schoep believes the economy is being exploited, and I have to agree. People are looking for the easiest scapegoat, and even though the economic crisis right now has a lot more to do with Bush, whom they all love, then Obama, it doesn’t really matter. In a little less than nine years, the number of hate groups in the United States has risen by a whopping fifty percent. A lot has happened in these past years though. September 11, the War in Iraq, to name the two big ones. I wonder if any of these new-stemmed hate groups and Bush-hating groups, or just racially related? The article says that the increase in hate groups came from the ‘bigotry and xenophobia’ surrounding the illegal immigraant debate, and that makes a lot of sense. There are always extremes when it comes to debates. Some people just don’t care and some people will do anything for their cause. That kind of passion always attracts more followers. The bullets at the endo f the article were extremely disturbing. The fact that a Supremacist had burned down a church seemed all too familiar. The church burning that had killed four little girls in Montgomery, Alabama all those years ago (a documentary by Spike Lee was made about it) comes horrifically to mind. A church is supposed to be somewhere people feel safe and protected for violence like that. To think that history is replaying itself, is a very scary thought. What happened to all that progress we thought we made?? Also, to hear that little second and third graders, whose impressionable minds don’t know any better than to mimic the morals of their parents, were shouting “Assassinate, Obama!” on the bus scares me a little. They are being taught to hate the leader of their country, and therefore they will hate every decision he makes. Obama will be getting no respect from these people of apparently from their kids, which in the end, might hurt him. All I can hope is that these supremacist groups die down once President Obama start making the right decisions and leading this country in the right direction: towards progress.
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I don’t see how the article on Reuters can lead someone to believe there has been a recent spike in the progression of white racist groups. The article tells me that racism occurs today, not that there is an increase in racism. For this one particular town, it is known to be a historically racist town with the acceptance and participation of the Ku Klux Klan. While I do think the bumper sticker, the “zebra” comment and the racist graffiti are unfortunate acts, I do not think anyone can reasonably argue that racism has “spiked.”
If anything, this article is a counter to racist acts. The English teacher taking the time to cover misconceptions of Obama speaks on behalf of herself. She says other teachers faced the same difficulties. This kind of education in neighborhoods like this will continue to help demote racist ideals. As the second title is aptly named, “changing times” have come to this school and community. The girl was shocked by racist text messages, showing that high school students are realizing the “right” and “wrong” way to act and feel within social constructions.
Based on the blog post from racerelations.com, Sam Richards agrees that this is an insolated case of racism. There was nothing new to report in this story. It largely said that racism has been targeted and is becoming an issue of the past.
I think this article said its main point in this paragraph: “Observers have described Obama as a ‘post-racial’ politician since his election campaign dwelt little on racial issues and more on how Americans can bridge divides of all kinds.”
Maybe this article is meant more for us to reflect on the possible future of our American cities. According the Census Bureau in this article, some city that are currently majority white will become a majority of minorities living in them in the next few years. Many cities will have as many white people in them as people of different ethnicities. How will this leave those white people feeling? Will they still feel dominant over other races? Or will they realize that they have been overrun?
I think that those white people will not consider “surrender” to minorities. I do think that racism will continue to fade out over time. A racist couple may raise a racist child but the child will see with fresh eyes the mixing of races living in the majority. Whites are not the majority in all cities. White people living in those towns must learn to live with their neighbors in tolerance of differences.
I think Reuters did a service to society by providing this investigative journalism. I still think it would be a far fetch to say this is a spike or a sweep of racist activity.
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The picture of the young man with the tattoos all over his face is interesting. I probably wouldn’t have noticed the details of the tattoos if they hadn’t been pointed out. For myself most of the time, I will see a tattoo from a short distance away and won’t think anything of it. I see tattoos as a way of making a statement. And something that’s big, flashy, and right out front – I usually just ignore because that person is purposely drawing attention to themselves and trying to make a point. I prefer hearing people’s opinions in other ways – words tend to be more powerful than actions for me. (though I have nothing against people with tattoos). I would take notice to tattoos on those people that I come into close encounter with. Clearly, this man is trying to make a racist statement, and he has the right too. How many attentions of people can he get?
Reading the linked article, posed some thoughts into my head. Despite the bubbles that we all may live in, racism still exists and factors into people’s lives. I can hardly believe the things that were being experienced in the schools mentioned and how the teacher would handle that. (Seeing this, myself being a future educator, I don’t know how I would specifically handle something like this.) While some racism may be seen, by the person that said it, as a joke, it is inevitable that someone will take it offensively – whether it’s directly or gets passed on indirectly by word of mouth. For example, the black and white couple’s daughters were called zebras. It may (or may not) have been all in good fun but it is just something that should not be passed on.
Speaking of Mr. Brumfield, a smile is brought to my face knowing that he started a program to help bring people together of all backgrounds through music and art. I believe that music and art is one thing that can truly bring us all together – there are many different kinds, but people are more willing to be open to various styles or backgrounds associated to them. Some kind of spiritual and emotional connection exists between a person and the music/arts. If people can create a common or share a connection through music and arts, it will truly bring people together. Though this may be something silly/simple, my salsa dancing is an example of this. Going salsa dancing, I have encountered many Hispanic people with which I have danced with and felt a connection with or a common bond. Not only that, but I have gotten to talk these people and learn more about them and their way of life and background. It has broadened my cultural knowledge and connection. Also, there are many different kinds of people that go salsa dancing. The community built around salsa dancing shows how people are truly brought together through music and the arts.
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After reading the article about the school in Maryland, I was both surprised and disturbed. Although I knew places like South Carolina had large populations of people who had open racist-like thinking, I did not think Maryland (a place so close to home)was such a racist. I know there are pockets of racists everywhere, but I was hoping that racism was fading out more so than it apparently is right now. I myself grew up in a suburban, mostly white area, but the people living around me were not racist and openly opposed racism. When I first met my mildly racist boyfriend and his mildly racist family (I say this because they are not extremists, even though in my opinion any racism is wrong), I was shocked that anyone held these sentiments. I thought racism only lived on in the writings in our history book (yeah, talk about disillusioned!). Upon meeting these people, I assumed that small pockets of racist people must exist, but now I see that it is more than that. Each story that I hear like this one makes me angry at people’s ignorance, then sad because I realize how much farther we have to go, and, despite all I know, I am always surprised to hear another story of racism perhaps because I would like to believe so much that it would just fade away.
Earlier, I tried to research where the most racist places were (like one of the “top 10 most ___ places done” by AOL constantly), but I could only find unqualified opinions and speculations. One person said “the most racists states are usually in the south eastern United States.” I wish they could read the article about the school in Maryland! We think of racism as a southern problem, however ideas of superiority and hate do not contain themselves to geographic areas; I now know racism is present everywhere. On one website I found, somebody had listed the top 20 most racist cities, among their personal list was Pittsburg, PA. My relatives live in Pittsburg and over the years I have met many people there and none who are racist or would even begin to support a racist comment. However, apparently from what this person knew or experienced, Pittsburg was very racist. Their list can be found here if you feel like looking at it: http://votemecool.blogspot.com/2008/12/2008-most-racist-cities-in-america-its.html
Going back to the article, I was extremely relieved to find that at least one teacher was ready to correct misconceptions and try to break the cycle. I think during the election (or even after it), lots of “closet racists” (people who thought and believed racist like generalizations such as ‘those people….,’ but never said anything out loud) came out into the open and voiced their opinion on having a colored president. Just like the 17 year old girl found out some of her friends had racist views she had never known, I feel that many adults/young adults figured this out too. Nothing like politics to create an up swelling of strong opinions and clashes. I saw this 17 year old girl in the article as a type of hope. Despite all the remarks around her, she did not let herself be influenced by them and continued to believe such beliefs were not right. I also see the teacher as one of the best teachers there could be, she understood how her student thought and rather than just teaching them what was in the books she took the time to teach what was truly important, the truth.
With people like these and with continued public pressure (which I believe was the reason that school removed the graffiti so fast), I am hoping that we can keep diluting and erasing racism in such places.
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Hey All, I’m an on-and-off political blogger, in the South. I’ve been trying to figure out how best to spend my time lately and decided I need to focus. I wrote a piece about my own experience with white supremacy, and some folks at a couple of communities I write for encouraged me to stick with it. So, I’m going to. I’m trying to do some research and dig deeper that just media reports and the SPLC/ADL intelligence. That’s good, but I think we need more.
So, my question is: Do you know where I can get more information – especially quantitative data that I could use to study white supremacists as a community of political movements?
And do you have any advice for me on who I should be reading regularly, other than Orcinus? I’m trying to get a feel for what’s already being done, and pull it all together into one place.
Thoughts appreciated. I have some political science training and journalism experience. I will dig through your archives, and put you on my blogroll.
I’m directing everyone I contact on this to this post http://geneo.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/note-white-supremacy-project/
because there’s a limit to the number of comment threads I can keep up with. But, i’m just beginning the process, contacting old colleagues from grad school, etc. so I will check back here.
Sorry to just barge in like this, but I think this is an area where I can really make a contribution, if I can just get off to a good start. And I think the next few years are going to be critical in dealing with this.
Peace
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