Are You A Coward?

[QueenOfCalifornia]

Yesterday, the new Atty General decided to speak... He essentially told us we are "cowards" when it comes to race. - That we do not socialize with each other... (blacks and whites.)
I call BULLSHIT.

I have seen enormous change during my life - it may not have been fast enough but changing peoples hearts is not easy and it takes time. I was raised by a racist mother. I lived in an all white neighborhood and never saw an African American at my school until I was in high school and that was a pair of twins - I was led to believe all the ignorant, dumb-assed things you can think of about people of color - brown and black. I became educated and travelled and realized I was sold a pack of lies and I did what I could to change myself and to not pass these ignorant beliefs onto my children.

Now, I live in a neighborhood that is mixed. We have people of all races and cultures here. This never would have happened when I was growing up. We, as a country, are shifting and embracing each others differences instead of shunning them. My children go to a public school with kids of all nationalities, colors and religions.

We just elected an African American - we did this TOGETHER -

Around my house we do talk about the issues and we do talk about race and cultures. My kids are 8 and 9 -

The United States is "a nation of cowards" when it comes to race relations, the country's newly minted attorney general said today.

In remarks made during a speech to honor Black History Month, Eric Holder said the country remains "voluntarily socially segregated," making head-turning comments that could spark fierce dialogue and the ire of some conservatives.

"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot in things racial, we have always been, and we, I believe, continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards," Holder said at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. "Though race-related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about things racial.

"This is truly sad. Given all that we as a nation went through during the civil rights struggle, it is hard for me to accept that the result of those efforts was to create an America that is more prosperous, more positively race-conscious, and yet is voluntarily socially segregated."
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6905255&page=1

I think Holder should take a step back and see how far we have come. I know there are fuckwits out there who will never change. I know there are skinheads and neo-nazis. I know there are just plain, old bigots and racists. Holder is not going to change these peoples hearts or minds. But he pissed me off by calling us a "nation of cowards." We are a nation of good, working people who all want our children to grow up safe and want the best for us as a whole.

This picture was taken at my inaugural party - we all got together and celebrated all day - from 7:30 A.M. into the night! Not a coward in the bunch.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. I think Holder was dead on.

The chimp cartoon is the perfect example.

Look at all the racist cowards pretending it wasn't racist.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

5. Of course

murdoch is a fucking racist - he is an embarrassment - He is not an American. He comes from a country that does not permit blacks to move there - To keep it racially pure. Australia is known for its anti-black agenda.

I know racism is still here.

I do not think calling us a nation of cowards is a brilliant political move. It fuels the right-wing mob mentality.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. So you call Australia a nation of racists...

and you're upset that Holder pointed out we're a nation of cowards when it comes to race?

Oh, lord.

By they way, you used the "I've got lots of black friends" argument in your OP.

Oh, and another thing: criticizing Holder for speaking the truth because you're afraid of how the RW might distort it is an act of intellectual and moral cowardice.

[ecstatic]

2. I don't think he was referring to you specifically

:shrug: I think things might be slowly changing but you can't blame a man who was alive when bathrooms were segregated for feeling that way.

[Missy Vixen]

3. QueenofCalifornia, I would have loved to have been invited to your party!

I love seeing those smiles.

I'm not a coward, either, and I am grateful that I misjudged the American people. They voted for the best candidate.

[AlCzervik]

4. I think his comments were dead on.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

7. You haven't

seen any change?

[atreides1]

11. Yes There's Been Change

But we still have a long way to go. Look at what happened in Louisiana in the aftermath of Katrina, compare that to when a hurricane hits Florida, who got help in a matter of hours instead of days?

[AlCzervik]

13. and then the blaming of the victims began, so maybe it's not the cops with the firehoses anymore

but racism is alive and well today, it just might look a bit different.

[Life Long Dem]

6. No. He said racist are cowards. No essentiality to it.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

12. I think you

may want to read his quotes. He said we are "essentially a nation of cowards."

I knew most people would not understand where I am coming from on this. I have seen powerful change and for the good. We are a fairly young country- Women were finally given the right to vote in 1920. My grandmother told me what it was like to be able to cast her first ballot. She came from a family whose parents owned slaves. This is something I heard, not read about.

I am not a fucking idiot. I know about racism first hand and I find it a disgrace - I also saw a wonderful man of color elected as our POTUS. We are engaged in helpful dialogs.

This country is comprised of all kids of people - good, bad and somewhere in between. It was a terrible political move to call us a nation of cowards. It serves no purpose.

My girlfriend - in the picture, were talking about this very thing last week. We even shed a tear over it - we know how far we have come.

My children are growing up in a no-racist-zone. That in itself is change THEY can believe in.

[Life Long Dem]

17. I'm not a racist. so I can't be a coward.

So that is why he is speaking to racist as cowards.

[KittyWampus]

20. that is one HUGE logical fallacy right there> "I'm not a racist. so I can't be a coward."

frankly, I think you and some other DU'ers are cowards in this context because you can't admit Holder's statement was ill-conceived, poorly worded and counter-productive to actually beginning a meaningful dialog on race which this country could really use along with dialogs on lots of topics just as important like class warfare, for example.

Oh, and about that faulty logic- You might not be a racist but you can certainly still be afraid to talk about race in public.

And DU isn't really public. Most of the threads ever discussing anything on this forum end up being an exercise of various individuals trying to prove their superiority over someone else.

In fact, that's probably why statements like Holder's can end up so popular here. It gives some DU'ers the perfect opportunity to decry everyone else's racism while tacitly patting oneself on the back as being ever so much more enlightened and progressive.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. just because we elected obama doesnt mean we have done away with racism

i agree with the atty general about voluntary race segregation.

we dont for instance talk about how perfect we expect our minorities to be before we find them acceptable

how when we try to insult jindal we start calling him piyush.

how racism has moved from formal to informal racism and from explicit to implicit racism

[ogneopasno]

10. I think he was right.

[roody]

14. You and your social circle are a minority.

In this country, people overwhelmingly live in a neighborhood of mainly one color, and definitely one socio-economic class. I still live in whiteyville. The only sizable group of people of color is Mexican. Social groups tend to represent one group.
As an aside, kids are taught at school about the civil rights struggle, and they believe that it is over and won, and now the world is just. I don't want to ruin their childhoods, but I tell them that there is still much to do.

[superduperfarleft]

15. Hey look, some of the OP's best friends are black! n/t

[90-percent]

16. Frank Zappa

Franks High School band back in Antelope Valley High in the mid to late 50's was mixed race - mexican, black, and Zappa. This was still before many of the civil rights breakthroughs that happened in the 60's. It probably wasn't nearly as acceptable for whites to hang with blacks back then. I think Frank didn't care in the least, he just liked 50's R&B.

Frank has always had excellent musicians and the black guys that worked with him over the years are certainly all A CREDIT TO THEIR RACE.

That was a crack, of course. Frank had a lot of empathy for the downtrodden ("I've always had an affinity for creeps") but wasn't concerned with race relations. All he cared with his band was the musicianship. Although I think he always held George Duke in especially high regard for his musicianship. He was pretty oblivious to race and was probably more focused on musicianship and the content of his bands characters. Which was used all the time for song material.

I think Frank's core beliefs on race are where America will eventually come to be in the next 5 to 20 years. For what it's worth.

-90% Jimmy

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. bump

[Hangingon]

19. I think you are right. I didn't appreciate the guilt trip.

There are minorities at church, the golf club and the shooting range. We do socialize. I am suspicious of Mr. Holder's motives.

[MzShellG]

21. I'm sure he was'nt talking about people like you.

So you shouldn't take offense. He was referring to the majority of the U.S. population though.

[Igel]

22. He's right.

Too many self-appointed judges and all-knowing souls. The discussion must be on their terms, to reach their conclusions, or else you're insulted and the dialog must end.

It makes it nearly impossible to talk about, and I've been shut down by both those on the right and the left.

Holder says how important discussions of race are, and then proceeds to insult those who wouldn't hold the discussion as he sees fit. In other words, the discussion must be on his terms, or else you're insulted and the dialog must end.

It's like telling somebody to have more diversity in their beverage selection: No, don't just drink Arrowhead bottled water, here, you must try Ozarka--it's such an incredible change of pace. Heaven forbid they should try something so outre as, oh, tap water.