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June 13, 2003
Maybe I was wrong ...
The other day, I posted an entry that maybe should have stewed a little longer to gain a more thoughtful flavour. Browsing blogs, I came across a reference to a site where David Sims had interviewed some KKKers around 1987. He was trying to make a point that some people may have joined the KKK for non-racist reasons. Another blogger followed up with some criticism of the original article. David responded and it was on for one and all.
The most thoughtful response that I read was written by Paul Jáne (he also posted a comment to my earlier article). The gist of Paul's comment (as I understand) is that the KKK sample was not necessarily representative nor was it necessarily honest. He also pointed out that handling this topic in the wrong way was like providing a baseball bat to a lunatic (my phrasing). My interest in the article was not so much the KKK (not being American, it is hard for me to comment without more knowledge), but in the fact that both Paul and Steve H felt that Paul's ancestory was relevant to the story. I responded (as you can read) on that basis. I felt that Paul's points were valid regardless of any other matters.
Now I have had more time to reflect and I also read some other links including Reflections in D minor and Dean's World. The thing that struck me most were the comments by Lynn on the 'them' and 'us' mentality. David may well be right, there is a problem (and Dean supports this) with the "white poor" in America BUT that does not validate the KKK. Paul and Steve may also have been right to make the distinction BUT it is still a 'them' and 'us' style situation (well actually you can't include me because I am probably half kangaroo but you know what I mean....)
A long time ago, when I was travelling in Europe, there were on the tour a number of South African students. They were all young (16-20), white and Jewish. Didn't mean a thing to me (or my wife who was born in HK) and we chatted quite happily for most of the tour. I figured (wrongly) that being a minority of sorts would mean that these people were more open to the issues of racism in South Africa. Actually it turned out that the fairly widespread opinion (there were 10 - 12 of them on the tour together) was that the rest of the world had a mistaken attitude towards 'blecks'. We tried to convince them that people are people regardless of skin colour but they were firmly of the 'them' and 'us' mentality. I even tried to explain that in some places around the world, they would be in the 'them' category but they just couldn't see it that way. We had this circular argument about education:
Him: We should stop wasting money on black education
Me: Why?
Him: Because they are incapable of learning
Me: How do you know?
Him: They never finish university
Me: Maybe because they don't get a fair education?
I seriously thought (as did Lynn) that: "The Answer was to stop putting any importance at all on race. The difference between a white person and a black person should be no greater in our minds than the difference between a blonde and a red-head or the difference between a man who was 6 feet tall and one who was 5'8". In other words, race must be no more important than any other physical difference. " and that tempered my comments yesterday. I would rather see educational assistant program directed at those who need it (not those of a particular ethnic or cultural group). I would rather see university entrance open to those who can demonstrate the ability (not restricted by race as in Malaysia). Lynn goes on to say: I was dismayed to discover that my rational notion that race didn't matter any more than any other physical characteristic was a racist attitude! . So where does that leave me. I don't want to be a racist! I would like it to be something that doesn't matter but I don't know how to solve it. I understand that it can be very deeply ingrained. Personally I would like to think that I could be like the hospital manager that Lynn mentions where the nurse (who has yet to meet him) says: "Were you told that I'm colored?" (or something to that effect). His response was, "Oh? What color are you?". [I did say something like this to a job applicant being 'interviewed' by email when she used the line 'Did the agency tell you what sex I am?' - being an IT job she was worried that we wouldn't take women and had carefully applied as K. Smith without using her first name.]
On a lighter note I remember a joke that I told the South African students on the bus but they didn't think it was funny. It was about the bad old days in the US (or anywhere else this type of racism was prevelant) where a group of people were travelling on a bus and they were fighting about who sat where. The driver finally had enough and made everyone get out. He stood on the steps and addressed them all: "I have had enough. I am sick of this black and white argument. From now on you are all green. Not black. Not white. Just green." After some discussion everyone agreed (that or they would be left behind). "OK!" said the driver, "Everyone back on the bus, dark green at the back and light green at the front".
Posted by Ozguru at June 13, 2003 12:06 AM
Comments
Posted by: Dean Esmay at June 13, 2003 12:06 AM
Posted by: Glenn at June 13, 2003 12:06 AM
Posted by: Wowbagger at June 13, 2003 12:06 AM
Posted by: Ozguru at June 13, 2003 12:06 AM
Posted by: catherine at June 13, 2003 12:06 AM
Posted by: Ozguru at June 13, 2003 12:06 AM
Posted by: Paul Jané at June 13, 2003 12:06 AM
