“I’m not racist, but…”
“I’m not a racist by any stretch of the imagination, but whenever people start talking about diversity, it’s a word I can’t stand … What these people don’t like is somebody forcing diversity down their throats.” -Prescott City Councilman Steve Blair, supporting the decision to “lighten” the dark faces of a school mural.
Click here for a gallery of the offending mural. This is an elementary school where, for several months, passers by have shouted, “You’re desecrating our school,” “Get the nigger off the wall,” and “Get the spic off the wall.”
ETA: Looks like Blair’s remarks have cost him his radio job. (Thanks mouseferatu for the link.)
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“I don’t really care about reading their multitudes of hispanic fantasy, or their african american fantasy. It’s just not culture I’m interested in, so I end up flipping past half the magazine because they, without fail, -always- focus on some ethnicity I don’t care to read about.”
“DEATH, DEATH, DEATH to ‘Political Correctness’. I like ‘pulp’ and ‘Sword and Sorcery’ in all its gory, sexist, glory … Women are to be barmaids, princesses, slave girls, dancers, victims to be rescued, etc. Blacks and MezoAmerican like peoples are either rare ‘Noble Savages’ or hideous cannibals with filed teeth. Orientals are sinister characters, though their women look hot but unless they are ‘Rescued sacrifice victim’ also very sinister. Of course, awesome ‘Noble Savages’ think Kubotai from ‘Conan the Barbarian’! Mix in lovecraft, westerns, maybe some not too queer Burroughs like stuff.” (This individual later described himself as “Rabidly Non-PC but not necessarily racist.”)
-Two commenters, on separate blogs, responding to Realms of Fantasy’s call for new subscribers.
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And people roll their eyes and mutter about political correctness when someone gets angry about yet another publisher whitewashing a cover. Or they grumble about quotas if someone points out yet another editor’s all-white “Best of” anthology. Or they ask “Why are you making such a big deal out of this isolated little incident?”
Because none of these things happen in isolation. Because I believe racism is learned, and the first lesson is less likely to be , “Let’s go lynch those uppity blacks,” than it is something like, “A story by/about those people in my magazine or anthology? Down with political correctness!”
This is my country. My genre. I love them both, but sometimes I am ashamed and embarrassed by them as well.
Mirrored from Jim C. Hines.