Late for Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, but still relevant

[here_be_dragons]

I realize I'm a day late with this, but I read it late last night, and didn't quite manage to get it posted in time. The topic is no less relevant, though, for being a day after the holiday celebrating the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. So, I'm posting it now - I really enjoyed it. There are some interesting things in the comments,

Comments

[joyliveshere]

Great article, Wendy, thanks for posting it. It's a nice change from just listening to words about how racism is bad. Words are easy; actions are harder.

I don't totally agree w/ the author about the expression "Indian giver," as I learned a few years ago that it's commonly misunderstood. "Indian giver" isn't an insult to Indians; it refers to the white people who gave things to the Indians and then took them back. OK, I guess it's an insult to white people but we deserve it.

Martin Luther King made a difference and he was just one person. Just like you are.

Yeh, but that voice. Man, could he speak and preach and move people with his words. Have you ever heard a recording of him? It's like being at a concert.

[catlily]

Ah. The one thing in that whole article I wanted to ask about what "Indian giver" meant, because I've never heard the expression before. So thanks.

I like the point about questioning racist jokes. Shaun came out with the most dreadful joke once, which he thought was OK to relate because a black, female friend had sent it to him, and I made that exact same point - she doesn't represent all black people and all the black people I know would be very offended by it.

It's sometimes difficult though. I was talking about it with Warren the other day, and he said that when Kanye West did the Diana concert, the cameras were panning round and picked up on a white, obviously middle class girl singing along using the "n" word when it came up - everyone else was missing it out. I guess quite a few people wonder why it's acceptable for some people to use certain words and for other people not to be able to.

[synergy]

I've also never heard of "Indian Giver." Actually I'm still not sure what that is...

[here_be_dragons]

An "Indian Giver" is someone who gives a gift, and then takes it back again. So yeah, more of a reflection on the giver (the "White Man") than on the receiver (the Indian).

[hedwig_snowy]

Several extrapolations there

[synergy]

What sucked about the whole Katrina thing is that there was a lot of focus on New Orleans and black people and very little on the poor people, who were white, who also lost everything up and down the coast. I agree that it's not necessarily race, but rather more about class. However, Americans are often unwilling to admit that there are very real classes in this country because supposedly such a thing shouldn't exist in a capitalist society where allegedly everyone is equal.

[misstreebc]

Lots of food for thought there. Thanks for posting this!

[synergy]

Onoz! Not Kant! :D

Who'da thunk Michael Jackson was just rephrasing Kant:
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change

;)