Am I A Racist?

I don't think I am. I have never been accused of being one before. I feel that all are created as equal as can be and that race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation should not be a factor of how far a person can go. I also know that many do not believe that way.

On Friday, I posted the above picture on Facebook. It is appalling commentary. I'd never heard of this guy, but the fact that he was important enough for anyone to create a picture of him with his quote sickened me. That and the fact that he calls himself "Reverand" and I wonder how many women he is poisoning with this brand of hate.

After I posted I had to be away from the computer for about three hours. When I returned there were over 70 comments and many of them were hostile - seriously so. All of those commenting thought that this man's words were unacceptable (I would have immediately unfriended with any moron who dared to agree with him), but the ugliness came because the a commenter stated, "For a black man to say that is... well.. interesting."

Another friend declared that she was a racist to point out the color of the man's skin and that others in the GOP had said this and no one bothered to point out that their color. The commentary spiraled from there. Whitewoman tried to explain her comment. Blackman telling her exactly why she was wrong. Asianwoman jumping in with excellent information, but not understanding that Whitewoman and Blackman were conversing, thinking Blackman's comments were toward her. She kept trying to make herself heard and ended up sharing way to much, then she was embarrassed about her comments and left. Meanwhile I am receiving private messages from Blackman telling me that Whitewoman is a racist and why.

I do not understand how pointing out that women and African-Americans have something in common regarding voting rights is considered racist. Am I wrong? I was told that the fact that I do not understand why it is wrong makes me a racist.

In my mind those who have experienced discrimination should be more compassionate toward other groups that have experienced discrimination. So women, all races other than caucassion, religions other than mainstream, and those who are not heterosexual should work together to ensure equal rights for all of us. Had this man been homosexual (say - Neil Patrick Harris) I would have pointed out his homosexuality. I would have said, "I am appalled that a homosexual would say that about women's rights."

Am I appalled when a straight white guy makes those comments? Of course. Do I advertise that fact? Of course. And maybe my friend is correct that white men (who have really not experienced discrimination in any way to what other groups have - although some have been discriminated against) are held to a lower standard of understanding. I don't expect them to feel for those who have faced discrimination because they have no idea what it's like.

Does the fact that I probably would have made the same comment about being appalled that the quote was from a black man make me a racist? Does the fact that I am still fairly certain that my friend is being sensitive make me a racist?

I am heartsick over this. He and I have become very close and I feel like that closeness has disappeared. But I also feel that I have to be honest with him that I think he is over-reacting. Not everyone is a racist.

But maybe I am.

Number 500!!!!

After over 6 years, 2 degrees, and many unexplained absences, this is 'blog post #500. Wow.

I have a lot to say about the state of this country, but I am just so sad at this momeny. People are so incredibly dumb. Women who vote against the rights of their sisters. Men who are nasty about a President because he is in a different political party as they are... or has a different skin color.

According to sources Romney's last three commercials are total lies, but only Ms. Maddow's blog has the ability to point that out?  Several friends of mine got into a long discussion (yes, I mean fight) over this "news" on Facebook last night that the Obama campaign took in less than it spent in June. That is technically correct, but it made it sound like the campaign is in debt which is nowhere even close to the truth. And only read the comments if you have a strong stomach.

Akin (Missouri - legitimate rape)... I am not going there. I truly hope he stays in the race and gets clobbered.

There is no reason in this country at the moment. There is no intellectual curiousity. There is only hate and vitriol. Has it always been this way and I was so naive I missed it?

Is there any possibility that we can move toward the middle and become one country again? Do we want that? Can we forgive and move on? Should we even try to forget?

I feel that the future is bleak. Less so if President Obama is re-elected, but eventually another Republican will move into the White House and then what? A depression? An uprising? (That of course is IF there is not an attempt by the Virginia Republicans to start an armed rebellion if the President IS re-elected.)

Race. Equality. Rights. Has it all be for nothing? Are we doomed? Is this country doomed? It isn't 1776 anymore. If we go down, will anyone survive? Or am I being overdramatic? 

So I am sad. And a little scared.

But I truly hope that I am around for another 500 posts... at least.

More Rampant Racism

It is amazing to me that it always seems to be white men who swear that racism does not exist. Uneducated white men who cannot seem to find a decent job and swear that they are being discriminated against. Or (my favorite) the one who wanted to turn to the 'system' at some point in their life and could not - for whatever reason.

I cannot write on this subject with the eloquence though that Sheria does over on The Swash Zone. She is fighting it in every way she knows. I think a lot of the people (the one or two) who visit this site already read the stuff over there, but if you don't. PLEASE DO SO NOW.

I sent an email to the webhost that has the site that Sheria is talking about. If you can help, PLEASE.

We are all people. Human beings. Loved by someone. Created by the circle of life or God or the Olympians. The hate is never going away, but we can do everything in our power to combat it.

Hey Mitt(ens)! Did Anyone Try to Kill Your Daddy?

In January of 2003 (roughly) I arrived at work, checked my email, and then opened my internet browser. This was some time before my Facebook obsession and before I had ever heard of a 'blog, so my home page was CNN. CNN opened and the headline read, "He Tried to Kill My Daddy." I scanned the story and went to work and when I opened the browser again sometime later, the headline had changed.

I spoke to a friend on the west coast and told her about it. She swore I was nuts. I did a search (was I googling yet? Or still playing with Yahoo?) and I found... nothing. I searched CNN. Nothing.* And not long after the U.S. made a preemptive strike on Iraq where eventually Saddam Hussein was found and hung.

President George Herbert Walker Bush (aka Daddy Bush) was President at the time of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and after a 100 hour ground war, he came out of Desert Storm looking pretty good. High approval ratings. Lots of "Star Spangled Banner" singing. "HOO YAH AMERICA" ok, ok, and Russia, and Germany, and Great Britain... :-)

But much of America was not pleased by the fact that Daddy Bush didn't tell the coalition to go "Fox" itself (thanks to Jon Stewart that is my new swear word!) and just go right in and do a little Dirty Harry on Hussein. I mean, why not let Stormin' Norman just STORM on in there, right?

Why not indeed!

It was, of course, a UN mission, a UN coalition, and there were strict rules about the joint effort that included ONLY getting Iraq out of Kuwait, not Hussein out of Iraq. It was over! We won! Parades! Anthems! Let's not ever speak of Vietnam again....

But 12 years later, W is at the helm. And what does he have? He is a bit of an idiot. He's not as loved as his Daddy. He's not a war hero. He's not very bright, comparatively! So he goes on TV and announces that Saddam Hussein tried to kill his dad. And he works out a way to snow the American public into believing that Hussein is waiting around every corner wanting to blow up the town where YOU live! (You know, like he did the Twin Towers!)

Some fell for it. I can get sworn testimony from my husband that I DID NOT!! We invaded a sovereign nation on little or no intel, killed and wounded who knows how many, shoved the debt into the stratosphere and for what?

So W could prove that his pee-pee was bigger than his father's!

Mr. Charleston asked in the comments for the last post why Mitt Romney would want a job that is actual WORK, that only paid $400,000 a year and a lightbulb went off over my head.

Because his father was never elected President.

So maybe just being elected would get the monkey off of his back and he could go on to NOT attempt to kill off a generation of our young men? Or maybe we could all face nuclear annihilation if Daddy Romney was ever insulted by someone of Asian descent?

Either way. I don't need another crazy ass, something to prove cowboy in the White House! Let's stick with the team we've got!!

*I googled 'he tried to kill my daddy' and there are YouTube videos of W babbling BS. I am not linking to them though. Just the thought makes me feel slimy!

Week 2 - Day 2

I have officially been a grad school student for 1 week and 2 days and I am feeling an overwhelming sense of panic! I loved undergrad and I learned a lot, but I did kind of just skate through. I can write and most of what I was learning was just common sense. But grad school is NOT going to be like that.

Class #1 - Research Methods. Purpose: Write a research proposal.

I will be honest, I was a little smug before class started. I work with scientists who perform research. I am the Institutional Review Board Administrator, so I am required to take training on ethics in research and I probably know a lot of the definitions in the Code of Federal Regulations better than the professor who is teaching the class.

And you know what? That is not helping me formulate a hypothesis or figure out where to get the information from or HOW to get the information. And I do not actually have to perform research, just PROPOSE how I would go about it.

It will get better. I hope it gets easier. But I have a feeling I am not going to be spending as much time on Facebook as I have.

And I may disappear (again) around here. But hopefully (with the election heating up) I won't be gone as long or as often!