Originally Posted by
Burnette
Let’s get this straight right off the bat. Republican does not automatically equal racist. But there is a reason why some see it a short leap to get to that conclusion, rightfully or wrongfully. And it is my personal belief that Trump won mainly on economics. Truthfully, both parties let the common man/woman go down and pandered to their payers, corporations. But let’s shine a light on the racist slant some here can’t seem to understand how it got attached mainly to one party.
To those who cannot understand why the “media”, oh, that slanted to one side media (not Fox, they aren’t biased, right?) shows reports about racist acts by Republicans is because they exist. Arizona’s Sheriff Arpaio and his driving with brown skin law, Maine’s Governor Paul LePage’s racist rant (I won’t recap what he said here, for we are a civil lot and thus need not sully the room) was epic. And then there’s the Republican nominee, now President elect, his words that cannot be washed aside out of hand. He said them and he meant them. So the brand has the stain it earned. And Trump knows image and the fact that it worked is worrisome to anyone who cares for a civil society.
If you’re cannot see racism, congratulations, you arrived where some cannot ever go due to what you are. If you cannot feel racism, you are blessed, or numb to it or live in an environment where it hasn’t flourished out in the open. Let me tell you from a personal perspective how it is acted out and how it feels. It happens in common areas like gas stations, stores and on the job. In the store, you’ll have a man run into your child, walk right into them, bumping them out of the way. Or they will let the door go and spring back on your child. And as a parent, when you react to those prompts against your child harshly, oh my, what an aggressive and dangerous person YOU are. Coughing is a thing. Just cough on you when you’re in line or passing close by. If in a group, some get embolden to actually taunt you out loud. Like the Bob Seger song, Turn The Page, “you always seem outnumbered, you don’t dare take a stand”. And if you react, the question they will pose to you is, “what did you say to these guys to piss them off?”. Because surely YOU were the aggressor, you alone against all these guys. So in turn you will be overly policed as you’re antagonized in to situations and found guilty on site. “Oh how sensitive you are with your political correctness”.
Some near me have taken to flying huge rebel flags from the bed of their trucks. Nothing wrong with that, oh wait, they just gave is the finger, nice. Trump flags have been seen on these same vehicles, hence his brand is “their” brand, therefore not my brand, nor the brand of a nation of immigrants. Remember that that whole melting pot schtick you were sold in school? Funny, ain’t it?
At work I’m points down right from the start. I have proven to a manager I report to how upper management evaluates a situation depending on the skin color of the people involved. Something bad happens, I show my manager that it was a coworker working on that process. Upper management comes in the next day and thinks I’m involved and say that the actions followed were wrong. My manager corrects them and shows who made the calls and they say he did everything right. Nice.
A manager sees a group of people of color talking, they are screwing off, lazy, costing the company money. Same manager sees his fair skinned friends in the same department talking for twenty minutes and not only is it OK, heck, he may join in. So I can expect to be micromanaged and seen as less than even when there is documentation to the contrary.
So for those who don’t know, being intimidated, over policed and micro managed is how racism feels.
How do you deal with it? Through humor, philosophy and a long view of life. Small battles come and go, it’s the end game that matters. Make the house payment, raise the child and love the family. Minimize the contact with, the impact of and influence carried by those who wish you harm. I make it work. By doing this I have actually gotten to know people who are just full of hate, to know them, talk to them and find some common ground. What I’ve found is that we share some moral values (shocker!), some opinions about education, national defense, health care, taxes and commercial trade. We are exactly the same on some things and we love our families and work hard. I find it a shame that something so crass divides us. To live in a bigger world, I engage them and like with nuts, you take out the goody and shuck the rest. I do this on internet forums too. I’ll call out elitist a racist crap that occurs, sure, but I’ll talk bikes, cars, philosophy, ice cream with anyone who cares to talk about it. For in all but the shallowest among has something of worth to share and I want to be open to it.
Trump won on a hateful platform but the jist of the angst of the majority of Americans is that we got hung out to dry in the globalization of our economy. And with that I agree wholeheartedly. I just wish he were a much, much stronger vessel with less hatred for others. It’s early in the game and we have no way of knowing how this experiment will turn out, but let’s start with ourselves and debate vigorously while still being able to share thoughts and ride together. We don’t have to love each other but we will miss so much and achieve so much less if we close doors. My door is always open. Unless you’re a complete jerk.
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