Atranta's new metlo rine is lacist

or...

Eyeing a new slant to nip a problem in the bud

It seems every time the sun rises in this land of ours, there is another group seeing red because they've been slighted, belittled or referred to in a way they feel is racist.

On the face of it, you might think a story about a group of Asian-Americans being upset because officials at Atlanta's MARTA (rapid rail system) decided to name the branch that happens to run in to the heart of a popular Asian-American area Yellow was a made up news item. Well, my friends, it is right here in black and white.

Despite the fact several other major cities with rail systems use color coded lines, including yellow and the highly unlikely scenario that this color was chosen because of the race of rail's surrounding citizenry, the angry horde is threatening to hold their breath until they turn blue unless MARTA officials meet and agree to spend an undetermined amount of taxpayer greenbacks to change the line's color designation from yellow to, get this, Gold.

MARTA officials have acquiesced and are rolling out the red carpet for members of the nonprofit Pan Asian Center for Community Services to meet and offer their solution; a set of stickers to be placed over the offending colored signs. These members must not have spent much time on a city rail system because they don't realize there will be stickers, spray paint and various other substances placed on these newly printed signs soon enough.

I've not seen a full map of the MARTA system and don't know Atlanta well enough to determine if the black line goes to a predominantly African-American area, the Brown line goes to predominantly Cuban-American territory, the Red line goes to the Native-American casino, the Pink line goes to Alternative-American closet and bedroom communities and the White line goes to American of northern European descent super rich-American suburbia but I am fairly sure these colors won't be as coordinated as your average Benetton advertisement. This rainbow of stereotypes might actually make the city more ethno-friendly to all but the most color blind of visitors.

Still, you would think someone in the upper echelons of MARTA's gray matter trust would have seen this coming. In fact, the potential White knight in this story is non other than former MARTA employee, John Yasutake, who voiced concerns regarding the name change during a staff meeting a month before the decision was inked. If only his concerns would have been heard and heeded, we might not have so many people feeling blue.

Racism again rears its ugly head

How is this not racist?

The Chicago Police department doesn't think minorities are smart enough to pass their officer's test? I am ignorant of the exact quote but this policy is a prime example of the "soft racism of low expectation".

Instead of relaxing the criteria to become an officer in the Chicago Police department, perhaps there should be some increase in the qualifications needed to occupy an office in city hall.

S2

The problem with racists seems to be...well...their race.

Finding examples of media bias toward liberal viewpoints is about as difficult as finding stink in a month old carton of two percent milk. You, unfortunately, tend to get the same reaction when pointing this bias out to someone as you get when you say "here smell this" to your lovely spouse standing before you with a bowl full of dry Grape Nuts and a spoon. A reaction of indifference to your plight in having been the one to recognize the problem, a bit of irritance (sic) that you feel necessary to share the pain, indignance that you expected anything else to come from the so-called mainstream media or a container of clearly separated, past its prime bit of bovine juice and impatience that there is no quick remedy being proposed.

It was rather fun to run down to the local Whole Foods grocery to pick up a quart of fresh, organic, non-fat milk at an inflated price and listen to the pantheon of left leaning shoppers decry the chain's CEO's op ed piece against The ONE's health care initiative and proposing his own more conservative plan. There are even calls to boycott the haven for the organic food fueled, reusable bag carrying, granola munching crowd.

The milk run was easier than finding an unbiased news report on the recent town hall meetings on my 70 channels of Comcast basic cable. The latest topic du jour for reporters and pundits alike is the rash of anti-Obama, anti-health care militia members bringing their assault weapons to the events.

Let me be clear here: I am a staunch second amendment advocate who in matters of self-defense thinks a fair fight means you didn't bring a big enough gun. That said, it makes no sense to choose the battle of health care to demonstrate your personal viewpoints on this issue by bringing a weapon with you when attending a town hall affair. This move, albeit completely legal, only gives fodder to zealots on the left who will relish it with their morning cereal and herald it along with snap, crackle and pop as further evidence of the lunacy of the protesters.

The reporters pushing this issue prove they have the initiative of your average DMV worker at 4:59 PM on a Friday before a Labor Day Monday by resorting to the tired argument of racism as the motive behind their arming themselves.

Case in point is this report from the ever balanced MSNBC:


There is no doubt this group of concerned media professionals is concerned for the safety of our First African American President of the United States. Honestly, at times I am too; just not for the same reason. There is growing anger in the country toward the President and his marching us toward something that would make the wigs on our founding fathers turn prematurely gray. Soon it may rival the near hysterical and psychotic hatred the left had, and maintains, for George W. Bush. I feared for his safety too.

Where I differ with the dolts from the news post above is that I don't see the issue of race here. They seem to see it everywhere. I guess my first clue that the gun toting protester mentioned doesn't hate The ONE because he is African American is that the gunman too is African American. It took quite a bit of searching but here is a photo of the member of a well maintained and regulate militia:
Maybe this man is against Obama's white roots from his mother's side. Maybe he feels Obama is an Uncle Tom and not Black enough like was said about Clarence Thomas during his hearings when nominated for the Supreme Court. Maybe he is just a self-loathing African American who feels his brother is being uppity and serving the Man.

Maybe the reporters simply ignored the man's race because it didn't serve their purpose. I feel like a broken record in decrying the broken record of using racism as some ever effective kryptonite against any argument that goes against the lock step viewpoints of today's average journalist (sic).

And by lock step I am not claiming they are Nazi-like...blah blah blah blah.

S2

This case for racial equity is a few bottles short of a six pack.

Let me be upfront about this, I have done everything I can to avoid reading, watching or listening to reports about the Beer Summit held at the White House last Thursday. It is this ignorance of the issue that, it seems, makes me qualified to comment on the greater issue here. After all, when asked about the underlying racially charged arrest that this summit was held to address, the First African American President of the United States felt compelled, after admitting he didn't know the facts, to call the actions of the police stupid.

For those of you who may shun mass media to an even great extent than I have recently, the so-called Beer Summit at the White House was a photo opportunity brought about from an arrest made at the home of a Harvard professor after a neighbor, who was either taking her turn on duty for Neighborhood Watch or feels she is channeling Jimmy Stewart's wheelchair bound character in Rear Window, called the police to report two men breaking in to a house on her street. You see, after a long first class, wine filled, movie watching and nap taking flight from China, the professor couldn't locate his house keys and the chauffeur didn't have a set on the limo's keyring. The well educated and tenured molder of youthful minds had to break in to his own home. Hence the report of the, umm, a break in to the police.

When the police arrived to investigate and make sure everything was Kosher, the Harvard professor took umbrage at being asked if there was anyone else in the home and to provide some identification showing he belonged there and that climbing in the window was his normal method of entry. I guess one slur led to another and soon the well educated one was doing a perp walk to the officer's black and white.

Fast forward to the national beer garden on the White House lawn on Thursday just before the nightly news is scheduled start. Four men are sitting amicably, we assume, discussing the broader issue of race in this country while tossing back an unidentified brand of beer that had been delivered one at a time to their table. The cries of racism and prejudice that emanated from the handcuffed professor a few short weeks ago are now being discussed for how they relate to the population at large. The four men: the professor, the arresting police officer, the Vice President of the United States and The ONE.

You will note I've yet to mention the race of the police officer or the professor. That is because it is irrelevant. Or it was until the professor brought it up and then the President chimed in. So just how oppressed is the break in artist?

Of the four, only one is not a millionaire; the white cop. One professes, and actually brags about, being the poorest member of the United States Senate when he held that title before his current one: the white politician. One makes a living pointing out the differences between the races and perpetuating stereotypes, the like which this Beer Summit is condemning, of the past and has a job from which he can't be fired: the black professor. One rose from average beginnings in a meteoric rise to the most powerful position on the planet: the black President. One is probably not really sure what the hell he is even doing there: the white politician.

Two of the men will soon vacation in multi-million dollar estates in one of the richest areas of the country: the two black men. One will, most likely, never again set foot in a place of such power and opulence as is the White House where the others will be regular attendees: the white cop. One works for the public good in a position of trust where benevolence and civic duty more than monetary reward or power are the draw to the career: the white cop. The other three are in positions where the preceding should apply but unfortunately doesn't seem to.

Where, looking at a photograph of this staged event we should see four men having a beer and leave it at that, unfortunately it is told to us we need to see two black man and two white men and focus on their differences and challenges in society. The race baiters in our society tell us we will never be able to move past issues of race until we can see beyond the colors of one's skin. Unfortunately, it is usually they who are so quick to point these colors out. Personally, I am color blind.

I think I need a beer.

S2

Cigars, fags and calling a spade a spade

Read any blog that resides at the far reaches of either side of the political spectrum, after your daily reading of this blog of course, (you do have NoMatoMiPavo bookmarked right?) and you will see that the discourse has become more caustic than your average review of the conservative movie “An American Carol”.

Utter an opinion and you’ll likely be the recipient of an onslaught of expletives directed at you personally, the majority of your ancestors by relation and George W Bush because, well, he is Satin incarnate. It doesn’t bother me to be on the catching side of these tirades. I probably am a bit of a white trash, bigoted, homophobic, right-winged, Neanderthal but leave my parents out of it.

So why in this age of vitriol does it seem people’s skin is becoming thinner than Peter Orszag’s or Donald Trump’s real hair? Any criticism is immediately seen as a personal attack and the recipient begins a plea for justice and demands an apology at the least and usually monetary recompense as well. The utterance could be a legitimately stupid statement. If so, call the speaker an ass and move on. People say stupid things all the time. My personal filter more resembles a sieve and I start every conversation with a disclaimer that, indeed, I am an idiot so anything I say should not be held against me. But too often it seems people are looking to be offended. The leaps they will take to turn an innocent comment into an attempt to begin the next holocaust would make Superman feel he needs several bounds to clear the same distance.

In 1999, a staffer for Washington, DC mayor Anthony Williams was forced to resign after he used the word Niggardly to describe the size of a fund that he oversaw. Two staffers complained and amid a flurry more excited than a nest of angry Wasps (did I say Wasp? How dare I?), the mayor accepted David Howard’s resignation. A few days later someone decided to consult Merriam Webster and learned there is no connection between Niggardly and the prohibited, unless you are an African American rapper who won't listen to Russell Simmons or a Rainbow Warrior, N-word that so insulted the staffers. Of course to those looking to be insulted the idea of performing this exploration before Howard’s condemnation never occurred.

In July of this year, a commissioner in Dallas County, Texas made the mistake of comparing the county’s collection office to that oh so racist of phenomena; a black hole. Another official, John Wiley Price demanded an apology. To Mr. Price it seems any term that begins with the word black is racially charged. This guy’s views are so far out in space that even usually sensitive Liberals think he’s spaced out. On behalf of all unintentional racists in the world, I’d like to invite Mr. Price to coffee and I will apologize. Just so he is forewarned I take my coffee black.

In August of 2006 then Governor, and should have been GOP Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney referred to the Big Dig in Boston as a tar-baby. The waiting to be insulted, with brains about the size of a Br'er Rabbit, couldn’t wait to jump on Mitt and label him as a racist. Unfortunately, Romney hopped on up and apologized. If only the State and Federal governments had been a bit more niggardly in their expenditures, this Black Hole would never have been an issue. Oh, I’m sorry.

Apologies for misspeaking and injustice often aren’t good enough for most of the bereaved. Don Imus’ much overblown Nappy Haired Ho comment, justifiably as stupid as only Stupid White Men (no apology as obviously that isn't offensive) can be, cost him his job. When United States Senator Trent Lott wished one time racist Strom Thurmond a happy birthday the calls for his resignation from race baiters and riot inciters was immediate. Even the sons of politicians who voted against the Equal Rights Amendment got in to the act. Neither of these obvious racists could get away with anything as a straight forward, black and white (oh sorry) apology.

When Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized for a tragedy of political incompetence and enforcement that resulted in the death of 26 potential immigrants from India he was criticized because he went to the people to apologize and didn’t deliver it in the confined of Parliament. If he was as observant as Joe Biden, he would have rightly made the apology at a 7-11 or Dunkin Donuts. Ok, this time I will apologize on behalf of the missing Vice President since he never has.

The examples of personal offence and demands for retribution are many: like this, this, this or this. While many have racial or sexual overtones, people are taking offense at everything now. The days of being happy and gay (oh, sorry) are gone. Political Correctness abounds and the tentacles of this restrictive culture may soon reach further into our vocabulary.

Unfortunately, the retribution sought is not only financial. Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was killed after producing a movie critical of Islam and Dutch politician and refugee of an arranged marriage Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been under police protection since the film aired because of death threats to her from members of the “religion of peace”. If only they’d put cartoon images of Mohammed in their film, like those in Danish newspapers, their depravity would have been complete.

The sensitive nature of people today seems an unexpected phenomenon when compared to the amazingly narcissistic nature of today’s youth. Their self-esteem is extremely high. In other words they are completely full of themselves. I guess that is why any criticism, no matter how well intentioned or constructive put a chink (sorry) in their self-obsessed armor and is to them a personal affront.

To everyone today thinking they’ve been offended by someone else’s speech I say “grow a set”. If what they say is so bad, call them on it and make your position clear. We will forever have bigots, fools, racists, sexists and any other ‘ist you might imagine. Deal with it. It’s not like someone goes out of their way to make a voodoo doll of you?

Poor Nicola Sarkozy was so upset that such a doll was being sold, he sued. In their infinite wisdom, the French courts decided the sales could continue but a prominent warning had to be placed on the package that states that sticking pins in the toy is an affront to his dignity. Those French men, it seems they have no problems with their self-esteem.

S2