Simmering Beneath the Surface
Monday, July 26, 2004
Hey, wait a minute! She said 9/11!
Remember a few months ago when the President included scenes from 9/11 in a campaign ad? The purpose of the ad was to show that the terrorist attacks were a defining moment in this presidency. Democrats howled and cried "fowl". How dare the President bring up images of such a horrible time and claim them for his own.
Well, isn't that Hillary Clinton did tonight in her speech before the DNC convention? She brought up some memories of 9/11 with the purpose of stirring the crowd. Do Republicans get to cry fowl now?
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Letters to the Editor: Bill Cosby
The Austin American Statesman did an article today about Bill Cosby's recent comments about the state of the African-American community. The paper then went out and interviewed various Austin area black leaders. It was pretty interesting in that this article pointed out that Cosby's comments are stirring a debate within the black community. I see this debate as being very welcome. Too long have we heard that the black community is diverse and independent in thought. Yet at every election, the black community votes as one block, and too many of the self proclaimed leaders in the community are nothing more than peacock demagogues. As a white person, I'm supposed to shut up and not say anything because it can be considered "racist". Excuse me? I actually see it just the opposite way. I want African-Americans to succeed. I'm very pragmatic in this approach, sorta Adam Smith-like. If there is any community that is underachieving, it brings everyone down. There is no place in a capitalist society for racism, and so for everyone's greater good, all must be given the chance and the will to succeed. Racism is inefficient, and inefficiency is an anathema to capitalism. Again, I want to be very clear about this, THERE IS NO PLACE IN CAPITALISM FOR RACISM.
So, here is a copy of a letter I sent to the editors tonight. They limit letters to 150 words, which is good in that it forces me to edit. Its bad because broader points are difficult to make.
Thank you for your article about Mr. Cosby’s public statements about the state of the African-American community, and the opinions of black leaders in the Austin area.
I did find Nelson Linder’s comments troubling. It appears that Mr. Linder lives in a past where every African-American is cloaked in chains. When presented with the notion that he can release himself, Mr. Linder further drapes himself in chains as if it were a badge of honor.
We can learn from history, but we shouldn’t be condemned by it. It tells us what we are, but doesn’t define who we can be. Condemning one’s future because of history is to give up and admit defeat. If “giving up” is Mr. Linder’s message, then good luck to him and his constituents. The world gives no quarter to those who give up in defeat. It honors only those who fight to improve their condition.
By the way, Nelson Linder is the President of the local NAACP. What is left unstated is that the NAACP has painted itself into a corner regarding its policies. NAACP portrays all blacks as victims, and the NAACP is the only organization who can save them from......."institutional racism", the new code word for "white people" and "Corporate America". Without victims, the NAACP has no reason to exist.
You know what really burns me, is that I work with several African-Americans. There are two, a young woman and a young man, who are REALLY sharp. They work hard, bust their tails, and are where they are because they earned it. This victim nonsense denigrates work achieved by this folks I know. Its as if the NAACP is saying "You must be lucky if you made it.", and that's just wrong.
