Column: Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy.

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to be media or not to be media

(the underhanded easyness of calling other crazy, some "sophisticated" standard- )

-- "it's only a housing scheme that devides" (two sevens clash /culture ) ~~

I have trouble with ALL news stories when motives and affiliations are unclear. If she truly is a racist, she could very well be a conservative upset that he is leading the field of conservatives. Everyone here is assuming that opposition to Elder must mean Democrat, but this is a field of over 40 candidates with all but a handful being conservative. It is, in fact, much more of a conservative primary with conservatives running against conservatives than a Democrat v Conservative election. All the battling is within the Republican side.

So forgive me for believing all the assuming going on is a little premature.

A simple example of "respect" being shown would be through not using racial slurs (and to call out those who do use them), such as "Uncle Tom", about these people [I noticed a few members on this site had no issue with using this sort of race-based (racist) language recently]... Merely because a person does not share the "expected" or "desired" beliefs does not mean they deserve to be treated in a lesser way than any other person.

If these people are concerned with the stereotyping and "hostile treatment" accorded to "African Americans", why perpetuate it against those who are "different" from what is expected of\desired from those of that "race"? Why do they refuse to speak of an "African American" who shares a certain set of political (or other) views in the same way that they would speak of a person of any other race who shared those beliefs?

I don't believe anyone has mentioned the political alignment of the person who committed these acts - The issue is how the victim of the acts is treated, based on thier political alignment... Had Mr Elder been a Democrat, would this issue have received the same publicitly in the media as is currently occurring, or would it have received more, or less?

How have CNN, NBC, etc. reported on this, and how much time has been spent discussing it?

I need to restart. I realize that I'm not entirely sure what has conservatives so riled up here. Without that touchstone, I'm sinking fast while trying to address the tit for tat.

If the problem is that non-conservative media seems uninterested in the story, my response is this: anyone who isn't aware that primate images and language are practically a given when a black politician runs for or holds office, has not been paying attention. So common, the news stop highlighting each specific instance very early into Obama's presidential campaign. The imagery is racist, period, but it isn't new or unique, and I can't think of the last time I saw any single instance reported on for ANY candidate. Instead, there will be a generalized statement of "racist rhetoric" being involved in reporting about a protest (if the protest is reported on at all). Mainstream news accepts that racist aggression is a constant fact of life for POC. It is conservative news that chooses to claim it isn't. Whether or not it SHOULD be highlighted with each instance, I honestly don't know. But I can say that I don't see many headlines on it for ANYONE.

If the problem is that a Democrat displayed this image against a Republican, my response it this: we don't know that the woman was a Democrat. I haven't been able to get any information on her, and can think of many alternate explanations. My first response in this thread was based on this angle, for that is what I assumed the debate was about. Can current Democrats be racist? Yes, but the party isn't currently accepting of it. I have to say currently because, well, I know most of you know the whole messy history. And then there is the whole "tries too hard and ends up being racist in a patronizing way" thing that some people fall victim to.

If the problem is that Democrats aren't jumping out with support for Elder for having to endure this, my response is: I honestly don't think he WANTS sympathy or empathy, he doesn't offer it to others, and I will honor his example. I wish no one had to endure such aggression, and I don't hesitate to call the imagery racist. I will work to hold anyone engaging in racist activity accountable to the extent I am capable. But I take my cues from the injured party on how to be their ally.

I realize the black community is not monolithic. But there are some shared experiences that result solely from being born with dark skin. When I listen to black thought leaders, while they will never criticize a "brother," they WILL criticize their actions. Denying that a shared experience exists and that it is damaging is a tactic they find harmful for the black community and, well, seem puzzled by. But with this we are beyond my ability to speak, and I probably should have stayed off it. Like most people, I still have a long way to go on my own journey of learning how to truly be anti-racist.

Oh god, please tell me you're not into that Ibram X Kendi grift, that stuff is straight racism disguised as progressiveness. I don't want to completely derail this, but check out John McWhorter, Wesley Yang, Glenn Loury, Coleman Hughes, or Kmele Foster about Kendi (and his white lady equivalent, Robin DiAngelo), they're straight up frauds and intellectual lightweights who should not be taken seriously on anything, especially race.

I really think you don't realize the extent to the differential treatment, take a look at how the media covered a prominent Republican making an innocent monkey themed comment just a few years ago:

https://www.google.com/search?q=ron+des ... ey+this+up

I have no idea who Ibram X Kendi or Robin DiAngelo are.

Can't guarantee that vernacular they started hasn't drifted into my local community, however, although the meaning probably got altered along the way.

The goal I, personally, would hope for is a society where we see the uniqueness of each individual while also knowing in our core that all humans truly are created equal. I was trying to describe the process of moving to that goal.

Last edited by DW_a_mom on 09 Sep 2021, 4:16 am, edited 2 times in total.

Having a politician make a comment is quite different from having an anonymous protestor in a crowd make a comment. What an elected official or candidate does is news. What his audience does may or may not be news.

If conservatives want to capture the black vote, they might actually want to endorse and carry out policies that are beneficial for blacks, instead of devising ways to disenfranchise minority and poor voters, and courting clearly racist groups and individuals such as the Proud Boys, Neo-Confederates just to name a few, or throw support behind clearly racist symbolism such as Confederate monuments.

Totally off-topic, but posting here is an opportunity to feel far less intelligent than everyone at work makes me out to be. The volume of information some of you digest and hold onto really is impressive. I just don't do that. After reviewing work from associates that isn't quite what I want it to be, it's a needed level to be reminded that I'm not perfect, either.

Heh, there's this community based around a blogger named Scott Alexander who practice rationalism and semi strict comment rules that make me feel like an oafish buffoon every-time I try and post there, everyone seems to have a deep grasp of arcane philosophy and exotic math theorems, and my posting style is far too prickly to fit in.

Sounds like a conspiracy to me.
And as we keep hearing; conspiracy theories are never true.

Strange how a modern photograph can bring to mind events from the 1960's when looked at in black and white...

You really don't see the double standard when an anodyne comment is parsed in the worst possible ways and gets wall to wall media coverage, while someone physically attacking a black candidate while wearing a gorilla mask doesn't even ripple the waters?

Seems like there may have more than just an egg being thrown...

Source: https://abc7.com/politics/larry-elders-venice-event-cut-short-due-to-angry-crowd/11009110/