Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Who you callin' cracka ?
Well, a troubling fact has recently came to my attention and I am just wondering if I am the only person who notices it. Nobody else has seemed to feel comfortable discussing reverse racism, so, as always I will try my best to make everyone uncomfortable, and discuss the topics everyone wants to ignore.
Okay, I will be honest, as a nerdy, un-hip, white male, I used to really enjoy the stand up comdey routines of guys like Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence and Dave Chappell. However, like almost every super famous black comedian, jokes about the differances between white and black culture became the center of their act, and it is hard to listen when all they talk about is how bad they are treated, while driving their Bently. Don't get me wrong, minor observances of how bad white people are at dancing and things of the like are funny. However, it gets to a point when the worst things being said about the black community are comming from...black actors, musicians, and comedians. It is difficult to understand what I am talking about unless you have heard what I am talking about, so I will do my best to explain. I strongly believe that the problem of discrimination in our country, would not be half as bad if spokespersons for the black community like comedians and actors, spent more time talking about our similarities and less time talking about differances. I think there are far more similarities than we observe, after all we were created in the image of the same God. I guess what I am trying to say is, I agree that slavery was a disgrace to mankind and a past activity that America should be ashamed of. Furthermore, the existence of slavery did hinder the progression of the black community. But that was a long time ago and there should be no diferances between us anymore. Sadly, this will never happen if certian celebrities don't stop trying to convince us all that they are still being held down.
Now, I live in Northern California, so maybe my outlook on this may be limited and I confess to be naive on how things work in other states, but where I am from, we are all the same.
Now, this came to my attention in full force when I heard a Sacramento area Pastor speak at my Saburban area church. Unfortunately, I had heard this pastor before and I really enjoyed his teaching, so what took place really disapointed me. This man is from downtown Sacramento, which is the similar to Oakland in many ways just....well, sorry but nicer. Non-the-less "South Sac" is considered by many to be the "ghetto" (although it's really nothing compared to Watts or Compton, it is actually a pretty cool part of the city. So, back to my main point. During this Pastors sermon he kept making jokes about our "cultural differances". For example, he would say something and then jokingly say, "Oh, let me re-phrase that for ya all, since you didn't get my language. Trippin' means you were going crazy". The first time I laughed but after the tenth time I was a bit offended. His attitude was kind of like, "You folks don't get me cuz' I'm from the ghetto I'll try a say things differntly so you understand". But I will tell you,I did not look at him any differntly until he kept reminding me that my neighborhood was composed of upper-middle class whites, and his was not. Some of my best friends are balck, some of my best friends and family membes are mexican. Our skin color and the history of our races is never an isssue in our relationships. I wish this was true for everyone. We are all loved by God and all completely equal in every way. If you disagree with me, I am sorry to offend you. I also know that comedians will do whatever they can to get a laugh. But for the love, please lay off race for a while and see where it takes us.
Okay, I will be honest, as a nerdy, un-hip, white male, I used to really enjoy the stand up comdey routines of guys like Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence and Dave Chappell. However, like almost every super famous black comedian, jokes about the differances between white and black culture became the center of their act, and it is hard to listen when all they talk about is how bad they are treated, while driving their Bently. Don't get me wrong, minor observances of how bad white people are at dancing and things of the like are funny. However, it gets to a point when the worst things being said about the black community are comming from...black actors, musicians, and comedians. It is difficult to understand what I am talking about unless you have heard what I am talking about, so I will do my best to explain. I strongly believe that the problem of discrimination in our country, would not be half as bad if spokespersons for the black community like comedians and actors, spent more time talking about our similarities and less time talking about differances. I think there are far more similarities than we observe, after all we were created in the image of the same God. I guess what I am trying to say is, I agree that slavery was a disgrace to mankind and a past activity that America should be ashamed of. Furthermore, the existence of slavery did hinder the progression of the black community. But that was a long time ago and there should be no diferances between us anymore. Sadly, this will never happen if certian celebrities don't stop trying to convince us all that they are still being held down.
Now, I live in Northern California, so maybe my outlook on this may be limited and I confess to be naive on how things work in other states, but where I am from, we are all the same.
Now, this came to my attention in full force when I heard a Sacramento area Pastor speak at my Saburban area church. Unfortunately, I had heard this pastor before and I really enjoyed his teaching, so what took place really disapointed me. This man is from downtown Sacramento, which is the similar to Oakland in many ways just....well, sorry but nicer. Non-the-less "South Sac" is considered by many to be the "ghetto" (although it's really nothing compared to Watts or Compton, it is actually a pretty cool part of the city. So, back to my main point. During this Pastors sermon he kept making jokes about our "cultural differances". For example, he would say something and then jokingly say, "Oh, let me re-phrase that for ya all, since you didn't get my language. Trippin' means you were going crazy". The first time I laughed but after the tenth time I was a bit offended. His attitude was kind of like, "You folks don't get me cuz' I'm from the ghetto I'll try a say things differntly so you understand". But I will tell you,I did not look at him any differntly until he kept reminding me that my neighborhood was composed of upper-middle class whites, and his was not. Some of my best friends are balck, some of my best friends and family membes are mexican. Our skin color and the history of our races is never an isssue in our relationships. I wish this was true for everyone. We are all loved by God and all completely equal in every way. If you disagree with me, I am sorry to offend you. I also know that comedians will do whatever they can to get a laugh. But for the love, please lay off race for a while and see where it takes us.
# posted by Anonymous @ 1:51 AM 
Comments:
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Does reverse discrimination really exist?
I agree with you to a point; there does seem to be this vicious cycle where, more often than not, the differences between Black and White, Latino, Asian are highlighted to the extreme with puns and jokes--and I mean that those people verbalizing those jokes are not white but most often that very ethnic group to which they are making fun of.
I don’t know I quite understand what your definition of reverse discrimination is. Discrimination and unfairness directed towards you, a white man, by a black individual? Or, reverse discrimination and unfairness by blacks toward other black individuals?
Lets be honest here; yes, the times of blacks being told to sit in the back of the bus, or being segregated from a restaurant is few and far between. However, what exists in its place is a heavy sentiment of stereotyping. Sorry to inform you, but discrimination still exists, just in a very different form. Black people, (and for that matter, Latino, Asian, Obese people, Christians, Muslims, etc.), no matter if some black actor or not, still get treated poorly. So what! -- You get offended at church when the black pastor breaks down his slang for you, highlighting all the more, the difference between him and you. But let me ask you this: Do you ever have people ask you, “ hey, I saw another person of your kind here at church today”? Have you ever walked down a street at night and had a couple purposefully try to avoid you? Have you ever felt a person get apprehensive at the very sight of you because you were a black man? I would not go so far as to say that some of the very discriminatory sentiments are coming from the black community only but these sentiments are also very alive in the white community. Yes, Chris Rock makes a lot of money with his stand-up. In regards to momentary and material items, he is doing very well. But I bet he still finds himself in situations where the fellow white person, whether at the bank, shopping mall, or a restaurant, thinks to him or her white-self whether this black man’s check will bounce or not, or whether the Bentley he is driving, is stolen, whether this black man is a drug dealer, or if more of his kind will be joining him for dinner.
Who you calling a cracka now?
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I agree with you to a point; there does seem to be this vicious cycle where, more often than not, the differences between Black and White, Latino, Asian are highlighted to the extreme with puns and jokes--and I mean that those people verbalizing those jokes are not white but most often that very ethnic group to which they are making fun of.
I don’t know I quite understand what your definition of reverse discrimination is. Discrimination and unfairness directed towards you, a white man, by a black individual? Or, reverse discrimination and unfairness by blacks toward other black individuals?
Lets be honest here; yes, the times of blacks being told to sit in the back of the bus, or being segregated from a restaurant is few and far between. However, what exists in its place is a heavy sentiment of stereotyping. Sorry to inform you, but discrimination still exists, just in a very different form. Black people, (and for that matter, Latino, Asian, Obese people, Christians, Muslims, etc.), no matter if some black actor or not, still get treated poorly. So what! -- You get offended at church when the black pastor breaks down his slang for you, highlighting all the more, the difference between him and you. But let me ask you this: Do you ever have people ask you, “ hey, I saw another person of your kind here at church today”? Have you ever walked down a street at night and had a couple purposefully try to avoid you? Have you ever felt a person get apprehensive at the very sight of you because you were a black man? I would not go so far as to say that some of the very discriminatory sentiments are coming from the black community only but these sentiments are also very alive in the white community. Yes, Chris Rock makes a lot of money with his stand-up. In regards to momentary and material items, he is doing very well. But I bet he still finds himself in situations where the fellow white person, whether at the bank, shopping mall, or a restaurant, thinks to him or her white-self whether this black man’s check will bounce or not, or whether the Bentley he is driving, is stolen, whether this black man is a drug dealer, or if more of his kind will be joining him for dinner.
Who you calling a cracka now?
# posted by 
: 3:09 PM
: 3:09 PM << Home
