tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post6500586946083403472..comments2024-03-18T17:01:07.165-07:00Comments on The Provocateur: Are We Racial Cowards?mike volpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02999118519606254362noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post-91197772086062974312009-03-01T14:50:00.000-08:002009-03-01T14:50:00.000-08:00Your proving my point. Your speaking from the pers...Your proving my point. Your speaking from the perspective of individuals. I and Holder are speaking from the perspective of a collective group. I'm not saying that individual Americans are cowards. I'm not stupid, I know you can't make broad stereotypes about "nearly half a billion people."<BR/><BR/>You keep saying "I've been discriminated against" or "I've been wronged" and that's valid where appropriate, but your talking about you as an individual being mistreated by individuals. That's different from talking about they way systems, institutions, or collectives opperate. Personally, this is one of the most frustrating thing for me as an African American talking about race. When I say, "the public school system is racist," that doesn't mean I think that all or any of the people who make decisions about the public school system are racist as individuals. It's the system, the way it operates, and the results it produces that I find racist. At the risk of generalizing, I must say that I find a lot of whites not being able to differentiate between these two perspectives.<BR/><BR/>And again, I have no intention of disrespecting or legitimizing your own personal experience. It's just that, if we are going to have that honest conversation on race, I have to say that your experiences don't let you know what it's like to be black. I'm no authority on racial issues, but neither are you, and I think being a black man gives me a unique perspective on what it's like to be a black man. How is that not a logical argument?Kevin Locketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post-53679944834398766112009-03-01T08:03:00.000-08:002009-03-01T08:03:00.000-08:00Eric Holder is in no position to speak for a group...Eric Holder is in no position to speak for a group of nearly half a billion people. You are in no position to do the same. That is stereotyping. <BR/><BR/>Don't treat me with some sort of righteous indignation. I have been discrimated against as bad as anyone else and I have called out every racist as I see them. <BR/><BR/>I don't need Eric Holder speaking for the whole of Americans and making generalizations about people. When he makes blanket statements like we are a nation of cowards, it is stereotyping, it is divisive, and it sets race relations back. <BR/><BR/>You are not, because of your skin color, the only authority on race relations, racism, and bigotry. I bow to no one. Holder's comments were totally inappropriate, they are without context, and they have no place in any discussion about race.mike volpehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02999118519606254362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post-86157212514470703022009-02-28T21:27:00.000-08:002009-02-28T21:27:00.000-08:00In what way was this a stereotype? It would be dif...In what way was this a stereotype? It would be different if he said "Americans are cowards." What he was saying is that, as a group, we have been cowardly when it comes to the discussion of race. It's not about talking about race all the time. It's about making sure that when we talk about race, it's not in a cowardly way. For example, you said that some are afraid to talk about race because they may be called "racist." I think we have to stop being afraid that someone may disagree with what we have to say. Maybe some people just are racist, and they deserve to be called that. And, if they're not, they need to be willing to defend their views.<BR/><BR/>You said that some don't have time to think about race. Well, others, like myself or Mr. Holder, don't have a choice. We can't think of everyone else as the same because we've grown up being told by the world that we're fundamentally different. With all due respect, nationality and religion is not the same as race. I respect your experience, but it's not the same as mine as an African American. It's not a one-to-one relationship. That's a perfect example of the type of conversation that needs to be taking place: How are our experiences similar? How are they different? What are the implications of that? These conversations need to be done with more thoroughness, complexity, and seriousness than a one hour CNN special can provide.<BR/><BR/>Holder wasn't being divisive. He wasn't playing one race against another. He was telling the truth. It's just that we can't handle the truth.Kevin Locketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com