Okay, what exactly is "playing the race card?" Because based on my observations, it appears to mean, "Fox News and right-wing radio can say whatever the hell they want about black people, and black people have to take it." I'd imagine that the card has a spade on it, and it doesn't seem to work well, because it's not like we're all living high on the hog around here. We can't even get cops to stop shooting us.
They really confuse me on the whole thing, because they claim that Al Sharpton is a "master of race-baiting," but I just see a guy who's not taking shit off of these racists out here. He calls out injustice when he sees it, and he's willing to debate the issues in a calm and measured manner. He's not rude to his opponents and he gives them a chance to speak. Then again, I'm black, so I can't be seeing this guy clearly.
I'm not gonna say that Al is always right about everything he says, because there are times when he's backed the wrong horse. Let's face it, all of our people aren't exactly honest about something we've done, like that chick who accused the guys at Duke. I think he might wanna let that one go. Same with talking bad about Jews. That's a no-no in America, even if they are wrong. Any and all criticism of them is called "anti-Semitism."
But overall, I like Al and I think he's a good guy. I don't think comparing him to David Duke is correct or fair. But that's how guys like Al are always portrayed: They are the black analog to white supremacists. Same with Malcolm X. Same with the Black Panthers. If Martin Luther King were alive today, he'd be in the same boat, because how dare he talk about race during a police beating? Why, if the NYPD shot an unarmed guy 40 times while he was surrendering, then they must have had a reason, right?
But that seems to be what's thought of as "playing the race card," suggesting that if the cops arrest a black man, then it MUST be about race. That if any black person, anywhere who is told "no," it MUST be because they're black. And situations like that inevitably lead to someone like (name random right-wing commentator) saying, essentially that black people should just quit complaining and accept that our boy committed a crime. It's not about race, it's about the fact that he clearly did something wrong. Then, they throw in a comment about how if the person was white, we would have never heard about it. You know, because a white man just can't get a fair shake in America.
That's not considered "playing the race card," though. I don't get it. They victimized themselves, but we're "playing the race card."
Or back during the election, Sen. Barack Obama's speech on race was considered "playing the race card." His campaign was constantly accused of "playing the race card." And maybe it's because I wasn't able to catch all of Fox News' cleverly edited news clips to see the truth within, but I just wasn't able to see it. Meanwhile, supporters of Sen. John McCain were saying racist things all the time. Or maybe I'm just sensitive to one of my people being called a "monkey." Maybe I'm just touchy about "tar baby dolls" or "nooses." I guess I should really lighten up. "Barack the Magic Negro" was supposed to be funny, right?
Now, I thought the President handled those things brilliantly. He didn't even mention them, because he knew that some partisan hack was going to say, "You're playing the race card," and probably something about "white guilt." Turns out, that's exactly what happened anyway, because it's completely unthinkable that he could have won on his own merits.
Even up to this present day, we (black folks) are perceiving things as "racially motivated," but we're accused of "playing the race card." It's not even a term we use, unless we're defending ourselves against that accusation. Demanding that the President prove he's a citizen is racially motivated to us, because so many of us have been told that we have to prove that we're supposed to be where we are. That's not even counting the pictures of witchdoctors and shit like that, because that goes without saying. So, of course, we're going to speak out about it. How does that make us "race-baiters," when we speak out about it?
White people have been speaking out about perceived injustices against them since the Civil War ended. Why, not being in 100% control of the nation is a real kick in the teeth for them. Not being able to own black people is rough, too. And so, they formed the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and countless militia groups to stand up against what they see as the problem. But that's not "race-baiting." That's not "playing the race card." That's just good, ol' fashioned patriotism.
Don't get me started about the victimization of Christians in America, either. I fail to see how you're the victim in a country where 77% of the population are among your number.
But the Black Panthers were fucking evil. Providing school lunches and attempting to empower and educate their people? That's just deplorable. And socialist. Malcolm X? Marcus Garvey? Man, there's just no defense for people like that. How dare they actually point out white people as being the ones who wronged their people. What the fuck were they supposed to say, that the Vietnamese did it?
And it just continues to this day. Clearly, we're not allowed to complain police harassment and brutality. We can't talk about why the black President was called a liar on the floor of Congress. We can't talk things that affect mainly us, like the state of our schools, or our higher rate of unemployment, our high rate of imprisonment, or our high rate of teenage pregnancy. If we do, that means we want "special treatment."
But white people can. They can talk about what's wrong with us all day long. They can use their coded phrases about the "good ol' days," "the Constitution as originally written," or how "they're not like us," because they're mad as hell and they're not gonna take it anymore. They want their country back, gawddemmit.
"Not like us?" "Their country?" No, that's not "playing the race card" at all.
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