Racial Dialogue

[vicki2]

Since the Imus fiasco and his susequent firing by two networks, there's been alot of rhetoric about how the event is creating a good atmosphere for discussing racial issues.

So far, all I've seen is a lot of yelling and screaming and finger pointing by both blacks and whites. Seems Imus opened a can of worms that had been pretty sealed.

 

[dong]

Heh, that would be because when any can of worms gets opened, you're most likely to get shouting these days.

I remember writing an article about increasing polarisation which said something to the effect of "our present world is generally not a productive environment for dialogue of any sort." To that end, opening cans of worms at least raises the possibility that something good might come from it, although it's certainly highly unlikely and all you're going to get is a rehash.

In this case, I think the main effect is that everybody is making a "know your enemy" play. I wonder who the people who claim this "good atmosphere" are. They're possibly deluded optimists...they're also possibly people who hope that such a remark might increase the chances that their claim might actually be true. This is the stuff of self-fulfilling prophecy here.

 

[berlinlife06]

I think it is a good message for people like Imus, that in the name of comedy are using the airwaves and then just say stuff that is pretty offensive, to women in general and specially to that team. They should know they can't get away with that!

 

[vicki2]

Yet they are words we hear in music, on the street, and now on prime time television news. "Nappy headed ho" is now mainstream American language thanks to the last week and all the coverage. So, who do you fire now? The whole country?

 

[dong]

Heh, that too always happens. Outrage is the first action, assimilation the next. Funny how that works!

From this it becomes clearer what the firing is actually supposed to do. There's only so much damage control one can make, in this case such actions are almost purely retrospective.

 

[mtatum4496]

Some folks will simply continue to do what they have done for years when it comes to trying to eliminate bigotry. As an example - there is a group in my city that has a breakfast on a weekly basis. Persons from every race represented in the city attend the breakfast. The sterring committee - again composed of persons that represent every race and culture preent in the city - have a guest speaker at each breakfast. There is also time for everyone to mingle, chat, and invite one another to various events around the city. This has been going on since the early 1970's ad grows a little larger and sponsors more activities. It hasn't eliminated bigotry from any sector of the population in our city just yet, but it sure has been the means of more people getting to know and appreciate one another.