Bobby Rush's Non Racial Slur
Steve Chapman's column "Bobby Rush's racial slur" in Sunday's Trib reads like it was written by "an upper middle class white boy" pundit who has no racial understanding whatsoever. Being an upper middle class white boy myself, albeit one with a modicum of racial understanding and sensitivity, it's clear Chapman has completely misread the Kirk, Rush brouhaha.
How so? Chapman slyly and conveniently sets up a straw man whereby Kirk's instigation of the controversy by calling for the arrest of all 18,000 members of the Gangster Disciples to combat crime, was merely dumb, but calls US Rep. Bobby Rush's use of the "upper middle class white boy" phase, racist.
The reverse is true. Any person of color knows that when a rich, upper middle class white political leader issues a blanket call for mass arrest of young black males, he is either an overt racist, a racially insensitive fool or a cynical politician playing the race card for political gain. Whichever, Kirk's statement likely resonates on a very primal level with millions of whites harboring racist attitudes. What they're thinking if not saying outright is: "Right on, Sen. Kirk; round up all those scary dark skinned kids and throw 'em in jail. Constitution? We don't need no stinkin' Constitution when it comes to those folks." But Chapman can only "spot possible flaws" in Kirk's remarks such as not enough jail space for 18,000 legally innocent black kids, not enough police to arrest them, no way to determine who qualifies for arrest and not enough money to do the dirty deed. Chapman's racial antenna detect not a hint of racism at worst, or racially insensitive political cynicism at best in Kirk's remarks. Rush was right to call out Kirk's remarks for what they were: an overt appeal to white racial fears couched in code that is clear anyone, black or white, with an once of understanding how language is used to reinforce racism.
There is however, a violent gang that Kirk might consider at least investigating for possible arrest under strictly Constitutional guidelines. I refer to the war party gang which has spent the last 12 years spending trillions of dollars getting hundreds of thousands of people killed in criminal wars for nothing except the enrichment, power or bloodlust of the gang members. That might be tough to do as Sen. Kirk, being one of the biggest warmongers in the US Senate, would have to investigate himself.
Hey, how 'bout a column on that subject Mr. Chapman?
How so? Chapman slyly and conveniently sets up a straw man whereby Kirk's instigation of the controversy by calling for the arrest of all 18,000 members of the Gangster Disciples to combat crime, was merely dumb, but calls US Rep. Bobby Rush's use of the "upper middle class white boy" phase, racist.
The reverse is true. Any person of color knows that when a rich, upper middle class white political leader issues a blanket call for mass arrest of young black males, he is either an overt racist, a racially insensitive fool or a cynical politician playing the race card for political gain. Whichever, Kirk's statement likely resonates on a very primal level with millions of whites harboring racist attitudes. What they're thinking if not saying outright is: "Right on, Sen. Kirk; round up all those scary dark skinned kids and throw 'em in jail. Constitution? We don't need no stinkin' Constitution when it comes to those folks." But Chapman can only "spot possible flaws" in Kirk's remarks such as not enough jail space for 18,000 legally innocent black kids, not enough police to arrest them, no way to determine who qualifies for arrest and not enough money to do the dirty deed. Chapman's racial antenna detect not a hint of racism at worst, or racially insensitive political cynicism at best in Kirk's remarks. Rush was right to call out Kirk's remarks for what they were: an overt appeal to white racial fears couched in code that is clear anyone, black or white, with an once of understanding how language is used to reinforce racism.
There is however, a violent gang that Kirk might consider at least investigating for possible arrest under strictly Constitutional guidelines. I refer to the war party gang which has spent the last 12 years spending trillions of dollars getting hundreds of thousands of people killed in criminal wars for nothing except the enrichment, power or bloodlust of the gang members. That might be tough to do as Sen. Kirk, being one of the biggest warmongers in the US Senate, would have to investigate himself.
Hey, how 'bout a column on that subject Mr. Chapman?
posted by Walt Zlotow at 4:59 PM
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