The news has been all over Don Imus' comments on the Rutger gals' basketball team and frankly, it makes me sick at heart. If you haven't read his comments, suffice it to say the gals were referred to as "nappy-headed hos" by Imus and his producer. Comments are all over the board, but here's my feelings on this. This was no joke; this is how many, many White men feel about Blacks, male or female.
My heart hurts for a country that has this deep hatred for people of color. I have spent a great deal of my career, unfortunately, working around men just like this, trying to ignore their hatred and their racism and their prejudices. Today I'm grateful I don't have to put up with it anymore.
What hurts the most, though, is that there seems to be so little I can do personally to make racism and sexism better. There are many people around me, given the state I live in (although it's not just my state) who are racist to the core and in deep denial about it.
If you don't like how people act, Black or White, hate the actions, not the skin color. It isn't about how people act based on their color; it's usually about how they were raised. This lack of upbringing affects all people, White, Black, Hispanic, or striped. When Imus makes statements like this and gets away with it because he generates big bucks, I sink further into believing that I, also a second-class American citizen due to my gender, will ever feel at home in America.
Yesterday I spent an hour-and-a-half in church being reminded of Christ's message. It was, I believe, simply love. I'm tired of hearing people hide behind their Christianity yet, to their core, despise other races.
Urban Semiotic posted some great cartoons and thoughts on this issue.
It goes back to what I can do in my core of influence and that is to practice love. By the way, I think love is a verb.
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3 comments:
Love is a verb.
very cool. :)
it's an action word, something backed up by actions, something to be expressed, not just talked about, but something demonstrated
I like your post.
And I hope you had a nice Easter
I very much agree with you here..."Teach only Love" is the name of a book I bought when I was pregnant. I am happy to say that my daughter dislikes people because they're idiots, not the colour of their skin! (remember, she's 15!)
loving HUGS for you Two Dogs!
Love is a verb....not always easy to get into (and Stay into) action on this one. The said thing is that we live in a society where it is so easy to compromise your moral convictions for the almighty dollar. It makes me respect our AA traditions all the more.
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