Back in November, I wrote about personal experiences with glaring racism after the election.
Now CNN has an article about hate crimes experts and law enforcement officials monitoring white supremacists in the days leading up to Obama's inauguration.
If you spend any time at all on the internet, I'm sure you've seen it to.
I went to AOL and clicked on the first article under the The Obama Presidency label. The article was Obama Rides Rails to Capital Amid Cheers. Here are some comments:
How droll.
I can't tell what is more bothersome...the he LOLs the death of Lincoln...or that he is subtly saying that the same might happen to Obama? The fact that this is all hi-larious to the poster is disturbing as hell.
Token?
Well, it was only a matter of time before someone made the "ape" comment. The fact that he slid in an anti-Arab comment as well makes him twice the asshole. Well played, Sir.
Ah. One could find a racist connotation to this...but it isn't necessary. The comment is offense on its face. The poster felt that it was witty enough to be posted two times.
And these are from a random article.
Unfortunately, the CNN article mirrors this trend:
This is the sort of ignorance that we must not turn a blind eye to. I know...we all claim we wouldn't turn a blind eye to it...but that is exactly what happens. A recent study showed that people rarely act in the way they think they will.
Wait. It gets more disturbing:
63% were willing to partner with the racist.
Let that sink in.
This behavior cannot continue. Stop turning a blind eye to hatred and intolerance. As they study quoted above noted: a number of studies have shown that when people are confronted about the racist remarks they make, they are less likely to repeat them.
So confront them. Make the hatred stop.
Now CNN has an article about hate crimes experts and law enforcement officials monitoring white supremacists in the days leading up to Obama's inauguration.
Anger, violence and interest in racist ideology did increase in the hours and days after Obama was elected president in November, hate groups experts said.
Three New York men were indicted on charges of conspiracy to interfere with voting rights -- accused of targeting and attacking African-Americans in a brutal crime spree soon after Obama was declared the winner on November 4.
And interest in racist ideology was so high right after the election that computer servers for two White supremacist Web sites crashed, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups.
But the violence and interest soon subsided. Leaders within the white supremacist movement are now seeking to capitalize on Obama's presidency by using his election to help grow their organizations.
If you spend any time at all on the internet, I'm sure you've seen it to.
I went to AOL and clicked on the first article under the The Obama Presidency label. The article was Obama Rides Rails to Capital Amid Cheers. Here are some comments:
How droll.
I can't tell what is more bothersome...the he LOLs the death of Lincoln...or that he is subtly saying that the same might happen to Obama? The fact that this is all hi-larious to the poster is disturbing as hell.
Token?
Well, it was only a matter of time before someone made the "ape" comment. The fact that he slid in an anti-Arab comment as well makes him twice the asshole. Well played, Sir.
Ah. One could find a racist connotation to this...but it isn't necessary. The comment is offense on its face. The poster felt that it was witty enough to be posted two times.
And these are from a random article.
Unfortunately, the CNN article mirrors this trend:
While experts said it is difficult to determine how many people belong to hate groups, they do agree with an SPLC estimate that claims there are about 900 operating now, a 40 percent increase from 2000. The vast majority of these groups promote white supremacist beliefs, and range from skinheads living in urban areas to the KKK ,which is based largely in rural settings.
This is the sort of ignorance that we must not turn a blind eye to. I know...we all claim we wouldn't turn a blind eye to it...but that is exactly what happens. A recent study showed that people rarely act in the way they think they will.
They said the study demonstrated that despite saying they would be upset if they saw an act of racism, when non-black people actually witnessed racism against a black person, they showed little emotional distress. Also, they tended to overestimate the extent to which a person making a racist comment would be socially rejected.
Such tolerance of racism leads to its perpetuation, because a number of studies have shown that when people are confronted about the racist remarks they make, they are less likely to repeat them, said co-author John Dovidio, a psychology professor at Yale and expert on prejudice.
Wait. It gets more disturbing:
For the study, Dovidio and colleagues studied 120 non-black volunteers who were waiting for what they thought was the real experiment to begin when were then exposed to racism. One group of participants directly experienced racial incidents where they witnessed a black person, who was posing as one of the volunteer participants, bump into a white person who was also posing as a participant. After the black participant left the room, the white participant either said nothing, or "clumsy n_____," or "I hate it when black people do that".
The other participants either read about the incidents or watched a video of them and were then asked to predict what their responses would be.
All the participants were also asked to say which of the others they would be willing to work with.
The participants who did not actually witness the events first hand were much more likely to say they were upset at the comment the white participant made about the black participant, and to say they would refuse to work with such a person. The participants who actually witnessed the events first hand reported being less distressed and 63 per cent of them were more willing to work with the white participant who made the racist remark as one who did not.
63% were willing to partner with the racist.
Let that sink in.
This behavior cannot continue. Stop turning a blind eye to hatred and intolerance. As they study quoted above noted: a number of studies have shown that when people are confronted about the racist remarks they make, they are less likely to repeat them.
So confront them. Make the hatred stop.
2 comments:
Sadly, I have read pretty much the same garbage... Check out this thread I got involved with regarding Obama's inauguration...
Jean said 23 hours ago:
WOW! I understand that Geo Bush was asked to stay frugal 4 years ago…no such request is made of the KING!
It sickens me, and I have tried to understand what all the hype is over this individual. The same people who are crowning him as KING…will lead him to the slaughter, I’m afraid.
You said 23 hours ago:
Had any one bothered to check and do ANY research, one could have easily found that the “costs” of Bush’s second inauguration was NOT just $42.3 million. The figure for that ceremony DOES NOT factor in costs of security etc. The Obama figure is a TOTAL accounting (security included). Again, a little leg work on your part would have easily revealed that the District of Columbia and the Federal government spent over $115 million dollars in security and clean up costs for Mr. Bush’s second inauguration raising the final tab to $157 million dollars! So although I admire Redhank’s number crunching (I am impressed), the numbers are simply wrong.
In addition, one can argue that the price tag for the Obama swearing in is very high (costs PLUS security). But remember, there will be at least 2 million people in attendance.
I am first in line in defending freedom of speech either from the left or right. Factually incorrect information because of “spotty” research is simply “lazy” and inexcuseable. Do the research and then yell all you want.
LPL
texasdarlin said 22 hours ago:
lastpersonleft @ 11:45, it’s amusing that you leave a righteous comment criticizing me for failing to do research, when you fail to leave one citation for your purported “correction.” LMAO, how pathetic.
john mirse said 6 hours ago:
Excuse me. I have to leave now.
Pepto-Bismol: I have to rush down to the local drugstore to buy a couple of bottles of that famous pink stomach pain relief medicine called Pepto-Bismol. I will probably make sure to get the Extra-Strength stuff.
1. You see, when I witness Obama take the oath of office on television on this coming Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, to become the next President of the United States, I am scared that I may vomit all over myself in disgust if I don’t take a lot of that pink stuff Pepto-Bismol a few minutes or a few hours before the swearing-in ceremony.
2. Honestly, when Obama swears to the world that he will uphold and defend the Constitution of United States, I would probably vomit all over myself if I didn’t take a lot of that pink stomach medicine a few minutes before the swearing-in ceremony.
Mary said 4 hours ago:
Ophelia,
Although I am disgusted with people–white or black–who voted for Obama for no other reason than that he is black, I assure you that I would find him to be a lying, cheating, Constitutionally ineligible fraud if he were green with purple stripes.
truthseeker said 2 hours ago:
Congratulations America we have elected and sworn-in the first Affirmative Action American President!
Although I am disgusted with people–white or black–who voted for Obama for no other reason than that he is black...
The thing with that is...what exactly is the difference between someone voting for Obama because he is black and someone voting for McCain because he is Republican? Or voting for Bush because he is evangelical Christian? Or voting for Reagan because he was conservative?
I don't see these same people chastising anyone for not voting for Obama based solely on his skin color. I highly doubt these same people had a problem with someone not voting for Kerry because he was Catholic. Or Hillary because she was female.
When evangelicals came pouring forth to vote for Bush...where was the hue and cry about how wrong it was to vote for him "for no other reason than that he is" Christian?
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