Comments on: The fantasy of a ‘post-racial’ election http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/ Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:50:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Joel http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-498314 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:04:50 +0000 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-498314 Something y'all can read after your through patting yourselve's on the backs for being post-racist. Hillary Clinton contends with gender stereotypes, and Barack Obama with racial ones. Which bias runs deeper in the American psyche? The answer does not bode well for Clinton. http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/02/17/black_man_vs_white_woman/ Something y’all can read after your through patting yourselve’s on the backs for being post-racist.

Hillary Clinton contends with gender stereotypes, and Barack Obama with racial ones. Which bias runs deeper in the American psyche? The answer does not bode well for Clinton.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/02/17/black_man_vs_white_woman/

]]> by: Will http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485689 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:45:36 +0000 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485689 I don't know where to stand on the "America is postracial" issue. At some level, it is naive to think that racial problems will just go away in all generations and in all parts of the country. At another level, though, I see real change in young people's understanding of race in some parts of the country. People who were alive before the civil rights movement are growing old and dying off. And in their place are young people for whom interracial dating is a non-issue—indeed, interracial doesn't even seem to be the right word, since neither partner is "raced" in the traditional sense—for whom integration of public spaces is a foregone conclusion, and for whom a presidential candidate's race is a secondary feature, like his or her attractiveness. That's not to say racial injustice is gone in the U.S., or that we don't have a long way to go. That's only to say that I think many in my generation understand race much differently than many in older generations, and that that difference marks the beginning of a quite profound change in the national conversation about race. I don’t know where to stand on the “America is postracial” issue. At some level, it is naive to think that racial problems will just go away in all generations and in all parts of the country. At another level, though, I see real change in young people’s understanding of race in some parts of the country. People who were alive before the civil rights movement are growing old and dying off. And in their place are young people for whom interracial dating is a non-issue—indeed, interracial doesn’t even seem to be the right word, since neither partner is “raced” in the traditional sense—for whom integration of public spaces is a foregone conclusion, and for whom a presidential candidate’s race is a secondary feature, like his or her attractiveness. That’s not to say racial injustice is gone in the U.S., or that we don’t have a long way to go. That’s only to say that I think many in my generation understand race much differently than many in older generations, and that that difference marks the beginning of a quite profound change in the national conversation about race.

]]> by: atheist http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485386 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 06:14:07 +0000 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485386 <i>Post-racial means that the racists have to use dogwhistles and code words rather than just standing up and shouting “Segregation Forever!”</i> Yeah. I'm a white guy, living in a city, who used to believe that racism was on the way out. Certain life experiences, however, showed that racism wasn't dead- it had just gotten sneakier and more strategic. And for the past couple of years, racists have been feeling strong enough that they are starting to exert more pressure on society. Anyone who doesn't see it needs to open their eyes and listen to what's on the radio, read their papers, and watch how their freinds, family and acquaintances act. You can't listen to our useless media on this. You have to actually look around you and consider why people speak and act the way they do. I've seen too much in my life to ever again believe that we are living in a 'post-racial' age. Post-racial means that the racists have to use dogwhistles and code words rather than just standing up and shouting “Segregation Forever!”

Yeah. I’m a white guy, living in a city, who used to believe that racism was on the way out. Certain life experiences, however, showed that racism wasn’t dead- it had just gotten sneakier and more strategic. And for the past couple of years, racists have been feeling strong enough that they are starting to exert more pressure on society. Anyone who doesn’t see it needs to open their eyes and listen to what’s on the radio, read their papers, and watch how their freinds, family and acquaintances act. You can’t listen to our useless media on this. You have to actually look around you and consider why people speak and act the way they do.

I’ve seen too much in my life to ever again believe that we are living in a ‘post-racial’ age.

]]> by: Zython http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485367 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:29:13 +0000 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485367 Basically, <a HREF="http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&amp;id=1066#comic" rel="nofollow">this</a> reflects reality better than it should. Basically, this reflects reality better than it should.

]]> by: paul http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485305 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:55:22 +0000 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485305 I can't help thinking, along with a bunch of others above, that "post-racial" is really code for "we don't actually lynch people any more, so you can't accuse us of being racists. Oh, and no, you still can't join our country club." Post-racial means that the racists have to use dogwhistles and code words rather than just standing up and shouting "Segregation Forever!", but it also means that when they say they had no idea the noose on that tree might be in bad taste, because all that happened so long ago, anyone who doesn't take them at their word is suddenly the troublemaker. Post-racial sounds to me like "post-feminist", y'know, the period we're in now where "men's issues" like blowing shit up and controlling who gets married are national priorities, and "women's issues" like health care and education are special interest pleading. I can’t help thinking, along with a bunch of others above, that “post-racial” is really code for “we don’t actually lynch people any more, so you can’t accuse us of being racists. Oh, and no, you still can’t join our country club.” Post-racial means that the racists have to use dogwhistles and code words rather than just standing up and shouting “Segregation Forever!”, but it also means that when they say they had no idea the noose on that tree might be in bad taste, because all that happened so long ago, anyone who doesn’t take them at their word is suddenly the troublemaker.

Post-racial sounds to me like “post-feminist”, y’know, the period we’re in now where “men’s issues” like blowing shit up and controlling who gets married are national priorities, and “women’s issues” like health care and education are special interest pleading.

]]> by: bellatrys http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485286 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:03:41 +0000 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485286 Daniel Schorr is such a pompous ass - his self-satisfied, I'm-SO-much-smarter-than-all-you-listeners voice has always been so annoying to me that the stupid things he says are almost superfluous - I'm ready to throw things at the radio every time he comes on even before I hear what he's actually saying. More proof that age !-- wisdom, if we needed any... Daniel Schorr is such a pompous ass - his self-satisfied, I’m-SO-much-smarter-than-all-you-listeners voice has always been so annoying to me that the stupid things he says are almost superfluous - I’m ready to throw things at the radio every time he comes on even before I hear what he’s actually saying.

More proof that age !– wisdom, if we needed any…

]]> by: Hector B. http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485225 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:58:59 +0000 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485225 Post-racial election == there's one nonwhite candidate that white folks don't automatically consider to be inferior to themselves. Post-racial election == there’s one nonwhite candidate that white folks don’t automatically consider to be inferior to themselves.

]]> by: louise http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485221 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:52:38 +0000 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485221 Went to the link re:Canadian... WOW. In a way, this is hilarious for me. My grandmother's parents were Canadian (New Brunswick) and Gram was the largest bigot in our family. My dad is just like her in that regard- this would flip him out. Went to the link re:Canadian… WOW.

In a way, this is hilarious for me. My grandmother’s parents were Canadian (New Brunswick) and Gram was the largest bigot in our family. My dad is just like her in that regard- this would flip him out.

]]> by: JohnL http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485215 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:29:22 +0000 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485215 Also, it's a little weird to talk about a 'post-racial' election as the schools <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0125/p01s01-ussc.html" rel="nofollow">resegregate</a>. Also, it’s a little weird to talk about a ‘post-racial’ election as the schools resegregate.

]]> by: MikeEss http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485214 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:27:00 +0000 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/01/29/the-fantasy-of-a-post-racial-election/#comment-485214 <i>"Apparently, “Canadian” is a new racist code word."</i> The whole thing is fascinating - sick but fascinating. There's one whole group that wants to pretend they aren't racist and so they cling desperately to the idea that we are "post-racism", because the applying the word "racist" to them is doubleplus-ungood. Yet, at the same time there are those for whom being racist and expressing their racism to others is so strong that they must replace commonly understood, but discouraged, slurs with cryptic substitutes just to communicate. Which proves once again that the power of the words themselves to do harm is limited, but the evil behind their use is very strong and (apparently) immortal... “Apparently, “Canadian” is a new racist code word.”

The whole thing is fascinating - sick but fascinating.

There’s one whole group that wants to pretend they aren’t racist and so they cling desperately to the idea that we are “post-racism”, because the applying the word “racist” to them is doubleplus-ungood.

Yet, at the same time there are those for whom being racist and expressing their racism to others is so strong that they must replace commonly understood, but discouraged, slurs with cryptic substitutes just to communicate.

Which proves once again that the power of the words themselves to do harm is limited, but the evil behind their use is very strong and (apparently) immortal…

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