You can say the craziest things to black people or about them, and get away with it.

[johnlucas]

106. You're surprised? How much do you think will REALLY change in 50 years?

The United States of America was SPECIFICALLY founded upon subjugation of the African peoples for financial gain.
The entire political party system is ROOTED upon Black People & Monetary Interests.
That is the engine of the American system.
This is how the machine works. Why would you expect anything different?

I wrote a whole post detailing the long history of this phenomenon.
It was called A long story about The Southern Strategy.
The Southern Strategy is MUCH older than 1964.

We have been dehumanized.
That is the only way a human being can justify abuse & mistreatment to another human being.
Human beings are PROGRAMMED to NOT harm another human being UNLESS he/she can see you as other than human.
It is activated in the mind & expressed through language.
The Enemy. That Bitch. The Infidel. You Dirty Dog. That Creep. That Freak.
The Perp. That Thug. The Consumer. Collateral Damage. Those Lazy Moochers.
Those Punks. Those Brats. Those Fossils. That Trash. You Monster.

Any word whether outright slur or not that doesn't denote a human being in an outright or familial sense is used to transform the mind's eye.
Once that's transformed the mistreatment can be justified.

It's only been 50 years, bravenak.
What did you expect?
You REALLY think this inherently racist culture will dispel those mentalities in that short a time?
America was FOUNDED on our dehumanization, bravenak.

You thought you had a safe ground here at Democratic Underground?
No buddy. Old habits die hard.
The rewards are too great.
Half-a-century can't undo half-a-millenia.

Do like The King says & grow that rhinoceros skin*.
You're gonna need it to survive this place.

{*To hear the quote I'm talking about start at 1:46}

Always put your best foot forward & treat others the way you want to be treated.
Be that leader. Live that example.
But don't be surprised when it's not returned.
ALSO don't be surprised when your best foot forward inspires others to walk WITH you.

But trust me this is a slow process.
Half-a-century ain't gon' match up against half-a-millenia.
John Lucas