Imagine it were a year ago and instead of all white, the teabaggers were all black and Hispanic

[Empowerer]

And they carried signs depicting George Bush as Hitler, called him "King of the Pirates" three days after he'd authorized the Navy Seals to kill three pirates, and accused him of, among other things, putting their children's lives and security in danger.

How likely do you think it would be that any mainstream media outlet would have characterized the event as anything close to a "grassroots" protest?

Of course they wouldn't have. In fact, it would have been treated as a frightening "uprising" by "a bunch of thugs" who demomstrated the need for increased law enforcement.

Because in their view - and the view if far too many others in this country - something can be overwhelmingly, disproportionately and even exclusively white and still be "American," although it excludes a significant portion of the American demographic. Yet anything that involves people of color in numbers greater than their proportion in the population - especially if white people do not comprise the majority of participants - is viewed as something different, "ethnic," outside of the norm and, more often than not, something to fear and discourage.

(Don't believe me? How many times have you heard the Million Man March - a much larger and more dramatic participatory event than yesterday's fiasco - as anything other than a gathering of black people?)

[liberal N proud]

1. They would have all been tagged as terrorist

[Empowerer]

4. Exactly!

A blatant double standard.

[villager]

2. You are talking about the same mass media that totally dismissed the anti-war movement, right?

Because, you know, the whole world was really behind Li'l Georgie's ongoing "tantrum in Iraq..."

[pansypoo53219]

3. the gnews are not on democracy's side.

liberal press my ASS.

[Thrill]

5. I believe they would be calling them Refugees

Remember Katrina? They were Refugees and looters in New Orleans?

[vaberella]

7. Hahahahaha!! FOBs...~sigh~ n/t

[vaberella]

6. Like I always say....It's hard to be Black! If you're Black & Hispanic, you're just a born suspect.

n/t

[Raineyb]

8. You don't have to convince ME. I'm right there with you.

Kicking in the hopes that this will get some more eyes.

Regards

[Raine1967]

9. K & R !

I can't believe that there are not more comments on this.

Or more "R"'s, at the very least.

[Catherine Vincent]

10. Word!

They're always afraid of an UPRISING. :)

[hileeopnyn8d]

11. Hell

They were making fatalistic predictions about "racial violence" about the covention AND the inauguration.