Posted on 01/14/2013 6:01:28 PM PST by CovenBuster
Dear Secretary Powell:
I understand you were a guest on one of the Sunday chat shows and listed a few things that Republicans have said that indicate that they harbor underlying racism. I believe you called it “a dark vein of intolerance.” Your examples were:
1) Shuckin’ and jivin’
2) Lazy, accompanied by the unspoken but certainly implied “shiftless,” not to even mention that reallllly unspoken third word.
I confess that those dog whistles are much too high for my ears, but that could be because I’m in my 60s. I would never have dreamed that using those terms regarding blacks (oops!) African-Americans were verboten (uh-oh! German word! It’s okay, though, because I have German blood. Whew!).
I’m curious if you considered The Osmonds racist when they recorded Shuckin’ and Jivin’? If so, did you call them on it? May I assume that you publicly took Andrew Cuomo to task for exhibiting that dark vein of intolerance when he used “shuck and jive” against Obama in his support for Hillary Clinton during the 2008 primary season?
I was told recently that I couldn’t use “uppity” when speaking of an African-American. I do apologize for not knowing that rule. I have used that term when describing many individuals who exhibited uppity behavior, but I didn’t understand that African-Americans were exempt from its use. Is it possible you could send me the list of terms that one should never use in conjunction with African-Americans lest they be perceived as exhibiting a dark vein of intolerance? Please include the terms that were not spoken but that African-Americans will “hear” when a white person speaks (see example #2 above). I will print it out and keep it with me at all times so as not to make an inexcusable faux pas (yikes! French origin. I repent as I do not have any French blood.)
Also, is there a statute of limitation for coddling your race, or can we expect that the list of terms I’ve requested from you has an infinite shelf life?
I can’t help wondering if you’ve ever considered using your influence to reach out even further to prevent blacks, I mean African-Americans from being offended. You could initiate a move to have the word “niggardly” stricken from English dictionaries as a legitimate word. “Renege” is another one that could possibly offend and should probably be stricken. Surely someone in Congress, e.g., Sheila Jackson Lee, could help you get that ball rolling through legislation.
One more thing I need you to clarify, Mr. Secretary: Several years back I incorporated “diss” into my vocabulary. I realize it has its roots in black culture, but I like the term and have found it to be a succinct word to express my thoughts at times. Do I need special dispensation from an American of African descent to use this term (and other terms that have their origins in black culture)? If I use these terms, am I in danger of being perceived as racist? If so, is there an avenue of absolution I can take to repair my reputation?
Finally, Secretary Powell, please explain why you are a Republican. If you consider McCain and Romney to be a “significant shift to the right,” how could you have managed to bring yourself to vote for Ronald Reagan twice? I’m sorry, Mr. Secretary, but your convictions seem to be squishy, and your logic shifts to accommodate the argument of the moment. For that reason, I cannot respect you as a Republican. Please do the principled thing and join the Democrat Party. Thank you for your service to our country.
Sincerely yours,
A Conservative American
This is an artfully crafted, perfectly executed beatdown of a hypocrite that can’t feel shame no matter how well deserved it is.
As a white man myself, I’m tired of being expected to atone for sins of the past not done by me. I’ve done my best to live my life judging people by character and not color. Apparently I can’t hear dogwhistles either.
Perhaps I couldn’t see the white racism running rampant in America because it wouldn’t benefit me like it does Mr. Powell, the Left in general, or any of the other racebaiters using it to enrich themselves while gaining political power.
Being a man on the right side of the political spectrum, (did I mention I’m white?), I was under the impression that the majority of racially motivated instances over the past several years have been cases of black on white, with the exception being the white Hispanic, (who knew they now come in different colors too?) and that kid in Florida.
Not that I’ll care, but if the term “beatdown” is racist too, feel free to cc me a copy of the rules CovenBuster requested. It will give me another opportunity to mock you phonies.
If it were up to me, racial animus would have gone away, but “you people” (oops) won’t let it.
Boomlakalaka..
From last year’s Washington Post Op-Ed page, re Colin Powell..
Colin Powell’s cheap shot
Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 08/29/2011
By Jennifer Rubin
If Powell thinks he is aiding the cause of racial harmony by painting wide swaths of Conservatives as racists, well, he is doing just the opposite.
I am beyond irritated by the constant racial whining of these people. I am sick of paying their bills as they disparage me. I am fed up with their culture of ignorance, corruption, & violence.
If that make me a racist, they brought it on themselves.
Powell’s problem and Obozo’s as well, is that deep down he knows he was never really up to the job...he knows his accomplishments came because of the color of his skin.
He is a politician and a racial huckster, not a lot different than al shaprton and the reverend jesse jackson.
This he has to confront every day and it bothers him deeply.
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