BellaKos (16 posts)
19. Other factors?
Actually, I've given this some thought, but I'm not the only Southerner who feels this way, of course. But in my case, I was mothered and cared for by Mary, Marie, and Clara, who were the housekeepers during my childhood -- and who happened to be black.
Also, I never heard the "n-word" used by anyone in my family. And there were occasions when my father demonstrated that he wasn't a racist although he didn't talk about the issue of racism in the South ever. One time, he was buying tickets at the movies when he noticed that a black soldier was turned away. He literally made a public scene when demanding that that man be allowed into the theater. (I was eight or nine then, but the idea of the injustice of segregation was instilled by his emotional outburst that afternoon.) Another time, he threw our next door neighbor out of the house -- jerking her up by the elbow and leading her to the door -- because she had made a racist comment. (That incident taught me that racism -- even from neighbors -- doesn't have to be tolerated for the sake of "getting along.") And he helped Clara in a number of ways, even after she had moved on to another job. (This taught me that although Clara worked hard, she still needed help in a world where she was considered second-class.)
So, in light of these subtle influences, I suppose that my heart was primed to receive King's speech favorably when it was televised for the first time. And I suppose that the Beatles and the hippie movement cemented my connection with the "outside world," so to speak. Since then, I have traveled far and wide and have learned that racism exists everywhere, but my experience growing up in the segregated South makes me very sensitive to the issue
. That's why I can say, without reservation, that racism is used against Obama through racially-coded words by the Repukes. It is an injustice being done to him, his family, and to the office of the Presidency.
Now, keep in mind, I had nothing good to s(ay about George W. during his pRescidency, but there were *reasons* for that as we all know. What's being done to Obama is UNreasonable. And it is amazing that he's able to overcome it again and again
Sorry. It's fixed.
Originally Posted by Carol
