tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post6569063659804089360..comments2024-01-04T04:31:00.481-05:00Comments on Mixed Race America: Race and Politics -- Part IJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13261371053113519712noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post-34587445312197505852007-12-28T12:33:00.000-05:002007-12-28T12:33:00.000-05:00quick thoughts....I think it depends on the versio...quick thoughts....I think it depends on the version/definition of racism. I think having black friends is not a warranty of not being racist. I also think Obama could get votes under the same "some of my best friends are black" exemption--he's not like the hoods in the ghetto or the aliens coming over the border.dancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05560093455630610783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post-37204357811159506732007-12-27T11:20:00.000-05:002007-12-27T11:20:00.000-05:00Tami,Thanks for answering the questions! I apprec...Tami,<BR/>Thanks for answering the questions! I appreciate your perspective and tend to agree with your assessment of the Republican party, and I, too, know not only white Republicans who are progressive as far as race (but fiscally conservative), but also Log Cabin (for anyone unfamiliar with the term, it refers to queer Republicans), African American and Asian American Republicans.<BR/><BR/>Although I have to be honest and say, I'm not close to many Republicans--as in, my closest, nearest and dearest friends tend to be on the same political spectrum as me. <BR/><BR/>This, I think, is part of the problem, and the reason I wanted to start the blog--that I don't think we're having much civilized conversation between camps about topics of race (let alone gender, sexuality, class, religion). I suppose because it gets so heated. But the truth is, if it matters at all, it matters in the arena of politics. Maybe I should say all this in the next post and not just in the comments...Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13261371053113519712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post-32080865993720452822007-12-26T14:49:00.000-05:002007-12-26T14:49:00.000-05:00Great post, Jennifer! Let me try to tackle your qu...Great post, Jennifer! Let me try to tackle your questions:<BR/><BR/>To me, a racist is a person with a hatred and/or intolerance for one of more racial groups, generally coupled with a belief that the person’s race is superior. I make a distinction between a racist and a person with prejudices (i.e. a person who assigns attributes to others based on race, sexuality, nationality, gender, etc.) can I don’t think anyone, including people of color, can grow up in this country without some prejudices.<BR/><BR/>It is ridiculous to think everyone in the Republican party is racist. I know a few white Republicans that I, a black woman, call friends. They are not racists.<BR/><BR/>Now, I do believe the Republican party harbors more racists than the Democratic party. I think the Republican platform that protects the conservative and the status quo, celebrates corporations and power, demonizes the less fortunate, and depends on “us” against “them,” lends itself to racism, jingoism and a host of other “isms.” The Democratic platform lends itself to anti-racist praxis, though I acknowledge that liberal Dems pay lip service to equality, while often falling short of equal practice. And liberal Dems can be ultimately non-racist, while suffering from amazing prejudice. Unfortunately, often white liberals lack the self-awareness to recognize their own prejudices, seeing prejudice as the realm of Republicans.<BR/><BR/>Based on my definition of a racist, I can’t imagine a racist Dem voting for Obama.Tamihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12940502776699227686noreply@blogger.com