What must it be like to be an African American for a day? This question has been asked repeatedly throughout the centuries. The question haunted one particular individual to the point he sacrificed his life in order to determine the answer. If you are intrigued pick up the classic book 'Black Like Me'
If you must know and can't spend the time nor the funds to find out than reference the quote below.
“.....I saw a couple that had been escorted out and they were confused as well, and the girl was crying, so I said ‘Why are you crying? and she said ‘I already voted for McCain, I’m a Republican, and they said we had to leave because we didn’t look right,’” Elborno said. “They were handpicking these people and they had nothing to go off of, besides the way the people looked........”
What is evident in the article below is that the campaign was using appearance to assess patriotism. I suspect those discriminated against, such as Lara Elborno, would find it very difficult to live beyond a day in the shoes of an African American. Imagine, getting kicked out of an establishment merely because you have a certain look, or being shot at first and asked questions later.
Well the problem with profiling is a simple and obvious one, a thief, a terrorist, and a murderer don't posses a certain look. The 9/11 hijackers played on our stereotype of what a terrorist looked like and tricked us to lower our guards, by dawning western garbs, and sporting cropped hair and a close shave. Our vision of a terrorist, had us looking out for individuals dressed as Ali Baba and the forty thieves, while the "IBM employees" slipped right through security.
Well it seems John McCain's campaign is still susceptible to these old notions of judging a book by it's cover. You see, according to the article below ,his campaign had police officers escort individuals who didn't have the right look, away from his rally. What his campaign didn't know, because they allowed prejudice to be their guide, was that the individuals he had escorted out where supporters who had already early voted for him. I guess if I were them I'd be crying too. Come to think about it this is perhaps a case of the chicken coming home to roost.
If you must know and can't spend the time nor the funds to find out than reference the quote below.
“.....I saw a couple that had been escorted out and they were confused as well, and the girl was crying, so I said ‘Why are you crying? and she said ‘I already voted for McCain, I’m a Republican, and they said we had to leave because we didn’t look right,’” Elborno said. “They were handpicking these people and they had nothing to go off of, besides the way the people looked........”
What is evident in the article below is that the campaign was using appearance to assess patriotism. I suspect those discriminated against, such as Lara Elborno, would find it very difficult to live beyond a day in the shoes of an African American. Imagine, getting kicked out of an establishment merely because you have a certain look, or being shot at first and asked questions later.
Well the problem with profiling is a simple and obvious one, a thief, a terrorist, and a murderer don't posses a certain look. The 9/11 hijackers played on our stereotype of what a terrorist looked like and tricked us to lower our guards, by dawning western garbs, and sporting cropped hair and a close shave. Our vision of a terrorist, had us looking out for individuals dressed as Ali Baba and the forty thieves, while the "IBM employees" slipped right through security.
Well it seems John McCain's campaign is still susceptible to these old notions of judging a book by it's cover. You see, according to the article below ,his campaign had police officers escort individuals who didn't have the right look, away from his rally. What his campaign didn't know, because they allowed prejudice to be their guide, was that the individuals he had escorted out where supporters who had already early voted for him. I guess if I were them I'd be crying too. Come to think about it this is perhaps a case of the chicken coming home to roost.
Pre-emptive Ejection
Audience members removed at McCain rally in Cedar Falls
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1 comment:
Yes, this is an example of the chickens coming home to roost. However, I wonder how this experience will impact those individual's lives? Will they think twice when confronted with an act of bigotry and racism in the future, or will they simply go back to business as usual? The fact of the matter is that many people could not go through the things that African-Americans endure in this country on a daily basis. We, unfortunately, are used to struggling, used to being treated differently based on our skin color and used to not being provided the same opportunities as others. For some, this results in a overwhelming desire to fight and to make in this world, by any means necessary. For others it results in complacency and a desire to simply survive, be that at the hands of the government via welfare benefits, illegal activities or even violent means. But, no one will every truly understand our plight unless they truly walk a mile in our shoes, and more than just one simple moment in time.
Just one other thought. Do you remember when Obama staffers allegedly discriminated against Arab-American women at one of his rallies? The mainstream media immediately published articles and reports regarding their actions. This is the first that I've heard of this present offense by the McCain campaign, and it will most likely be the last. What is it like to be black in America? Just ask Barack Hussein Obama. He has, and will continue to pay, the black tax, as will all African-Americans. It's just our sad reality.
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