[Peace-discuss] Flag flap

[Alfred Kagan]

Indeed, the Democrats, being a mostly white organization, are just as 
racist as the Republicans. We can look at Clinton's so-called welfare 
reform as one example. But symbolism does matter.  Words do convey 
context. People understand more than the literal because they live in 
a real world. Dean's misuse of race is a reflection of his society. 
When we ignore the real effects of his words, we ignore racism.


At 9:26 AM -0600 11/10/03, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
>[The weak pun in the subject line is mine, not Sam Smith's, but I'm
>willing to defend it as appropriate to the seriousness of the matter. More
>important are the two "factors" Smith mentions below (which indicate BTW
>the real racism of the administration of the last Democrat president, who
>was foolishly called "the first black president"). --CGE]
>
>
>It is also interesting to note, as William Saletan does in Slate, that
>Dean received quite a different reception before he was the frontrunner.
>Here's what he told the Democratic National Committee last February:
>
>"I intend to talk about race during this election in the South. The
>Republicans have been talking about it since 1968 in order to divide us,
>and I'm going to bring us together. Because you know what? White folks in
>the South who drive pickup trucks with Confederate flag decals on the back
>ought to be voting with us because their kids don't have health insurance
>either, and their kids need better schools too."
>
>Writes Saletan: "I have that speech on videotape. I'm looking at it right
>now. As Dean delivers the line about Confederate flags, the whole front
>section of the audience stands and applauds. It's a pretty white crowd,
>but in slow-motion playback, I can make out three black people in the
>crowd and two more on the dais, including DNC Vice Chair Lottie
>Shackelford. Every one of them is standing and applauding. As Dean
>finishes his speech, a dozen more black spectators rise to join in an
>ovation. They show no doubt or unease about what Dean meant."
>
>The Dean controversy is driven by several factors. One is the growing
>liberal preference for proper language and symbolism over proper policy.
>Thus confederate flags soar above such other possible issues as the drug
>war with its disastrous effect on young black males, discrimination in
>housing and public transportation, and the lack of blacks in the U.S.
>Senate. Further, while liberals are happy to stigmatize certain
>stereotypes, they are enthralled with others, such as the self-serving
>suggestion that they represent a new class of "cultural creatives" saving
>the American city. And from whom, implicitly, are they saving the American
>city? From the blacks, latinos and poor forced out to make way for their
>creativity.
>
>Another factor has far deeper roots: our fear of public discussion of
>class issues. Although this has repeatedly been noted by both black and
>white observers, it has little effect on our politics or the media, both
>of which project the myth that ethnic conflict occurs independent of
>economic divisions.
>
>One who understood otherwise was the black writer, Jean Toomer - who once
>described America as "so voluble in acclamation of the democratic ideal,
>so reticent in applying what it professes." Writing in 1919, Toomer said,
>"It is generally established that the causes of race prejudice may
>primarily be found in the economic structure that compels one worker to
>compete against another and that furthermore renders it advantageous for
>the exploiting classes to inculcate, foster, and aggravate that
>competition."
>
>Dean's real sin was that he got too close to that topic.
>
>***
>
>On Mon, 10 Nov 2003, Alfred Kagan wrote:
>
>>  Even the title of this message indicates a racial divide.  The word
>>  "flap" denotes something minor, but the issue of race is anything but
>>  minor. Politicians don't always plan every last word and action.  I
>>  don't think Dean understood what he was doing when he made his
>  > comment.  Sure he was trying to appeal to Southern whites, but I
>>  don't believe he understood the effects he would have on black
>>  people. If he had thought about it seriously, and if he had good
>>  advisors, he could easily have come up with another statement to
>>  appeal to white Southerners without alienating blacks folks.
>>  Anit-racism means taking these kinds of issues seriously.
>>  --
>>
>>
>>  Al Kagan
>>  African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
>>  Africana Unit, Room 328
>>  University of Illinois Library
>>  1408 W. Gregory Drive
>>  Urbana, IL 61801, USA
>>
>>  tel. 217-333-6519
>>  fax. 217-333-2214
>>  e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
>>


-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu