[Peace-discuss] Racism reversal

[Karen Medina]

Thought 1: As hard as it is for whites to convince whites, it would be even more difficult for a black person.

Thought 2: How do people enter into close personal relationships with other people? 

-karen medina

---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 11:17:15 -0500
>From: "John W." <jbw292002 at gmail.com>  
>Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Racism reversal   
>To: Bob Illyes <illyes at uiuc.edu>, peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
>
>At 10:39 AM 10/18/2006, Bob Illyes wrote:
>
>>I agree with John that you might as well save your breath
>>if you are tempted to talk a racist out of racism. What is
>>being missed in this discussion, in my opinion, is the
>>effect of values. Fairness is a value that most of us hold
>>higher than any particular ideology or prejudice. It is perfectly
>>possible to shame a racist into treating black folks fairly,
>>even though he continues to believe that they are inferior.
>>The outrages committed against black folks by the justice
>>system are a good example. If they are well-publicized, they
>>will stop. Few people, even racists, can accept what routinely
>>happens. But we have to get the word out.
>
>I assume you're speaking, Bob, of shaming public "servants" such as 
>prosecutors, police chiefs, etc.?  I'm willing to concede the possibility, 
>but here are a couple of caveats (speaking for simplicity's sake in the 
>context of black & white here):
>
>1) It takes SOME white folks - e.g., you and me - to get to know SOME black 
>folks enough to (a) care about them and their issues, and (b) see 
>first-hand and truly understand that the racial disparities in the 
>administration of "justice" are REAL and ARBITRARY.  We could argue 
>extensively, I imagine, about community organizing tactics and so on, but I 
>maintain that ONLY a coalition of blacks and whites who are perceived as 
>"respectable" members of the community can be successful in achieving 
>meaningful and lasting social change in a racist society.
>
>2) Absent an honest and ongoing dialogue between blacks and whites, the 
>Powers That Be, aided by the media, can simply resort to the same tired old 
>arguments about how blacks commit more crimes, require more police "service 
>calls", etc.  Absent that black-white dialogue at the grassroots level, the 
>Powers can talk about crime in isolation from issues of poverty and 
>discrimination, and who are we to contradict them?  What way would we 
>whites have of knowing that fairness was NOT being administered?
>
>Thanks to Ricky for that wonderful story about C.P. Ellis quitting the KKK, 
>by the way.  It illustrated my point perfectly.  There's absolutely no 
>substitute for close and caring personal relationships with the "other".
>
>John Wason 
>
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