For the permanent plantings, I took cuttings of Salvia elegans (nice in salads if you can get over the fuzziness, good flash fried, not so great dried), Salvia officinalis, Lavandula dentata (currently dying), Melissa officinalis (dead as a doornail, probably good, since it can be invasive) and Rosmarinus officinalis (still green but not rooting, I think I need a greener cut).
Things in containers keep the dog from digging...
Quercus agrifolia bark, Laurus nobilis, Mentha piperita and bbq tools!
- end of garden talk, heavy stuff starts below -
I read a blog yesterday that showed a video of a Black Panther (edit: New Black Panther Party head Samir Shabazz) promoting violence against white people. For the most part, the comments about the video were a combination of knee-jerk defensive reaction and "hate in any form is wrong" response. One person gave the "what would happen if a white man were promoting violence against African Americans" line, which I have to say grates on my nerves.
To me, those who ask that question are on par with those who are openly hateful. From my perspective, that question was originally coined in order to incite strong emotions and perpetuate the cycle of ignorance and hate. It's insidious, asked as though it were an innocent enough query, when it will most likely elicit a strong emotional response. So the one who perpetuates it either intends to foster ill feelings or did not take the time to take a breath and think about what the question really asks.
If we take a step back and think objectively about the question, we would see that people generally act consistently with their beliefs. Those who are sympathetic or are maneuvered into sympathy by a charismatic speaker will agree. Those who disagree will either take a stand or walk (or run, depending on the situation) away. Unless he were particularly captivating, the white man would have the same fate as that Black Panther: his rant might be passed around the internet for awhile to stimulate gut reactions one way or another and then he'd fade into obscurity when the next loudmouth appeared.
By the way, I have to point out that people generally promote their views in locations where they are most likely to have a sympathetic audience. I seriously doubt I will ever see a Klansman spouting his spin in Watts, or a Black Panther pontificating his position in Westwood.
So where do you weigh in on my interpretation? Do you think I'm off base or missing some sort of critical information? Is there some reason to my view, or...?
* * * * *
Edit: I have mentioned this elsewhere, and on thinking about it, I think it's relevant to this entry.
I have been in a situation, as mentioned by the commenter, where the tables were turned, when my date (who was white) and I were singled out by skinheads. The responses of passersby were exactly the same as those in the video I saw. While some people looked at us sympathetically (and yes, some looked at us with derision, emboldened by the power granted by the skinheads), everyone rushed by as quickly as possible. NO ONE took the initiative to voice a dissenting opinion. Nor would I expect them to do so: face-to-face, people in the process of spewing venom are frightening.
Now that I think about it, I've also been shoved in a bar from behind by an angry drunk man (who was later outside the bar beating his girlfriend who told me to mind my own business when I asked if she needed help) and punched from behind by another angry man on speed. No one helped me in those cases, either, so maybe it's just me! On the bright side, I have learned pretty handily to be my own knight in shining armour since I can be reasonably sure that chivalry has gone the way of the dodo.
I see vids going around in emails and on FB that make my blood boil. I think it is sad, sad, sad. And I don't know the answer. But thank you for tackling the subject.
ReplyDelete~that rebel, Olivia
I found your blog through the comment you made on that blog. I generally go to that conservative blog in an attempt to be "well-rounded" -- to be privy to what normal conservatives are talking about. I am appreciative of different points of view, especially when they are well-written, but I am almost always sickened and depressed by those who comment on that blog. Anyway, to make a long story short, I wished I could give you a virtual high-five for your response. I look forward to reading more of your posts and will continue to slog through those who opinions are so vastly different than mine.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the answer, either, Olivia. But I do know that inciting a strong reaction is counterproductive to finding it.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that blogger could make a compelling argument for whatever stance she chose to take, Elizabeth. Some of her commenters tend to regurgitate the provoking "talking points" developed by marketers rather than study the topic at hand and form their own thoughts and arguments, and that worries me. I worry we are becoming a society of automatons who will blindly follow some compelling figure who appeals to our emotions.
Many thanks for your visit, although I have to warn you that the majority of my posts are more along the lines of the inane and mundane.
"inane and mundane"
ReplyDeletehmmm....that requires careful introspection to understand the differenece of one from the other.
:-)
First I would like to congratulate for not merely watching this hateful vid but actually taking a stand against it. Here is my take on the issue:
ReplyDeleteLittle sister had a new friend around the corner, driving by one day my mother asks her, "Is that your new friend?" she nodded, yes. Where my mother then states, "But he is black!" To this my sister simply replied, "He's not black he's from Chicago."
Prejustice is not a trait any of our born with.
Those who view the world as black and white will always see people as being black or white...when in reality there is only pink and brown. But we blind ourselves to that because it doesn't play into the "Us or Them" mentality.
ReplyDeleteHerr Melle: I should have clarified that the video was a recent one of a New Black Panther, I believe Samir Shabazz, rallying the people around him to kill the crackers and harrassing another black man with a white girlfriend -- the NBP Party is in agreement with the KKK with regard to intolerance for interracial relationships, specifically any minority with a white. Shabazz is still alive and well, and still heads the Party, as far as I know. So in that sense, I was wrong. He will have more than 15 minutes and he probably will not be forgotten any time soon. You and I are still debating whether multiple wrongs make things right. I stand by my original assertion that resentment, intolerance and ignorance only breed more of the same.
ReplyDeleteRe: France, the Fête Nationale does not celebrate black freedom, and in some respects, it could be a bit of a slap in the face. Today, people like Eric Besson make things pretty miserable for French citizens of minority status, particularly those of Maghreb origins. It is still difficult to find a job in Paris with a Clichy-sous-Bois address, and then there is the whole proof of citizenship issue with regard to the new passport system. One of my friends was the first French writer in ten years to be invited to the prestigious Iowa Writing Program. I think the majority of French citizens would be behind him, but I read more than one comment in the ether stating that it was shameful that France should be represented by an Arab. Overt and institutional racism are not unique to the US by any stretch of the imagination.
Oh no, Chicago! I think that back in the day when people literally had to fight for resources, differentiation (us vs. them) was probably necessary. Now that it isn't so necessary, perhaps we are still dealing with that need to compete. Or maybe it has more to do with the need to feel in control and therefore subjugating those you can. There is a comment on this post on my other blogging site that offers a unique perspective on this, and I am waiting for permission from the writer to post it here. Thank you for sharing, Jules.
I'm always left out, Tim. I don't fit into the black, white, pink or brown categories!
The following comment came from one of my contacts on a social networking site where I keep a copy of this blog, which shows a perspective I had not even thought about...
ReplyDelete* * * * *
I hate that question too, but maybe for a different reason.
I also see it this way. I have heard teachers stupidly ask a big bully how they would feel if they little kid they were picking on did the same to them. Well, to me the reaction would LAUGHTER. I mean the little kid can't do shit to the big kid unless he was hella clever or knew some martial arts.
The question from the teacher really should be, "How would you feel is "I" did that to you?" The kid would immediately be horrified or think about who he could call on for an ally--but there is the point. Powerless people rarely have allies--not even other powerless people can be counted on to band together.
I also see radicalism in another scary perspective which is the angry people in these groups can rarely rage against the machine. They spew, but it is not effective. What they can do (and often do) is band together to make people in their lives miserable. That is, the neighbors in a downtrodden neighborhood, or the women in their lives.
I challenge people who have socio economical power to not ask, "What can this guy do to me", but to ask "What is he doing to women and children". The guy can never really hurt the big fish, but he can lash out at people who have to share their community with him.
excuse typos please.
I am sure there is a knight in shining armor lurking out there just waiting for the chance to save the maiden in distress.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very kind thought, Mr. Knight, but I stopped believing in fairy tales long ago. Even if the knight did exist, I am too much the pessimist to even be mistaken for a fair maiden.
ReplyDelete