Back in the 08’s, with a twist!

Three Republican state representatives accused a Democratic colleague of spreading “racial hatred” during a committee meeting Wednesday and demanded that the speaker of the House investigate the incident.

“That type of racial hatred that was displayed in committee went out with the ’70s, and I respectfully request that you review the transcript,” Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica, said on the House floor.

Who was responsible for this wicked display of racial hatred? Why, it was Rep. Monique Davis, who is African American. She apparently referred to the the r-word:

“To me, that’s bringing race into a debate,” said Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Greenville. “I maintain my position: She brought race into the debate and should be chastised.”

What did Davis say? Why, she opined that African American lawmakers should be working to prevent recidivism.

Rep. Dennis Reboletti, R-Elmhurst, was the third lawmaker to rise on the House floor and condemn Davis. He accused her of “race-baiting.”

It’s that tricky reverse racism again. Now apparently African Americans cannot even bring race into the discussion without being accused of “race-baiting” and “racial hatred” and demands for them to be chastised.

I’m not at all sure how people of color can address racial justice, since they aren’t even allowed to mention race in public. And the general white majority viewpoint about African Americans and other people of color seems to be a catch-22. On the one hand, you’re supposed to assume personal responsibility and take care of yourself. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps and all that. Quit whining. On the other hand, if you try to do that, you’re being racist, race-baiting and spreading racial hatred. You’re not supposed to appeal to other people of color, because ooh! that’s just too scary!
So white people will tell you that you’re being the racist, because you’re causing the divisions and segregating yourself.

What you are supposed to do, in case it hasn’t already been made clear to you, is to sit down quietly and wait for white people to decide whether or not they would like to give you some equality.

What I have noticed over the years is that racist white people who rail about the inferiority of people of color are also the ones who are the most threatened by and the most hostile to anti-racist activists. They can’t see the contradiction in their arguments (black people and people of color do nothing but whine about their position/black people and people of color are being racist when they work for their own interests as opposed to the interests of everybody).

The questions I ask in these situations are What are the interests of everybody? And whose interests does justice serve?