Attention: Racism Isn't Funny

Douchebag of the day winner:

William R. Farr

Although party affiliation is never mentioned, I don't imagine this guy is a card carrying Democrat. No, this guy is the Republican base. I know. I am surrounded by his type daily. I work with this guy. I grew up around this guy.

At a Citizen of the West banquet in Colorado, the following occurred.

William R. Farr was pretending to read telegrams congratulating this year's award recipient, University of Colorado President Hank Brown, when he pulled out a piece of paper and said, "I have a telegram from the White House."

Then he added, "They're going to have to change the name of that building if Obama's elected."

Total douche.

What does it say about this guy that he thought this was ok? This wasn't an off the cuff comment. He had prepared remarks. He actually thought this would play for this crowd. That tells me that it does play in his circle of friends. If he had made that remark on his back porch it would have been well received. I'm even willing to bet that some of the crowd at the Adam's Mark that night would have laughed if they weren't in public.

Racism is never funny.

Suffer The Children

The Rio Grande.

A River.

As rivers go, it is not a very large one, maybe 40 to 50 feet across. Yet for the difference in lifestyle from one side to the other, it may as well be thousands of miles wide. With all the contentiousness surrounding the emigration bill in the news, I thought it might be time to let the world know how Brave Sir Robin feels about it. If you come here often, I think you’ll know.

First off, nobody chooses to be poor. People aren’t poor because they are lazy or shiftless or choose to be that way. They are poor, most likely because they were born poor. Period. I know I’m digressing already, that is another post entirely, but I felt it needed saying.

Let’s look at the differences from one side of the river to the other –


North of the river –



Just a few miles south of the previous photo –



As in any society the women and children are hit the hardest by poverty. #2 and #3 son had never been to Mexico before. #3 son was particularly struck by the beggars and the children selling trinkets on the street. As we prepared to cross over for our second day in Mexico, he made sure he had small bills and change to give them. And yes, he used his own money.


#3 son giving money to a woman, as her son sings a song.



This beautiful and shy little girl had to be coaxed to pose for this picture. Like many, many others her age, she helps support her family by selling gum and trinkets to American tourists.



This precious little boy was asleep under his mother’s street vending cart, oblivious to the raucous crowds teeming on the street.



These people aren’t lazy, they aren’t looking to milk the welfare system, or even “take our jobs”, they are looking for the true embodiment of the American dream; the opportunity to work hard and make a better life for their family. It shouldn’t matter what side of the river you were born on. The uproar over immigrants and this bill isn’t about economics or welfare or protecting our borders from terrorist. Make no mistake; this is about the color of their skin. Because they are brown people, they are unwelcome. Look at those children above and tell me what makes them any less beautiful or precious than my children?

Is it any wonder that the world is turning more and more anti-American?

Don’t forget – unless your ancestors are pre-Columbian, we are all immigrants here.

Something is Missing Here...

I have a sick kid.

#2 son has missed the last two days of school with a fever and cough.

What does this have to do with Tom and Jerry you ask?

Thanks for asking.

I’ll tell you.

I normally do not have the TV on at lunch. In fact, I usually only stay home at lunch long enough to check the mail or unload the dishwasher. But, since he is home on the sofa, the TV is on when I get home, and at 12:00 noon, Tom and Jerry is on.

Today was an episode where they were tearing up the house and the black housekeeper was getting onto Tom and eventually threw him out of the house. This is what I noticed; the housekeeper’s voice has been dubbed. Those of us old enough to remember these cartoons will remember the voice was a stereotypical “mammy” voice. It has been re-dubbed and it didn’t sound black at all. In fact, the words were probably changed altogether.

How long has this been going on? Is it a good thing? Is it bowing down to the big bad “P.C.” police?

I can see where the “Mammy” voice could be offensive, yet the picture still clearly showed the large black, apron wearing housekeeper, only with a June Cleaver voice. It was discerning.

Please, discuss. How do you feel about this? Are these clearly dated cartoons racist? Offensive? I know Disney’s Song Of The South is unavailable in the USA, but apparently is available overseas. (I bought a DVD from China – don’t ask) Should they be removed from view? Should they be left alone?

It is hard for me, as a white male to write about race issues. If someone is offended, I understand and would generally want to err on the side of caution. Is this any different than a Christian being offended by a “racy” cartoon? There is always the option of simply not watching. Does it being a children’s program make the rules different?

Good questions. I don’t claim to have the answers, but if they are going to show it, I wish they would leave it uncut. I was never offended by Mammy Two Shoes, but then I guess that’s the point. I wouldn’t be.

UPDATE - The voice has been dubbed in America for several years by veteran voice actress June Foray.

The 50's are like OVER!!!!

I don’t usually write about race issues. It isn’t that I don’t think they’re important, or that I think racism doesn’t exist, I am acutely aware of it. It is that I don’t feel that I have anything insightful or compelling to say about the subject.

Until now.

For the first time ever, the Turner County High School prom will be integrated.

I don’t know if I should be happy for these kids or appalled by what this means. It is 2007. I mean are you freaking kidding me? 60 years after Baseball is integrated, this Georgia town finally has a school dance that allows people of different pigments to co-mingle?

I choose to be appalled.

First of all, why were these kids allowed, year after year to have their own private segregated prom? Who was financing it? These parents are disgusting. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree you know. Is it any wonder that racism can thrive still in the South, when this kind of practice is allowed to thrive? Where was the school board, hell, where was the Governor?

I was going to say fuck these backward ass Rednecks, but that would make me as intolerant as them.

So instead I will say, fuck the people in a position to stop this who let it go on year after year after year.

And to this year’s prom attendee’s I say welcome to PostBellum America Hicks.