Originally Posted by Clever85
You are all criticizing the reverend for being so outspoken about the many issues he brings up, but you have all yet to interpret or analyze what he has been talking about. Even worse, you are all using the "evil" reverend to judge Obama. Might as well persecute all the Catholics because of all the sex scandals a few years back. It makes no sense!
The reverend brings up many great points and issues that are not talked about and/or ignored. The reality of today is that the system, the form of government that is set up, exists to the benefit of white people. Non-white people are not benefitting as much as white people. There are different degrees and exceptions that exist, but there is no denying that race still plays a factor in today's world. You have a bunch of rich Latin@s, Blacks, Asians, etc. but the reality is that these are the very few that have achieved 'success'. Also, these are not the wealthy, the wealthy remain overwhelmingly white. Racism may not be explicit, but it still exists; it is mostly institutionalized.
This is all due to the history that you may have learned in school. It extends way back to the founding of this country. Slavery was a reality. These supremacist roots do not just disappear, it takes a long process. The United States was still segregated up until the 1950's! That's a few hundred year that went by before desegregation happened. Struggles continued into the 1960's era, into the 1970's and even into the 1980's although this was the era in which a lot of these movements were killed. Now, if you think about the history of the United States, how is the world going to be all peachy and perfect today. It's only been a few decades since segregation, ONE consequence of slavery.
Now, looking at statistics you can see that non-white people are still disproportionately poor, have bad schools, live in bad areas, have many health problems as a result of the shitty places they live, don't have access to good foods, healthcare, are subject to more police brutality, are not being represented in the government, etc. A perfect example is everything that happened with Hurricane Katrina. Like I said, this is not to say that a heavy contrast exists for between all white people and non-white people, there are varying levels. These things change according to the race, class, gender, citizenship, etc. For example, you can't compare the experience of a refugee from El Salvador who also happens to indigenous to the experience of a Black middle class man living in Ladera Heights. Both are non-white, but they obviously have very different experiences. Despite these differences, they are still subject to the same form of government in these United States that assumes equality between the two.
Back to the beginning, white people are benefiting the most. This is not to say that they are the only ones benefiting or that all white people are benefiting. There are still poor white people. As a matter of fact, they are the majority of poor people if looking at sheer numbers. Proportionately though, the numbers are not comparable to those of non-whites. This is because white is still seen as better. Look at the English-only movement, the euro-centric history being taught in schools, the stereotypes that exist, the media, the holidays being celebrated, etc. Because of this, white people enjoy priviliges. A great example someone raised in a conversation to me is in saying how people of color feel a sense of responsibility to represent their community, not only internally but because of society overall. For example, when a Latin@ goes to college and goes on with their lives in business and makes money and moves to the suburbs and doesn't look back they are considered a sellout. They are supposed to help their communities, it is their responsibility according to the Latin@ community. The white community is not subject to this to the same degree, if at all. They can go on and live their independent lives without having to worry about helping out the white race.
When the reverend says white supremacy he refers to all these ideas. It is not the same as him saying that white people are evil. It is him acknowledging the reality that white people still share privileges that non-whites are not entitled to at all or as much. He was very outspoken and explicit, but you have to think about why that is? Is it nonsense or is there a reason for his "hate"? Think about Malcolm X, everything he said; he even used "white devil" in place of white people. Conditions were very fucked up in his time and more explicit so he said it with reason, not just to be hateful. The reverend recognizes all the injustices that exist today and is obviously angered by everything. It is his anger for his experiences and his life, not his anger for white people.
I hope I was able to show that a more critical look has to be taken when approaching the issue of race. This is what Barack Obama was saying in his speech. I am not a Obama/Hillary/McCain fanatic so I am not writing this with the purpose of supporting Obama. There is still a lot of information I need to and want to know about all these candidates before claiming to be one of their supporters. Also, I am not a racist. Those views I have mentioned are views I hold and believe, but it is not everything I believe. The issues are way more complex so my views and beliefs are way more complex as well. I am simply tired of simplistic views on race and the way they are used to brainwash or manipulate people in this country.
-Clever85
