As any fan of professional wrestling coud tell you, theres a point in every program where one wrestler grabs a mike and “calls out” another wrestler and pretty much says It's put up or shut up time." Well, I'm calling out Senator Obama.
As a typical white person that is.
First of all, as a “typical white guy” I’m giving him a pass on the phrase..
I understand what he was trying to say. I refuse to play the game of taking his exact words devoid of context and applying the meaning that best suits my argument
This Reminds me of when Imus was on Al Sharpton's radio show and said “I cant win with you people.” It was obvious that he meant “the people he was having the discussion with” but they turned it around and tried to make it sound like some kind of cloaked N-Bomb.
I’m even willing to admit that Senator O'bama might have a point. The question I think we should be asking is “Who Benefits?” Who benefits from fear and mistrust between groups that actually have more uniting them economically than they have dividing them culturally?
One of the first questions raised post “TWP” quote was “Well can you imagine the reaction if ''Typical White Politician' A or B had said “Typical Black Person”?
I can more than imagine the, as the Germans would say, Scheißesturm that would ensue. Didn’t we just go through it with Geraldine “Did you know he’s a black man?” Ferraro?
But I refuse to play in that sandbox. I’m better than that.. America is better than that. It should be about the discussion. Is there really a “typical white person?” Can I now use Honkee (notice i spell it with two Es) with my homies? Is there really a typical anything?
What I really would like the end result of all this silliness to be is an Imus/Obama sit down.
Since his return in December Don Imus has been true to his word and has used his show to start a dialog on race in America. He has diversified his cast and he has also diversified his “Rolodex of Regular guests” adding Professor Debra Dickerson of SUNY Albany and Seattle times columnist Carl Jeffers.
Both Imus and Senator Obama say they want the open and frank discussion. I know that the I-Man's listeners, as represented on the net, want the open and frank discussion. Lets have it now.
Let's have it as a round table. Professor Dickerson and Carl Jeffers could call in. So could Kinky Friedman and and Delores Kearns Goodwin or anybody else who wants to have a serious discussion about serious matters...
They could start a real dialog. On the one year anniversary of NH2. April fourth.
And maybe for once we might actually learn something.
And it would be some pretty freaking awesome radio.
