‘Commentary’ Archives
Frank Reflections: When is satire racist?
BY FRANK ERICKSON If neo-Nazis in Paris were publishing racist caricatures of Muslims and then were murdered for doing it, would millions of French citizens hit the streets to show solidarity with the dead skinheads? I doubt it. This is all about who is doing the racism. We know this because if neo-Nazis were doing exactly the same thing, they would not have the majority of the West supporting them. It”'s easy for the West to defend this type of racism when it is coming from white intellectuals who are not being racist at all; they are being “satirical”, with nothing but their innocent little pens and paper. How easy and safe for the West to cloak this with intellectual babble about “satire” and freedom of speech, instead of calling it what it is. Do neo-Nazis belong to a “satirical” organization? The violence starts with the drawing of a racist caricature. If I go out on the street and start calling Black people the n-word and get myself [...]
Fresh Springs And Flowing Streams
By Peter Molenaar It was August 30, 2010 when John T. Williams, a 50-year-old Native American woodcarver, was shot four times by a Seattle police officer. He was simply crossing the street while holding a block of wood and a pocket knife. What year was it when Julani, a Somali neighbor, was gunned down here? True, he brandished a machete, but he was warding off demons, not attacking people. They surrounded him and then”¦ Yes, the long list of victims dates back to slave cargo ships, the genocide, and the inception of “free-enterprise.” No, we will not “get over it.” But now fresh springs burst free from a saturated soil. Small streams combine to form rivers. “The revolution begins now!” And yes, there are countless meetings and public forums. (more…)
