I've been cogitating over the past few days about the horrendous supreme court ruling on the voting rights act. And I was right... they saved the DOMA and Prop 8 decisions for last to deflect from how bad that decision was...
So let's begin with a short story. In the 90's we had groups of US tourists mostly from the US, who stayed on one of those whirlwind tours they so like..... visit ten countries, fly low over five others and you have seen the world sort of things. And one evening one of the UK tour leaders who liked me said, come join us, they'll love that your from America. So I said ok., and she introduced me to a rather regal looking lady who was from 'Tennessee, and said, 'He's American too.' (I still was, at the time) And she asked, 'Where y'all FROM?' And I named a northern state, whereupon her visage underwent a remarkable changed and her eyes practically spit sparks and she hissed: 'Damned Yankee!' She was a senior citizen. I was taken aback, and said, 'Well, I can't help were I was born', and excused myself and went back to my desk thinking, ''Wow, over 100 years, and it still is there...that hate.'
That anecdote is the crux of my point in this post.
Now, I listen to Joe Scarborough's 'Morning Joe' often, usually doing something else on the computer, because he irritates me totally, and his cohort Mika is so clueless and entitled and snobbish, I would throw something at the screen if I were only to watch it.
Over time, I know he is self-deprecating and usually has a sort of inferiority complex because he 'only' went to the university of Alabama, but the way he does it is telling when he has his white privileged class guests who were at Yale and Havid... and he's brash, and yet... he has a good heart, and he engages in good causes that really go opposite to what you think he would support.
I think he is somewhat mysoginistic, but don't know how much of that is for show.... I know he was in congress and had the time of his life and was very conservative, but he is one of the few who can present an idea which even I would agree with, which would make it interesting if I would ever meet or have a conversation with him...
So on Friday, that man's head EXPLODED when he had people on his show who were critical of the shutting down of the voting rights ammendment. He was close to an aneurism, and felt he was being accused of being racist, or bigoted.
And the discussion went so badly, he really nearly lost it.
On the first listening, I thought 'What is his PROBLEM?'
No one had intimated anything of the sort.
I was so surprised, I listened a second time while I had a game on since I don't have to actually SEE him... and there it was...
More than once he referenced living in the Northeast and how it GALLED him, this condescending attitude and I believe the phrase 'the north having their boots on our necks' and treating his part of the country as racists and bigots. Or maybe I dreamt it... But it wasn't the sort of thing I might imagine.
And there it was, my 'AHA!' moment. We're back to the goddamned 'War of Northern Agression' and the feelings of anger and hate and humiliation that got passed on over generations.
And the truth of the matter is: it all had nothing to DO with what has been egregions in voter supression in the US of late. At least not directly, not as I see it. It's a fucking game they play. As in 'How to Win DIRTY. So you change the rules of the game to get your candidates in, and you don't fucking care how you do it, you go in to win....
That is the real crux of the matter. So you make up rules to make the opposing side not want to vote, or make it difficult for them to vote, the main goal is getting your candidate in.
I don't think that the fact that the people who get the short end of the stick are poor, or minorities, or even racially motivated. At least not most of the time. But the fact ist... people who vote for democrats usually are minorities, or very poor. And that is a sad staste of affairs... but I do not think they are thinking race first....
They'd target any other sort of demographic if they think it would serve their purposes.
Actually, he came up with a good idea. Make the preclusion laws valid for all fifty states, because let's face it... as is, the supression problem is rampant all over the place.
So no... Joe Scarborough is not a bigot, he is not a racist. He's a human being, and even has some very likeable qualities despite me finding him abrasive, and fights some good fights. But I think he is a good man who passionately defends his positions, and so deserves my utmost respect. I wish others of his party were half as human as he is. It would even lead to sensible discussion. Maybe....
So let's begin with a short story. In the 90's we had groups of US tourists mostly from the US, who stayed on one of those whirlwind tours they so like..... visit ten countries, fly low over five others and you have seen the world sort of things. And one evening one of the UK tour leaders who liked me said, come join us, they'll love that your from America. So I said ok., and she introduced me to a rather regal looking lady who was from 'Tennessee, and said, 'He's American too.' (I still was, at the time) And she asked, 'Where y'all FROM?' And I named a northern state, whereupon her visage underwent a remarkable changed and her eyes practically spit sparks and she hissed: 'Damned Yankee!' She was a senior citizen. I was taken aback, and said, 'Well, I can't help were I was born', and excused myself and went back to my desk thinking, ''Wow, over 100 years, and it still is there...that hate.'
That anecdote is the crux of my point in this post.
Now, I listen to Joe Scarborough's 'Morning Joe' often, usually doing something else on the computer, because he irritates me totally, and his cohort Mika is so clueless and entitled and snobbish, I would throw something at the screen if I were only to watch it.
Over time, I know he is self-deprecating and usually has a sort of inferiority complex because he 'only' went to the university of Alabama, but the way he does it is telling when he has his white privileged class guests who were at Yale and Havid... and he's brash, and yet... he has a good heart, and he engages in good causes that really go opposite to what you think he would support.
I think he is somewhat mysoginistic, but don't know how much of that is for show.... I know he was in congress and had the time of his life and was very conservative, but he is one of the few who can present an idea which even I would agree with, which would make it interesting if I would ever meet or have a conversation with him...
So on Friday, that man's head EXPLODED when he had people on his show who were critical of the shutting down of the voting rights ammendment. He was close to an aneurism, and felt he was being accused of being racist, or bigoted.
And the discussion went so badly, he really nearly lost it.
On the first listening, I thought 'What is his PROBLEM?'
No one had intimated anything of the sort.
I was so surprised, I listened a second time while I had a game on since I don't have to actually SEE him... and there it was...
More than once he referenced living in the Northeast and how it GALLED him, this condescending attitude and I believe the phrase 'the north having their boots on our necks' and treating his part of the country as racists and bigots. Or maybe I dreamt it... But it wasn't the sort of thing I might imagine.
And there it was, my 'AHA!' moment. We're back to the goddamned 'War of Northern Agression' and the feelings of anger and hate and humiliation that got passed on over generations.
And the truth of the matter is: it all had nothing to DO with what has been egregions in voter supression in the US of late. At least not directly, not as I see it. It's a fucking game they play. As in 'How to Win DIRTY. So you change the rules of the game to get your candidates in, and you don't fucking care how you do it, you go in to win....
That is the real crux of the matter. So you make up rules to make the opposing side not want to vote, or make it difficult for them to vote, the main goal is getting your candidate in.
I don't think that the fact that the people who get the short end of the stick are poor, or minorities, or even racially motivated. At least not most of the time. But the fact ist... people who vote for democrats usually are minorities, or very poor. And that is a sad staste of affairs... but I do not think they are thinking race first....
They'd target any other sort of demographic if they think it would serve their purposes.
Actually, he came up with a good idea. Make the preclusion laws valid for all fifty states, because let's face it... as is, the supression problem is rampant all over the place.
So no... Joe Scarborough is not a bigot, he is not a racist. He's a human being, and even has some very likeable qualities despite me finding him abrasive, and fights some good fights. But I think he is a good man who passionately defends his positions, and so deserves my utmost respect. I wish others of his party were half as human as he is. It would even lead to sensible discussion. Maybe....
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