Bloodthirsty Liberal

I’ve taken to listening to NPR. I’m not sure why, or even when this deviant behavior began, but I’ve developed an interest in the culture. For example, a couple days ago, on the BBC News Hour, which NPR presents locally, I heard a wonderfully obnoxious interview/discussion between a male British vegan and a female American vegetarian. The interviewer was quite fascinated in what sorts of people each of them would consider dating. The vegan wouldn’t have anything to do with anyone who consumed meat or animal products. What if he kissed someone who had animal parts in her teeth? The vegetarian said that she didn’t care, she would potentially date a butcher, even a hunter! Maybe on the hunter. Plus she herself consumes fish. The vegan bitterly explained that consuming fish caused great suffering to the fish. There was a certain level of animosity between them, and to my ears, the vegetarian at least sounded sane. But then, but then… the vegetarian pipes up, rather defensively I thought, and proclaims, I would date a hunter but there is one person I would never date – a Republican.

Ew, right?

So the following day I heard a bit of an interview with Tom Ashbrook, who does a talk show for our local NPR affiliate, and the subject was the fact that there were more babies-of-color than babies-of-white born in the US last year. Mr. Ashbrook was interviewing some “experts” on race relations. The part I heard had to do with the novel idea that young people across races are in more agreement with their peers on this topic, than with elders within their own “race”, their specific “of-color”. (Strange, I thought. Young people feel differently than older people, and more like each other. I don’t recall that phenomena in the 60s and 70s.) Then, out of the clear blue sky, an arrow sailed into my car window, just missing my jugular. The Tea Party, we learned, is both older than 40, and racist. But they will die. To be replaced by young people who are not at all racist. And all will be good. Seriously, they talked about a racist Tea Party that would die soon. I am not exaggerating.

Oh my, I thought. The Tea Party has nothing to do with race, everything to do with fiscal responsibility. Why is a federally tax supported radio station putting on programming that slams perfectly reasonable citizens? Or, put another way, why are we certain that on NPR we won’t hear a sentence like: The Black Church is both older and racist. But they will die. … Or one person I would never date is a Democrat? I would never even hang out with a Democrat.

Finally, last night I heard a bit of Terry Gross interviewing an African American actor. Mostly what they discussed was race. That’s fine, except when you consider the context that all is race on that station. Is this about the election, or do they really just talk about race all day, every day? I am reminded of the period in the 90′s when John Grisham books were very popular. At one point, it looked as if his were the only books that could possibly sell – ever. All anyone wanted to read was legal thrillers.

So I thought it might be fun to remember and record some of these nasty little attacks that our tax dollars provide. If you, or any of your friends, ever listen to this claptrap, we would like to hear from you. Send us a short description of the offensive, race-baiting, tearing us apart from the inside-out, conversation and we’ll start a regular feature.

Thanks,

Aggie

Not the Apartheid State you might be thinking of:

[NB: Video's a little creepy, just so you know.]

Sweden’s culture minister was feeling the heat Wednesday after a weekend art exhibit in which she cut up a cake baked into the shape of a cartoonishly stereotyped African woman.

A group representing Swedes of African descent has called for Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth to resign over that it called a racist caricature. But Liljeroth defended her participation, saying the cake was designed to “challenge the traditional image of racism.”

“While the symbolism in the piece is despicable, it is unfortunate and highly regrettable that the presentation has been interpreted as an expression of racism by some,” Liljeroth said in a statement issued by her office. “The artistic intent was the exact opposite.”

The artist who designed the cake, Makode Linde, is of African descent himself and said the piece was aimed at condemning the practice of female genital mutilation. Pictures from the Sunday exhibition showed Liljeroth slicing into the cake from the “genitals” and feeding it to Linde, who told CNN he made himself the head of the figure and screamed in pain when it was cut.

“I didn’t intend for anyone to feel singled out or embarrassed,” he said. “But we’re talking about female genital mutilation — is there any comfortable or cozy way to talk about it?”

Fair enough. But to take such obvious and inappropriate pleasure in mutilating a black woman? Sorry, Sweden, you’re disqualified from speaking out on anything.

UPDATE: As Aggie observes in a comment, YouTube has pulled the vid (though I found it playing on another site.) It’s just as well; I felt icky about putting it up here.

But that means I get to post another picture of indifferent Swedish people:

Again, artists do crazy things. They think that makes them “relevant”. But white culture ministers should refrain from sawing away at the private bits of racist caricatures. As a rule.

The Mommy Wars were intense when I was raising children, and then quieted down. Leave it to the liberals to reignite them for the election.

Mitt Romney’s “I know you are, but what am I?” strategy, declaring President Obama the real perpetrator of a “war on women,” got an assist from CNN Democratic analyst Hilary Rosen Wednesday, when she questioned whether Romney should use his wife, Ann, as his expert on women’s issues when she “never worked a day in her life.” As feminists have known thanks to the silly Mommy Wars over the last 20 years, every mother is a working mother. Rosen, who is herself a mom who also works outside the home, has now apologized, as has every prominent Democrat from President Obama to Debbie Wasserman Schultz to David Axelrod (and probably FDR, from the grave).

But Republicans still won’t shut up about it. An aggrieved Ann Romney even told Fox News, “I will tell you that Mitt said to me more times than I can imagine, Ann, your job is more important than mine,” and added that as the mother of five grown boys, “I know what it’s like to struggle.”

Well, I’d like to demand that Ann Romney apologize to all women for equating the “struggle” of a wealthy mother who had full-time household help to that of a poor or working-class job-holding mother, who must choose between her job and her children when a child gets sick. How dare you, madam? Have you no shame? I’d like to demand that Mitt Romney apologize for his wife’s remarks, too. I’d like to hear every prominent Republican denounce Ann Romney for her heinous insensitivity to non-wealthy mothers who must work outside the home.

Wait. Ann Romney’s not a Democrat, and I’m not a Republican, so that’s not how the world works. Sorry about that. I apologize.

Here’s a giant… I almost said a naughty thing… here’s a giant: I Strongly Disagree With You! to the writer. The Mommy Wars were awful then and, if anything, seem uglier today. We all struggle raising kids. Our culture only makes it more difficult. Ann Romney raised five sons while she coped with both breast cancer and MS. And she pulled it off rather nicely. Question to the writer: You sound jealous of her wealth. Would you have it if it also meant being a young woman with MS? And breast cancer? Are there any takers?

Trust me. The nastiness expressed in the quotes above are cover for a much meaner culture of dismissal and rudeness underneath the surface. I am friendly with women who know that I fall on the conservative side of the spectrum but simply cannot hold it in their heads, because I am such an interesting, nice person. Your ears would burn if you could hear what was said about conservatives in even the most casual, public conversations. It truly is shocking.

What is even more disheartening about the lurch into Liberal Fascism that we are witnessing comes here, towards the end of her article:

It reminded me of when Bill O’Reilly told Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, “I’m not black so I don’t know your struggle and you don’t know my struggle because you’re not white.” Nobody knows the troubles Bill’s seen, growing up on the mean streets of Old Westbury. I’m not saying that white people can’t face injustice, but to equate the black and white “struggles” is just ridiculous.

The Left has made the decision to overlook Tawana Brawley, Crown Point, and Freddie’s Clothing Mart. We at BTL have not. Al Sharpton gave angry, antisemitic speeches on two occasions that resulted in the deaths of nine human beings. Eight people died of gunshot wounds and fires set by his followers in Freddie’s Clothing Mart, and one twenty-six year old student from Australia died in an antisemitic riot in Brooklyn. He was stabbed to death by a crowd screaming, “Kill the Jew!” The facts of the Tawana Brawley case are more well-known.

The Left has decided to raise Al Sharpton to the level of a spokesman for its views. Recently, Eric Holder, the top law enforcement official in the United States, appeared at a fund-raising event for Al Sharpton’s group. His picture appears in every elevator in the Labor Department in DC. And he has his own talk show on MSNBC. As a Jewish person, the turn of events in the United States frightens me.

- Aggie

What the heck is our problem? (And by “our” I mean “your”, depending on who “you” are).

The very most one can say of the Trayvon Martin case is that no one knows what they’re talking about. Naturally, President Obama said much more than that—but then he has a lot of company. And he frequently speaks about things from ignorance.

But why did I have to spend five minutes looking for the latest information on a real bona fide racist murder—and Trayvon is still on the front pages of every news site?

The 19-year-old Tulsa, Oklahoma, man whose Facebook page lamented his father’s death “at the hands of a f–king n—-r” told investigators he shot three of the African-Americans injured or killed in a Friday shooting spree, according to police documents.

Fellow suspect Alvin Watts confessed to shooting the other two people, according to the documents, which include only summaries of the reported confessions and few details.

Based on his statement, police believe Watts pulled the trigger in two of the three fatal shootings, according to the documents.

…

Police reports characterize both men as white, but authorities have declined to say whether they think race played a role in the shootings.

An update posted to England’s Facebook page the day before the shootings noted it was the second anniversary of his father’s death “at the hands of a f–king n—-r.”

I’m going to go out on a limb and say race played a role in the shootings. Call me a flame thrower if you like.

Given that, why is this story practically buried next to the grain prices, at least compared to Trayvon? It’s a horrible, deplorable (and rather unadorable) act of evil, and I don’t see Al Sharpton in Tulsa. Spike Lee’s got nothing to say. And the New Black Panthers are purring like kittens.

So, I ask again: what the [bleep] is our problem?

Because on top of all the incompetence resides the mind of a hypocrite

A photo of Obama’s “army” originally posted on the campaign’s Tumblr site and run in conjunction with a BuzzFeed story on the Obama campaign reveals a stunning lack of diversity among the president’s Chicago staff.

The Obama campaign’s Chicago headquarters has it all—from Jack Daniels and Ping Pong to bouncy balls and ironic desk mementos.

Yet the “army of twenty-somethings” campaign manager Jim Messina has assembled in the president’s hometown is almost uniformly white, according to photos contained in a detailed BuzzFeed report Monday.

Further examination of the Obama’s campaign’s Tumblr site over the past month reveals very few black individuals—apart from the president and his wife, Michelle—in the pictures posted in the feed.

- Aggie

When will the madness end?

Some 28 years after coming to Israel from Ethiopia, Beylanesh Zevadia will be returning to her birthplace in the summer – this time as Israel’s ambassador.

The Foreign Ministry’s appointments committee on Tuesday announced Zevadia’s appointment to Addis Ababa. The 44-year-old Zevadia will be Israel’s first Ethiopian-born ambassador.

Zevadia, who joined the foreign Minister in 1993 as its first Ethiopian-born diplomat, served previously at Israel’s consulates in Houston and Chicago.

Zevadia grew up in the village of Ambova in the Gondar province, and arrived in Israel at the age of 16 on a Jewish Agency scholarship to study at Hebrew University.

After attending ulpan at Jerusalem’s Ulpan Etzion, Zevadia went to work for the Jewish Agency during Operation Moses, the airlift from November 21, 1984 – January 5, 1985 that brought some 8,000 Ethiopian Jews to the country. She worked in helping ease initial absorption pains for the immigrants.

I have to admit that I go back and forth. It is obviously flawed to label all whites as racist. The only thing that keeps me from rejecting it out of hand is that I really wish that people would own up to their antisemitism. I would love to see the Left do that, including people of color who identify with the Left. Boy would I love to see that. So I guess I understand the anger that the blacks are expressing here.

- Aggie

I understand that Australia is one of the most racist societies in the Western world. (Digression: The majority was originally from Europe, and Europe is hung-up on color. They aren’t the only group that has problems with skin color for sure…) But today Australia has one of the most “progressive” governments in the world.

Doesn’t matter. As Reverend Wright famously said: They’re chickens are coming home to roost.

Security officers escorted Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard out of a Canberra restaurant Thursday after an angry mob of protesters surrounded the building during a luncheon ceremony, police said.

Gillard and federal opposition leader Tony Abbott were taken out of the building after a group of between 50 and 100 protesters from a nearby ceremony gathered around the building, bashing windows and brandishing sticks and rocks, according to federal police.

The prime minister was presenting medals to emergency service workers during an Australia Day celebration. In a nearby venue, a spontaneous protest erupted with an Aboriginal rights group. The group was commemorating the 40th anniversary of an Aboriginal “tent embassy.”

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported the protesters were chanting “shame” and “racist” as they banged on the restaurant’s three glass sides.

Gillard and Abbott were taken out a side door, the ABC said. At least 50 police were called to help escort them from the restaurant.

Local media reported Gillard was visibly shaken, and stumbled during the encounter.

Photographs showed her being dragged to a waiting vehicle by a group of at least seven security officers, losing a shoe in the process.

Video showed her being hustled into the vehicle, surrounded by security officers, some carrying shields, as protesters shouted, “Shame on you.”

The shoe was collected by protesters, who proclaimed it a trophy. On the tent embassy’s Facebook page, according to the ABC, there was a picture of Gillard losing her shoe with the caption: “What is losing a shoe compared to losing an entire continent?”

Terrified Australian PM, Julia Gillard, is escorted away from the mob.

I get it! White Australia is an Occupation, an Illegal Occupation! Perhaps they should move back to Britain? Even better, perhaps all of the descendents of European Colonialists should be evacuated from the continents that they have called home for centuries, relocated to Europe? Britain, France, and Belgium will certainly fill up with former Canadians, Americans, Aussies, Afrikaners, etc. (If you’re wondering, the Jews would presumably be returned to greater Israel, a land mass much larger than today’s Israel.) The US, Canada, Australia, etc. would be pretty empty. Because it’s all about race, isn’t it?

And the good news is that all the descendents of the colonialists now get to retire at age 52!!! Score!!!!!!!

- Aggie

He hurt his most ardent supporters the most.

And, in a new twist, the difference between rich blacks and poor blacks is being noted.

What happens within the black community when the gap widens between the poor and the affluent? That’s one question raised by new census data showing well-off African-Americans leaving cities for the suburbs and the South while the ranks of the black poor grow larger.

Over the past decade, the share of black households ranking among the poorest poor — those earning less than $15,000 — climbed from 20 percent to 26 percent, according to census figures released Thursday. Other racial and ethnic groups posted smaller increases. During the same period, the percentage of African-Americans making $200,000 or more a year was unchanged at 1.1 percent, even after the Great Recession.

Meanwhile, in a reversal of the Great Migration that once pushed blacks to flee Southern racism for economic opportunity in northern cities, many affluent blacks are returning to the South. Incomes and black populations have grown in the last decade in cities such as Atlanta, Dallas and Miami.

David Lamothe, associate general counsel for a major bank in Charlotte, grew up in New York City with parents who immigrated from Haitian poverty and climbed into the middle class. Now he is associate general counsel for a major bank in Charlotte, where he lives with his pediatrician wife and their three children, ages 8 to 14.

He is acutely aware of differences in the dynamic of today’s black community.

Is he an oppressor? Is he evil? Is he rich?

Blacks were more likely than other groups to live in neighborhoods with poverty rates of 40 percent or more. Roughly one in nine of them did.

Lamothe’s response is to make sure his children recognize their humble roots.

“I stress to them, just because somebody pushes a broom doesn’t make you any better than them. You have family members on both sides who do that kind of job. You also have family who have been very fortunate professionally, but that doesn’t make us better than anybody else.”

Still, a gap remains between black families who live in different neighborhoods, attend different schools and live different lives.

“Other than skin color, they don’t really resemble you,” Lamothe said.

Because, as everybody knows, skin color is only skin deep.

Roderick Harrison, a Howard University sociologist and former chief of racial statistics at the Census Bureau, said that the recent census data showing the success of some blacks could give ammunition to people who claim that black poverty is more a result of character flaws than societal structures that have been shaped by discrimination.

He said that among some segments of the population, discussion of racial disparities “quite often is characterized as playing the race card, when you should be working harder or staying in school longer or making better life choices.”

William H. Frey, a Brookings Institution demographer who did a broad analysis of the race and income data, said the changes could pose challenges to courting the traditional black vote.

Obama is pushing a re-election theme of middle-class renewal, painting Republican reluctance to raise taxes as protecting the wealthy at the expense of average families.

“The Democratic Party will surely gain consistent support from these new black suburbanites, but the active support for traditional black issues like civil rights may take a back seat,” Frey said, citing issues such as schools, housing and public safety that may eclipse civil rights.

One hardly knows what to say. Who doesn’t want good schools, etc.?

And who wants to pay more in taxes????

Lamothe said he was elated when Barack Obama became the first black president, and things like universal health care appeal to him and his wife. But he dislikes some of Obama’s recent statements about the wealthy.

“It’s like now I’m the enemy,” said Lamothe, who describes himself as a social liberal and fiscal conservative.

“I’m OK with saying those who have more have a responsibility to help out those who need a hand. If I got to pay a little more in taxes I may not like it, but I’ll grin and bear it. What I don’t like it is, ‘They’re getting over and not paying their fair share.’”

“Somehow me working hard and being successful, I’ve gotten over? I got over because I worked hard for it.”

But still, even though Obama is clearly bad for poor people and bad for successful people, most blacks will vote for him again. Because it is nothing more than Red Sox vs. Yankees.

Could Lamothe see himself voting for a Republican?

“Oh, hell no,” he said.

To which I say, Vote for Obama! What difference does it make if the lower income African American population suffers more? And what difference does it make if you can’t help your kids pay for college, or they can’t find a job when they’re finished? Above all, never, ever vote for a Republican. That’s what’s really important.

- Aggie

Yesterday I happened to hear local talk show host, Jeff Katz, responding to a local issue regarding a landlord who has apparently decided not to rent to either Africans or African Americans. Katz was unsympathetic to the landlord, and took the opportunity to riff on his own experiences with bigoted landlords.

He is the father of three, and his little girl, Julia, is severely disabled. He described how he and his wife found a ranch house to rent in Newton, was all set to sign the lease, and how the landlady pulled out when she learned that he had a child confined to a wheelchair. It was one of the most moving bits of radio I have ever heard, and one of the most infuriating. I wanted to learn more and came up with this.

Last night while appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, President Barack Obama made history as the first President to take the chance to ridicule the disabled on national television. If you have not seen the footage or heard the audio, I would suggest that you do so quickly before the sites are scrubbed of Obama’s tasteless comments.

Readers know that I am not a supporter of Obama…never have been and never will be. I have long been troubled by his political ideology. Disturbed by his love of big government. Troubled by his embrace of statism.

I have had some real concerns about his willingness to select people for positions of leadership in his administration who themselves were, shall we say, ethically challenged? I’ve been amazed by his cold and calculating willingness to throw his friends like Rev. Wright under the proverbial bus. I am sure that even Macchiavelli would have been impressed by Obama when he tossed his own grandmother under there, as well.
…
I have learned an awful about the members of our society who are disabled. I remember visiting my Aunt Ethel, when I was a child, and she was institutionalized in a state run facility. My Aunt Ethel was deemed mentally retarded and she was turned over to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which proceeded to warehouse her along with thousands of other human beings. I remember clearly to this day how my aunt used to cry when, after visiting her, my family had to leave. She begged us to please take her home. After years of being a resident of the state school, my aunt was blessed to have been chosen for a group home. The change in her was remarkable. Now instead of crying when our visit was ending, my aunt often times would tell us that it was time for us to leave. She had plans with her friends and housemates. Sometimes it was a special dinner, sometimes a movie or a play. But what it really was, was a life. A full, happy and rewarding life. Sadly, even as my aunt was living her life there were small minded, nasty people who made awful comments about the disabled residents of that wonderful group home. Some made fun of these beautiful people, ridiculed their skills and abilities. Barack Obama proved last night that he would have felt right at home with these hateful fools.

Today we’d like to think that we have moved past the point where people would disparage the disabled. I am the proud father of a beautiful little girl who happens to be severely disabled. Julia is the light of my life, my princess. I have been humbled watching Julia and her teachers and therapists over the years. Julia is six years old, but functions at a level of about two years old. She does not speak and she does not walk, but she is a delightful little girl with a myriad of abilities. She has the ability to truly appreciate a delicious cookie. She delights in the pleasure that a cool breeze creates. She loves music. Someday I hope that Julia will be able to participate in the Special Olympics.

If you have never had the opportunity to be part of the Special Olympics, either as a volunteer or as an audience member, I would urge you to do so. I promise that you will see courage and personal strength like you have never seen before. The passion and intensity that the Special Olympians demonstrate is something to behold. They are our fellow human beings, some young and some old, some male and some female. They are from every religious and ethnic group. They have challenges that most of us do not have and they combat them on a daily basis. Sadly, they must also face petty, ignorant and hateful attacks like the ones spoken last night by Barack Obama. Our Special Olympians, indeed all of our disabled friends and family, demonstrate class and dignity on a daily basis even in the face of ugly words designed to demean them.

I still think that President Barack Obama is wrong on the issues. I used to think that perhaps he was an otherwise honorable man with a very different political bent. This morning, I am simply disgusted by his conduct. Now I know what it is like to be ashamed of your own President.

It is an old column, but I thought that given the smugness on the Left, it is good to revisit this stuff from time to time. It is ok to be bigoted against people with disabilities, against Jews, against all sorts of classes of people, isn’t it? They have a lot of class, but it’s all low.

- Aggie

Didja hear about the university that defended a professor who said there were too many black immigrants into the country?

Unbelievable, huh?

Auckland University is standing by the controversial head of its Maori studies department, despite calls for her sacking.

Professor Margaret Mutu said white immigration to New Zealand should be restricted because it poses a threat to race relations due to immigrants’ “white supremacist” attitudes.

In a statement, Auckland University vice-chancellor Stuart McCutcheon said academics had a right to free speech.

“The vice-chancellor understands the concerns raised over Professor Margaret Mutu’s reported comments but believes very strongly in the right of academics to comment on issues in which they have expertise, even when those comments may be controversial.

“The Education Act protects the right of academics, within the law, to question and test received wisdom, to put forward new ideas and to state controversial or unpopular opinions. That is an important right in a free society.”

Ngapuhi leader David Rankin earlier called on Auckland University to sack Mutu following a “racist” outburst at the weekend.

I agree that Professor Mutu’s right to say anything that comes into her mind must be defended. Should she repeat the wisdom of Nixon administration official, Earl Butz, that all black people cared about was “good sex, comfortable shoes, and a warm place to go to the bathroom” (who doesn’t?), I would expect her to be promoted to department head, rather than face sacking like Butz.

The rest of us aren’t so lucky:

Two years after it burst onto the political scene, the tea party is getting a critical eye from political science academics who say the movement’s adherents are knowledgeable and religiously devout – but hypocritical and more likely to be motivated by “racial resentment.”

There you have it, academia has spoken: we’re all a bunch of “crackas”. Hypocritical “crackas”. I wonder, did they use the same computer models developed by the global warm mongers? It sounds about as intellectually rigorous.

BTW, it is my understanding that academia has pronounced that minorities can’t be racist. Or something. By being a minority, the (ahem) “thinking” goes, they can’t engage in majoritist (or something) thinking.

Hey, don’t shoot the hypocritical cracka messenger!

Never bring an unarmed policeman to a gunfight:

New CCTV of the riots in Birmingham shows police officers being shot at, the West Midlands force has said.

The footage, which has been released by the police to encourage members of the public to come forward, shows a group in the Newtown area late on 9 August.

The group, all masked and all wearing black clothing, caused extensive damage at the Barton Arms pub.

Shots were also fired at the police helicopter and petrol bombs thrown at a marked police car, the force said.

This footage shows seemingly co-ordinated criminal behaviour with no regard for people’s lives”

Officers have started an attempted murder and arson investigation, and appealed for anyone with information about the attacks to contact them.

A police spokesman said a small amount of money was stolen from the pub, but the use of alcohol and petrol led police to believe that the intention was to start a fire.

Chief Constable Chris Sims said: “Releasing footage that is so disturbing in nature is an unusual step for us as a force, however, the potential for serious harm, or worse, in this incident has led us to this decision.

“Eleven shots were fired at unarmed officers to enable disorder to continue, whilst petrol bombs were also thrown at officers who initially attended the scene.

“This footage shows seemingly co-ordinated criminal behaviour with no regard for people’s lives, whether it be through the setting of a fire, shooting at unarmed officers or shooting at the police helicopter.

“This investigation is being treated as attempted murder and arson, and I am only thankful that this is not a murder inquiry.

“This was not only police officers’ lives that were put at risk, but also members of the public who may have been passing by.

If I were British, and these were my keepers of the peace, I would not feel very safe.

And in keeping with my recent observation, if you watch the video, the pub owner was Asian (East Asian this time). He feared for his life (still does), because when they torched the place, he and his family live upstairs.

Go on, what were you saying about the frustrations of the lower classes? I’m all ears.