the insensitive Mohammed cartoon situation

[tamra]

ok, so I've been watching this, thinking it would die down, but then a few things started to dawn on me about insensitivity towards cultures and races except one, and how it's openly tolerated.

1. the confederate flag. there's never been a concern as to how insensitive that is to many african americans as it's normally associated with the klan. now Hollywood has even made it a cute image to be proud of. and redneck in general is now "embraced" as something to love.

So. Carolina only placed a confederate flag above its capital building during the civil rights movement - in addition to the state flag and U.S. flag. instead of moving it off state grounds where it's maintained by taxpayers, the "compromise" was to place it right in front of the main entrance next to the curb where it's visible to all passer bys. known So. Carolina klansmen ride around with the flag on their cars and even have large ones on their home in all white neighborhoods. a known klansman in protest of removing the state capital flag decided to place the flag over all of his restaurants: Maurice's BBQ. he calls the flag a symbol of "heritage". yeah heritage of hate, heritage of stupidity. Wal-Mart and Ft. Jackson military base were even selling his products.

2. you can't find 5 Germans gathered together to discuss Hitler. with or w/out knowing why, if they did, mainstream media would hunt each person down to find out who they are. many Germans are immediately treated like dirt or assumed a Nazi sympathizer for whatever dumb assumptions. only thing considered cute by mainstream media about Germany is "Ocktober Fest".

3. Prince Harry wore a swastika on a Halloween costume, meaning not to be taken seriously. mainstream media hunted Prince Harry down and made him out to be an insensitive racist. he was forced to attend "sensitivity training". why isn't the Danish newspaper staff, or the cartoonist, forced to attend Muslim sensitivity training?

4. the ku klux klan can march up and down streets. as long as they're complaining about blacks, black crime and interracial marriage, it's tolerated and even permitted - it's called "freedom of speech" and "right to assemble". but let the klan march up and down streets on a regular basis only discussing Hitler, jews and carrying swastikas, then all of a sudden here comes the finger pointing towards local government for not doing anything to monitor them or keep them off the streets. recently klan clothing and articles were publicly auctioned off, in the same town where Malcolm X's father was killed by the klan. why weren't those who purchased the items followed and monitored? not all buyers were from mainstream museums. and frankly the stuff should have just been trashed if not donated to mainstream museums.

5. the insensitive cartoonist nor the Danish newspaper, or any mainstream media, would have NEVER, EVER printed anything insensitive to jews. NEVER. but it's ok to joke about something considered extremely insensitive to Muslims or not even care enough to find out why it would be insensitive.

6. our U.S. currency contains pictures of slave masters and slave rapists and torturers. why won't we change this? would we place Hitler on our currency? or what happens if some other country decided to do so to honor all past leaders of countries? Hitler was after all Chancellor of Germany, an accomplishment that doesn't happen for every citizen of Germany, but a rare few.

insensitivity towards other cultures and religions is not only tolerated, it's profited from, and ignored. and I've actually heard several jews claim the holocaust was more devastating than the european slave trade, which I find hard to believe. they were both horrific situations, but numbers alone can't justify one greater than other. 100 million (many claimed via insurance for losses as well) vs. undocumented numbers but claimed to be 6 million; a few years of captivity (which ended in liberation and compensation, and the sky's the limit) vs. late 1600s to 1980s, and still an african-american has to jump through hoops to get in a door or past certain glass ceilings, and compensations rare or reversed, and salaries ridiculously different. Oprah couldn't even get into an apartment hotel in NYC once. OPRAH??

Hitler also didn't create never ending institutions to generate never ending profits from the holocaust. if so, jews would have shut them down.

but last time I checked, Congress (which made fugitive slaves outlaws/criminals in 1793) still exists, Wall Street/NYSE still exists, AETNA still exists, JP Morgan, Wachovia, Wells Fargo and other banks involved in the slave trade still exists. not to mention, the White House, NYSE and other government facilities built by uncompensated slaves still exists. funds found a few years ago at a Swiss bank belonging to Nazis were distributed amongst jews for their compensation.

http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/e ... 01957&pt=Y - Recent video of rioting' what's done at the end alone is something that we can't even do here, at least not that I know of.

however, I don't condone the violence. they need to learn from blacks and fight back via money, the only thing listened to. boycott. during Coretta's funeral there was still a lot of violence. and I was thinking about how she lived her life nonviolently and changed the world of many positively, and AFTER being treated like a slave as a child, her home was bombed and husband killed by hate.

[tamra]

deepseas,

and shocking the Underground Railroad was started because of CONGRESS!! hard to believe that. yet Congress won't admit its role in slavery or racism by not outlawing lynching. everytime someone tells me "that's just the way things were back then", I remind them a then NY Governor William Seward and later Secretary of State, helped run the Underground Railroad and hide slaves on their way to Canada. but he don't get no credit, not even for writing the Emancipation Proclamation.

the only thing that drives insensitive people who will NEVER change is money. the boycott broke Alabama to its knees. the segregationists thought blacks would fall down and beg to ride a bus that didn't want them on it, esp. when it rained. and 381 days -- 1 year and 16 days of WALKING. do you realize how serious and determined that is?

that is the strength that amazes me and makes me love everyone well known and nameless for hanging in there. and all w/out killing anyone. even after King's home was bombed, King still said, don't be like the animals we're trying to defeat. on national TV he made the segregationists look stupid, deceitful, ignorant and savage. of course that wasn't hard because many in law enforcement and elected positions didn't even have high school diplomas or much more than an 8th grade education then

honestly sometimes I wish stores would place those not welcome signs up again so people buying needless things would know where their money is going -- to someone who couldn't care whether you lived or died.

and obvious the rioting Muslims haven't learned that's the only thing that matter -- the pockets. why not just protest w/the asses w/signs? that was a powerful statement right there. burning stuff doesn't affect anything long term. because those they want to effect are not thinking about it on the way to the bank the next day. but I bet they'll think about it when their amount of money starts getting lower and lower.

[tamra]

deepseas,

you and me both. and after you travel to other countries you see how you're treated even if you don't buy anything, you'll be dayumed if you just plop down your money to someone being rude. Japan had the best service. they don't follow you just to watch you while never asking if you need help like stores here, the sales persons actually make sure you have everything you need and you don't have to run and get anything. some stores you can sit and eat while they gather things for you.

and when you leave after NOT buying anything (cause their stuff's made for itty biddy people w/very little ass ), they STILL say goodbye w/the biggest smile.

weirdest thing was in Paris, I thought it was just a "freaky" clerk. I saw the cutest lace bra. I tried it on and the sales person comes to curtain and goes "how does it look" followed by coming in and adjusting the straps and band and then her going to get another size. she made sure it fit and it was done helpfully, but at first I was like usually this is a solo act. that happened at pretty much every store, w/any product including on the Champs-Elysees. and hellos in and goodbyes out.

yeah, see if that happens here at mainstream stores. first you have to get the salesgirl off the phone to even acknowledge you. WTF?!!

I have this rule, if you don't need my money, fine. I can sure use it and use it wisely, which is why I limited my shopping years ago. because obviously you don't need it when you treat me like you could care less. that is a big pet peeve in Manhattan. no thank you, no hello, and they'll even slip a Canadian coin on you w/your change and look at like you're crazy for wanting an american coin instead. and what they've just done was illegal!

[tamra]

deepseas,

and see how strange they're going about handling the situation. they're renaming Danish pastries to The Roses of Mohammed.

now the question I have is: are the pastries coming from a Danish supplier?

if so, why even support buying it. this is why their voice will never be heard. they're still handing money over to those who will never respect them with or w/out violence. of course a boycott won't change the hate the other side feels for them. they'll just do things overtly. like here in the U.S.

ooooh and the other thing I forgot to mention in original post: the state of South Carolina provides/sells a special "Sons of the Confederate" license plate, to obviously distinguish themselves. and of course it has the confederate flag displayed on license plate. so So. Carolina is making money promoting hate and division.

now even w/all the Asian Indians who have migrated here, for some the swastika is their country's flag. let them try and put that flag on their car, or hang that flag over their home like the confederate flag is flown proudly over many confederate homes while working in corporate america.

[tamra]

deepseas,

yeah that's a hard one, esp. for countries overseas w/people w/ignorance towards others.

and definitely hatred is taught, you're not born knowing how to hate or disregard someone. most hate you have as a baby is when your meal is late. even when a child is abused they still care for their abuser and want to get help.

for many racism is a never ending training process, and it always relates back to material status and social acceptance. many whites in the south raise their kids to not associate w/blacks, or think of them only as inferior people who can never be as smart as their european ancestors. but I can find entire neighborhoods w/this belief all across the country.

many blacks in the south automatically don't trust whites. many blacks believe that association w/only certain people of certain classes is what's best.

New Orleans alone had some of the most severe racism, even to this day after all that's happened. but can never outdo places like So. Carolina and parts of Alabama. some things I hear and see even today still shocks me. and it can't end w/out entire social changes, no matter what's taught in the home.

I really can't wait to see this new Ice Cube show on FX, Black & White, where races switch sides literally. gonna be interesting.

[tamra]

deepseas,

and see how quickly Israel talks w/its money

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/ ... index.html - Israel freezes funds to Palestinians'