tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post5682427343462540684..comments2024-03-06T08:29:13.333-08:00Comments on stuff white people do: continue to embody the "real americans"macon dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07795547197817128339noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-22788503720108883402011-07-01T06:39:18.558-07:002011-07-01T06:39:18.558-07:00You should revolt in this fashion: refuse to opera...You should revolt in this fashion: refuse to operate or use any white american inventions.<br />Have a g´day!Blitzmadchenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09516184158276286567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-74604746722884690202010-07-09T05:23:53.678-07:002010-07-09T05:23:53.678-07:00"A real American is one who inherits unspeaka..."A real American is one who inherits unspeakable violence and crimes against humanity."<br /><br />Touche. As someone from the southern US I'm doubly aware of this. And as I said earlier, people need to know the crimes the US has committed. I'd still like to think that we can improve ourselves, but the wars we have been in lately, SB1070 in Arizona, the opposition to gay marriage (the list goes on), make our principles ring hollow all over again.Kraasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-61679810153814815642010-07-08T21:26:51.859-07:002010-07-08T21:26:51.859-07:00@Kraas
They were more rhetorical questions, but ...@Kraas<br /> <br />They were more rhetorical questions, but what I am getting at is that I think it hypocritical for "dissent to injustice" to be touted as an American trait when the US deigns to <a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Philippine-American_War#American_torture_and_atrocities_against_Filipinos" rel="nofollow">civilize the brown man</a>. A real American is one who inherits unspeakable violence and crimes against humanity.Christina SLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16481384854445558310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-76492593899137153752010-07-08T20:25:01.790-07:002010-07-08T20:25:01.790-07:00@Stina:
1) I'd have to answer that with a que...@Stina:<br /><br />1) I'd have to answer that with a question: does the dissenter want to be a citizen of the US? If they do, then that would make their dissent "American" (I keep thinking 'continent' when I say America, instead of 'country'...), since you're here and you're part of the US. <br /><br />2) I would say yes. But to what depth are you talking about assimilating? It's possible to simply remain within a community in the US that speaks your language and follows your customs, if that's what you want to do, but if you want to speak out against the system, it would be difficult if you didn't speak English...I mean, that's simply the language that's spoken the most frequently here. I'm not advocating that it be made our official language or anything like that, or that we shouldn't accommodate or assist people who don't know English (I honestly don't know the extent to which government offices can speak languages other than English), it's just that it would make things easier in a lot of situations if one can speak English. I can't think of any way to say that without sounding terrible :( I think it's just part of moving to a new country. There are a lot of good people here who can only speak English, and if you don't, I don't think they'd automatically want to kick you out. So essentially what I'm saying here that it is possible to live here and not assimilate, but in order to reach most US citizens, knowing English helps. <br /><br />3) Certainly not. I hope I didn't make it sound that way. I'm just saying that I think that people who don't live up to what's always been held up as our founding principles ("All people are created equal", and the like) can never be "real Americans".Kraasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-9786450449678522822010-07-08T17:26:33.520-07:002010-07-08T17:26:33.520-07:00Kraas' comment makes me wonder: if you're ...Kraas' comment makes me wonder: if you're an immigrant who believes in the American mythology of equality and fairness and are met with anything but, then is your dissent American? Can you retain dignity without necessarily assimilating? Is dissent to injustice purely an "American" trait?Christina SLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16481384854445558310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-10901181307126678922010-07-06T21:26:31.894-07:002010-07-06T21:26:31.894-07:00American nationalism has always gone hand in glove...American nationalism has always gone hand in glove with White Supremacy.<br /><br />Today, however, it is simply more disguised behind propaganda platitudes about diversity, colorblindess, and "post-racialism."Lxyhttp://asianamericanmovement.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-52039065960959380622010-07-06T08:33:28.639-07:002010-07-06T08:33:28.639-07:00Well as Colbert said, he is Default America.Well as Colbert said, he is Default America.Inda Laurynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14239738965344010796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-68055176859696258122010-07-05T21:09:03.080-07:002010-07-05T21:09:03.080-07:00Willow, I didn't spend the 4th with any WP. We...Willow, I didn't spend the 4th with any WP. We discussed this very topic without having anyone derail it or try to minimize anything. I don't want to say it was enjoyable due to the topic, but it was refreshing to talk openly about this without having someone interject ignorant comments. Did you have the spoilsport moment this weekend?Victoriahttp://vintagelux.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-76840356953079281352010-07-05T09:29:41.453-07:002010-07-05T09:29:41.453-07:00A "real American" is a citizen of the US...A "real American" is a citizen of the US who isn't afraid recognize the crimes the US has committed, and to criticize and work to correct their country when it doesn't live up to its own ideals. Not someone who just wants to sweep the atrocities under the rug. If we gloss over all the negative history, how is anyone going to learn from it?<br /><br />"All men-" that is, "all <b>people</b> are created equal" is a nice sentiment but if things don't change then that's all it will be.Kraasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-41690576020164036662010-07-05T01:23:19.773-07:002010-07-05T01:23:19.773-07:00@Willow
I most def was the spoilsport. Yea, just ...@Willow<br /><br />I most def was the spoilsport. Yea, just mentioning the whole "slavery thing" kind of made the record scratch, and then everyone had this look on their face like "oh yea...that..."KBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-4850010678706944032010-07-04T23:31:36.198-07:002010-07-04T23:31:36.198-07:00In the context of a SWPD-esque discussion, a frien...In the context of a SWPD-esque discussion, a friend of mine pointed out that one of the most well-known modern renditions of the Star Spangled Banner was performed by a Black artist, Jimi Hendrix. Although not without controversy, it was reasonably well received at the time. One of the reasons for this was that another minority (and disabled) artist had paved the way for such non-conventional renditions, at great cost to his own career: José Feliciano's performance of the National Anthem before Game 5 of the 1968 World Series. Despite the fact that Feliciano was an American citizen, his moving performance of the Star Spangled Banner was widely regarded as un-patriotic and offensive (thanks to racism), and it set his career back by many years. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrY9RVfVkws" rel="nofollow">Here's a video</a> of Feliciano talking about the incidient, with a brief clip of the 1968 telecast. (In May of this year, Feliciano was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh4LXUfhTok" rel="nofollow">invited back to a Tigers game to perform his version of the anthem</a>.) <br /><br />Feliciano's version is now famous of course, but I wonder (mostly rhetorically) what would happen today if a PoC performed a drastically new version (rap? reggae? throat singing? Didgeridoo?) of the national anthem at a major sporting event. Would the reaction be similar to the one José Feliciano experienced? Better? Worse?Jon Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11558489283481745910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-68718277952134171712010-07-04T20:41:33.529-07:002010-07-04T20:41:33.529-07:00Happy 4th SWPD fam. thanks for keeping it really r...Happy 4th SWPD fam. thanks for keeping it really real. You know who you are. Bless.Jas0nburnsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-60225185632702222682010-07-04T20:22:29.074-07:002010-07-04T20:22:29.074-07:00I don't know what date should be used to celeb...I don't know what date should be used to celebrate our independence, but it definitely is not July 4th. Indeed, that date may not (most likely doesn't) exist yet.Mr. Nofacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07164229381294354588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-2257334884647091022010-07-04T17:13:19.796-07:002010-07-04T17:13:19.796-07:00As to Frederick Douglass' quote about the cele...As to Frederick Douglass' quote about the celebration being a sham (that M. Gibson mentioned above), some folks in Lexington, KY are apparently doing a good job of making their celebration a sham. They've taken the Tea Party rhetoric a bit farther, and are selling "Yup, I'm a racist" t-shirts. <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-12278-Louisville-Independent-Examiner~y2010m7d3-Yup-Im-a-racist-tshirts-sold-at-Lexingtons-July-4th-Festival" rel="nofollow">A blogger captured the t-shirts on video</a>, as well as some unpleasant rants from the people selling them.Jon Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11558489283481745910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-71750152255527549092010-07-04T17:00:16.672-07:002010-07-04T17:00:16.672-07:00thanks for the quote M. Gibson.thanks for the quote M. Gibson.modest-goddesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02349577841986972240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-13787060502304278592010-07-04T12:15:13.697-07:002010-07-04T12:15:13.697-07:00P.S. "American" like in the post title, ...P.S. "American" like in the post title, not like <i>American</i>. (I'm not sure that came across).Willownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-79932736506814464982010-07-04T10:45:14.437-07:002010-07-04T10:45:14.437-07:00Howard Zinn on the Revolutionary War
How many Ame...<a href="http://historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinnkin5.html" rel="nofollow">Howard Zinn on the Revolutionary War</a><br /><br />How many American SWPD readers out there are/were the big spoilsport at your neighborhood or family barbecue?Willownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-50826559301178934572010-07-04T08:52:21.037-07:002010-07-04T08:52:21.037-07:00I am reminded of Frederick Douglass's solemn O...I am reminded of Frederick Douglass's solemn Oration at Rochester- July 5, 1852: <a href="http://www.africawithin.com/bios/whose_independence.htm" rel="nofollow">What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?</a><br /><br />"What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelly to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy - a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour.<br /><br />Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the old world, travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me, that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival."<br /><br />These powerful words are just as relative in our times...M. Gibsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15412079628160690200noreply@blogger.com