Monday, September 12, 2005

Race-baiting Redux

[The resident race-baiter at the Lexington Herald-Leader is a lady named Merlene Davis. In her Sunday column of Sept. 4, she was at her best, accusing everyone she could think of – of every bad thing she could think of – of every bad motive she could think of – of course, especially if they happened not to be African Americans. In her Sunday column of Sept 11, Ms. Davis, still at her best, explained all about why hip-hopper (whatever that is) Kanye West said in the wrong venue that the president hates black folk. She even gave a lecture on freedom of speech. Here is an open letter to Ms. Davis]:

It was magnanimously enlightening of you to tell everyone why Kanye West scared a lot of folk (custom-made AK-47 maybe?) and said that George Bush doesn’t care about black people. He was hurting, so naturally he had to say George doesn’t care about black people. Wouldn’t anyone who is hurting say that Bush II doesn’t care about black people? After all, when one is hurting, one simply must say something. Of course, since he didn’t do anything substantial to help any folk in New Orleans, some of whom are (gasp) white (betcha didn’t suspect that), could some white rapper say that Mayor Ray Nagin doesn’t care about white people? No-o-o, that simply wouldn’t do…that might be thought of as (double gasp!) racist, and the columnists would skewer an idiot like that, ruin his reputation, maybe even call him names…might even accuse him of having no history of diplomacy. As you will agree in any case, white folk don’t hurt, so they have no right to say anything about anybody any time.

Kanye watched all those folk frying in the unforgiving sun (need to speak to God about that backsliding and otherwise sinful sun that won’t even forgive whatever needs forgiving) or slopping around in the Superdome and apparently thought those white folk hanging from those helicopters or slogging around in waste-deep toxic waters slipped in from Cuba, maybe, during the storm – just sorta blew in – and knew they’d be shot at for their trouble, but went on anyway. Of course, all those rapes and murders in the Superdome were done by white folk because the mayor didn’t send any help. White folk have to do something to pass the time of day or night, and they might just as well rape and bludgeon as anything else. Makes perfect sense, especially since white folk don’t hurt and therefore probably can’t scream, either, like Howard Dean, to let off a little steam.

West should have consulted you. If he had, he would have known it was okay to say what he did about the prez, but that he had to say it in the right venue, not out where people suspected of having brains might hear him and consider him a nincompoop. It’s in the Constitution – the freedom of venue. It’s right there in one of the articles: “When an unfeeling cad is president, he may be called such, but only in a state-approved venue,” presumably the nearest press conference or photo-op, but not where teleprompters are used.

Maybe you can help me understand why you mentioned the proper venue for railing against a cad-president, and then rambled on about folk having the freedom to speak their minds anywhere, and that soldiers (surely you didn’t mean in Iraq) are fighting for that – not just A venue, but ANY venue. Otherwise, all us other folk that are never gone before the cameras never would get to say anything. Gotta give you credit where it’s due…if freedom of speech is good enough for Afghans and Iraqis – presumably even women – it’s good enough for us back home. Astonishing!

Speaking of Teflon, do you think there’s anything to the rumor that Dubya, unfeeling cad that he is and hater of black folk, had Halliburton to mix some of it in the latest levee filler, so the levee would be sure to slip and slide and let the waters roll? I bet Kanye and the Dixie Chicks would give at least one vocal chord to know. The Chicks were mad because prexy is a Texan and West is mad because he’s a cad (your description, at least), so how can the poor president win? All the same, would even a Texas cad be mean enough to sabotage a levee? I wonder. That old levee had been there for a long time. Maybe the French booby-trapped that ground before selling it to old Thomas Jefferson. I’m betting that old Aaron Burr did the deed when he tried to steal it for himself and be the king of a brand-new empire. Alexander Hamilton thought he was a cad, and Burr burned him for that, so put two-and-two together.

In the meantime, watch out. If you see water rising on Midland, call Kanye and the Chicks, get an AK-47, and head for high ground. You can be sure Dubya’s formed a tsunami on the American Water reservoir and headed it right for the editor’s desk. A Texas cad, especially if he’s unfeeling, can be mighty mean.

And so it goes.

Jim Clark

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