Tuesday, August 30, 2016

America in black and white.

Image result for lochte p kaepernick imagesMy friend Solomon Jones wrote a very insightful and thoughtful article about America's latest case of fictus animo and racial double standard for Philly.com, and I think that it is worth sharing in its entirety.

"SAN FRANCISCO 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick sits down during the national anthem to protest America's treatment of people of color, and he is accused of being a traitor to his country.
Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is facing criminal charges in Brazil for falsely reporting he was robbed at gunpoint, and, while he lost several endorsements as a result, he ultimately was rewarded with a stint on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."

Both men are accomplished athletes. Kaepernick appeared in Super Bowl XLVII. Lochte is a 12-time Olympic medalist.

But Lochte is white, Kaepernick is black, and when black men stand up against American oppression, the fears of the white establishment arise. Fears that a single man seated on a bench is the forerunner to violent rebellion; that an athlete with the gall to think for himself is a danger to the order of things.

Rooted in guilt, and watered by ignorance, those fears grow strong in bigotry's soil. Because the truth of the matter is this: So long as Kaepernick is content to collect a paycheck for throwing a ball, so long as he is satisfied with staking his livelihood to a game, so long as his words are restricted to signals on the gridiron, he poses no threat.

But when black athletes awaken to the cruel reality that they too are black, that they too are targets, that they too are susceptible to the treatment that other blacks endure, they become more than leaders on a field. They become leaders in life.

And for that, they must be punished.

Never mind that Kaepernick's right to protest is enshrined in the First Amendment. Forget that his decision to exercise that right is an expression of American freedom.

Kaepernick is a black man, and in the eyes of those who would deny the humanity of blacks, Kaepernick has no right to American freedoms; only the obligation to serve American interests.
I suspect that Kaepernick knew the risks when he sat down during the national anthem. He said as much when he was asked to explain his actions.

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," he told NFL media. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

The data back Kaepernick's words. Overall, blacks are 2.5 times more likely to be shot by police than whites, and black men make up 40 percent of all unarmed people shot and killed by police last year, though we make up only 6 percent of the population. Convictions of police officers in such shootings are exceedingly rare.

Those facts haven't tempered the angry response to Kaepernick's action.

In thousands of social media posts and dozens of interviews, Kaepernick has been called a traitor, he's been denigrated as stupid, he's been pilloried with racial epithets, and he has been labeled a coward.
This for doing what America was founded upon - fighting government oppression.

Compare the anger aimed at Kaepernick with the response that greeted Lochte after he was caught on video committing what looked to be a crime. According to video evidence and their own statements, Lochte and three other American swimmers urinated in an alley, vandalized private property, and did not initially stop when confronted by security. Security leveled weapons in their direction, and Lochte and his teammates were forced to pay for the damage they caused.

Lochte lied about that incident, claiming he and his teammates were robbed. He repeated his false story to the media and to the police. Then he left Brazil, leaving his friends behind to deal with the consequences. As a result, swimmer James Feigen was fined nearly $11,000 before he was allowed to leave Brazil, and Lochte now faces criminal charges.

The 32-year-old Lochte was called a kid by apologists who refused to hold him accountable. His false report of a crime was labeled a youthful mistake. He issued televised apologies to a forgiving American public. He was coddled in a display of white male privilege.

Even now, as Lochte faces criminal charges that could result in up to six months in a Brazilian prison, ABC has announced that Lochte will appear on next season's "Dancing With the Stars." [More]

Thoughts?

You can leave your comments right here,  call Solomon's radio program in the morning, or hit him up on twitter. 

*Pic from huffingtonpost.com



 

52 comments:

  1. White male insecurity10:18 PM

    And of course all the insecure butthurt white men are going to whine and bitch and moan about how THEY are the victims and life is just so unfair to them! Wah wah wah!!!

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  2. Anonymous10:30 PM

    White men are pussies.

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  3. James Bold11:19 PM

    Kaepernick made his employer look bad by behaving badly while on the job.  This is obviously something he can be sanctioned or fired for.

    A White man who said something uncharitable (even if true) about Blacks would be castigated widely and fired almost instantly.  The deference given to Kaepernick is a particularly pertinent example of Black racial privilege.  So is the refusal to ever mention rampant Black criminality while raging about Blacks shot by police.  Cops are actually less likely to shoot Blacks due to the blowback.

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    Replies
    1. Your a pathetic racist that must trolls black blogs because of an obsession with black people. I imagine you would be hospitalized if you summoned enough liquid courage to speak your b.s. personally to any black man

      Delete
  4. I find it interesting that people who constantly berate the US government lose their shit when someone they don't resemble says something negative about it.

    -Doug in Oakland

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  5. Anonymous12:56 AM

    Will Ferrells latest!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYckkJ7jgE0

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  6. Pharaoh2:12 AM

    White boys have tiny dicks and tiny brains. Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

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  7. Go Pack Go2:40 AM

    Colin Kaepernick is a punk and a coward.
    Oh, and Teddy Bridgewater tore his ACL and is out for the season. Ha ha!

    Both are losers.

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  8. Blaine Gabbert3:13 AM

    Put me in, coach!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous3:22 AM

    White supremacy and white privilege will continue to exist as long as people like Donald Trump and his supporters are able to take hold of the national psyche.

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  10. Big Stomper3:33 AM

    Donald Trump is going to meet with the President of Mexico.

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  11. Also interesting is the right's obsession with being anti PC. Now wouldn't the PC thing to do be standing for the anthem? It's only ok when we do it I guess.

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  12. Anonymous4:20 AM

    Black "men" are pussies with limp little dicks and tiny, underdeveloped brains.

    Especially Jamaicans.

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  13. Anonymous4:43 AM

    If you are a negro and live in the Chicago area, let me just say ... Congratulations! This August has been the deadliest month in your city in twenty years, and it's all because of you!

    America is so lucky to have brought you all here. Whether it's rape, robbery, murder, bloated welfare payments or just your noisy, repetitive jungle drum music, you guys have made America the dangerous, divided warzone it is today. Keep on failin'!

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  14. I find it interesting that the majority race with a long history of abusing people demonize oppressed people whenever they speak out. Brother Colin time has come, his moment in history is NOW. Not one year ago- when he may have been silent to the mistreatment he saw. Men step forward when they no longer can witness abuse and not speak. So cut the crap if he choose the last week to speak. At least he spoke.

    My time was in the late 60s and 70s when we could no longer take the daily insults/assaults from some whites and especially the police. They (police and whites) would ride in the neighborhoods and insult and assault at liberty. Our actions are history. From Oakland to Norfolk, VA- there were many confrontations between Black youths versus whites/policemen. That is the duty of the young.

    As fact- the dominating race has ALWAYS tried to stifle the powers of the oppressed young males by destroying self- pride, self worth as well as how the young see themselves as men. As long as our young warriors are PLAYING CHILDREN'S GAMES and entertaining the oppressors- there is no problem.

    Now some housecleaning. To Colin... I don't need your response. I am not asking you to take what I comment with a grain of salt. You will learn in life that everyone has their HIStory....So if I offend you by my yarns, please don't read when you see StillaPanther2 or better yet lets hear about some of your beliefs and how you have come to just being a side-line warrior. I will always respect your opinions because in life I have had the pleasure of knowing good people of all races.

    One more tibit. About the flag and wars. I can only speak about my war Vietnam. The American combatants white and Black could care less about a flag. We wanted to make it back HOME...Alive. And I know some would say differently... look at the times. You had hundreds of whites burning draft cards as well as FLAGS. NOW Colin... stuff that, or better yet, lets hears about some of your experiences so I can sob with you.

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  15. Forgot something. Thank you Brother Field. for allowing us an avenue for the last decade. Maybe one day I will write about this last decade that you have been a part of. A relief valve.

    Before I forget. The VA now have enough Harvoni to treat HepC... which is a deadly virsus that is one factor in liver cancer. The VA, by law, is the only governmental agency that is not compelled to advertise it's product. So many vets think they have to be rated to get care-- there are many people with Hepc. If your are in your 40s and above. Get tested. Again, thank you for the last decade or so. The contributors have allowed me to hear about Oakland- where I left for VN and Chicago- where I had some adrenaline rushes (both ends of the spectrum- fear and pleasure).

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  16. Anonymous8:22 AM

    I support Colin Kaepernick 100 percent including his choice to sit the anthem out. I have yet to hear or read where anyone has successfully disputed the facts laid out by Colin when it comes to his protest against the treatment of some Americans in this country. The foolishness of the scoundrels who have chosen to hide behind the anthem and flag as a way to mask their cowardliness when it comes to calling for the halt of police violence against Americans is astounding. This is America not Chile and there is no ghost of Augusto Pinochet running the show here in America. Government employed police are shooting, killing and murdering Americans in the streets of this nation and enough is enough! As far as lying despicable Ryan Lochte goes, my advice is for the low intellect Lochte to use what little white privilege he has left because people like Lochte including that older generation of white males days are numbered. Their all on a fast track out the door in America and around the world. They are killing themselves and their families in historic numbers in America today and just as tribes have been replaced in the human scheme things they will too. The tipping point is upon us as America finally starts to pivot towards what the founders called a more perfect union.

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  17. OptimusPrimeX9:11 AM

    I echo the Kudos and Thanks to Brother Field for allowing us an avenue for the last decade, truly a relief valve. I appreciate the ability to respectfully debate.

    'A Black Panther Forever' [thank you for your service] has a valid counter to my opinion, Colin's timing can be discounted and his stand can be applauded. I merely challenge the importance and sincerity of his stand. If his stand is not important nor sincere, neither is the response important and sincere.

    To Solomon Jones, thank you for the 'animus ficto' term.

    Ryan Lochte reminds us of white male privilege. His public shaming by corporate sponsors was MORE painful than Colin's because Colin has not lost any money, his checks will clear.

    The Ryan Lochte public shaming by public opinion was LESS painful than Colin's because black Colin plays the traditionally white privileged position of QB in the sacred pseudo-religious NFL game.

    I would have like to have seen Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers voice support as fellow QBs, in the same way CEO's ban together to protest Christian bakeries in Indiana that won't make gay wedding cakes or the way they ban together to protest N Carolina law makers that won't make Transgender bathrooms. Instead, Colin had to stand alone, appearing to be a contrarian.

    Shame on the NFL QBs

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  18. Over here we don't worry unduly if people stand for the national anthem* or not, nor do we worry about people singing it, or putting their hands on their hearts.

    That's because this is England and not North Korea.


    (*Before some smart ass tells me the UK doesn't have a national anthem, yes I know but GSTQ is a sort of defect anthem, so that's what I am referring to.)

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  19. It's weird. Black people like A Black Panther Forever and OptimusPrimeX take themselves way too seriously. But when it comes to black on black crime, they don't take it seriously enough. Odd.

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  20. OptimusPrimeX12:19 PM

    Black on Black Crime has a simple solution, the Texans have shown the way:

    Victims shoot back;
    Aggressive Police Tactics;
    Harsh Sentencing;

    Criminals learn the gravity of choices instantly.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Chris2:03 PM

    It's weird. Blacks are either sanctimonious and self-righteous, or dimwitted dindu nuffins. Odd.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Lance Cockstrong2:16 PM

    Colin Kaepernick also has a much bigger dick than Ryan Lochte. Don't forget that important information.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I Hate Spics, Gooks, Kikes, and Faggots3:29 PM

    People like Ryan Lochte have 1/100th of the class and personal responsibility that Hillary Clinton has, and will have once in office next year.
    #ImWithHer

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  24. %James Bold: in what other job, outside government jobs, are employees required to stand for the pledge or the national anthem? Football is entertainment, for civilians, by civilians.

    Anyway this whole Kaepernick occasion for right-wing apoplexy brought to light a fact few knew: the the National Anthem was written during the war of 1812 when we tried to wrest Canada from the English. Why? Because we were losing too many slaves to Canadian refuges. Quote the little-sung last verse of our unsingable song:

    ...No refuge could save the hireling and slave
    From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
    And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
    O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

    What "slave" do you think they were talking about? No refuge for him/her, once we took over Canada!

    http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/29/sport/colin-kaepernick-flag-protest-has-history-trnd/

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  25. Anonymous4:24 PM

    It's weird. Blacks freely accept well constructed but disagreeable arguments from strong intellectuals like Josh or they freely accept poorly constructed hateful statements from mentally disabled folks like Chris. Either way, they accept. That's odd.

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  26. Puerto Rican food is nasty shit5:18 PM

    America will always more readily accept a pasty Aryan-looking athlete like Ryan Lochte over someone like Colin Kaepernick. No matter what either one does, the Lochtes will get a free pass, whereas the Kaepernicks will be crucified.

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  27. Continuing on the Star Spangled Banner's third (not final) verse meaning: there are two interpretations, both demeaning African Americans.

    That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
    A home and a Country should leave us no more?
    Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.
    No refuge could save the hireling and slave
    From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
    And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
    O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

    Line 4 may refer to the slaves that the British enlisted to fight on their side. Or it may refer to the slaves who had been fleeing to the safety of Canada, and one good reason we wanted to annex Canada. Either way, you can keep in mind that Francis Scott Key was a slave owner himself, a staunch anti-abolitionist and once called blacks "an inferior race of people." ("Hirelings" probably referred to Hessian mercenaries)

    Me, I always preferred "America the Beautiful." Recall you heard it a lot after 9/11. Easier to sing, too. Maybe we'll get to re-vote on the matter someday.

    http://theundefeated.com/features/lets-take-the-national-anthem-literally-and-the-songwriter-at-his-word/

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  28. Checked lyrics of "America the Beautiful." Wonder if Kaepernick would have less trouble with a song with lyrics that include

    God mend thine ev’ry flaw,

    or

    May God thy gold refine

    which imply we're not perfect yet, in fact have a few flaws. And you could even say some pretty big ones. And if we have any gold content, it's a long way from refinement.

    Now I'll shut up and, er, sit down.

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  29. Anonymous6:05 PM

    AmeriKKKa strikes again!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Go Pack Go6:18 PM

    Tomorrow night the 49ers play their last preseason game in San Diego. In a case of perfect timing, it's a Salute to Military night for the Chargers. I can't wait to hear the fans give Kaepernick all kinds of shit. San Diego is a strong military town, and they don't put up with whiny babies like Kaepernick. I hope he leaves with his tail between his legs.

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  31. "If you are a negro and live in the Chicago area, let me just say ... Congratulations! This August has been the deadliest month in your city in twenty years, and it's all because of you!"

    First off thanks for the congratulations but I'm not sure it's my fault August has been the deadliest month in years. WTF did I do? I haven't even gotten into a fight. Geez.

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  32. Anonymous6:52 PM

    @ Pilot Xcrement -

    Of course you haven't gotten into a fight, sweetheart; you're one of those high yella blax who lives in a nice white neighborhood where everyone kisses your ass and tells you how "well spoken" you are. What's there to fight about? You've got it made.

    Now go buy some organic watermelon at Whole Foods. Fight Da Powah!

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  33. Anonymous8:16 PM

    White boys are pussies.

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  34. If Gary Johnson were elected President we would have no problem feeling proud about this country. It's douchebags like Trump and Hillary that make the word "American" shameful.

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  35. Chris8:36 PM

    If we get President Hillary Clinton, we really have no one to blame but Black America.

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  36. Go Loser Go @6:18 pm, FYI, #7 has been getting a lot of love from certain members of the military.

    Or have u been on a different planet lately?

    ReplyDelete
  37. Black America10:46 PM

    If we get President Hillary Clinton, we really have no one to blame but Black America.
    -----------------

    No need to thank us.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous10:48 PM

    Of course you haven't gotten into a fight, sweetheart; you're one of those high yella blax who lives in a nice white neighborhood where everyone kisses your ass and tells you how "well spoken" you are. What's there to fight about? You've got it made.

    Now go buy some organic watermelon at Whole Foods. Fight Da Powah!
    --------------

    And you're a toothless hillbilly who lives in a pickup with no wheels where everyone kisses your ass and tells you how nice your tooth is.
    Now go buy some hillbilly heroine from your uncle/daddy.

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  39. Lt. Commander Johnson11:52 PM

    Let's us have some discussions about The "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra_murders"

    Don't seem to be having many motion pictures about that.

    But, as soon as that lovely Nat Turner Movie comes out, I will.

    Mebbie with a Jessica Chambers prelude?

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  40. Tarzan, Lord Of The Apes12:03 AM

    Oh, damn...I forgot about the Wichita Massacre, and the Nashville Horror.

    Let's see some movies about those, too.

    Lemme guess. No nigger will answer.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Lt. Commander Johnson1:40 AM

    Oh, Lawdy. I be's scared as hell.

    Why can't you people speak English? The R's and the S's just roll off you're tounges like coconuts.

    Admit it.

    Admit it...you can't.

    ReplyDelete
  42. White Lies Matter10:04 AM

    Mebbie with a Jessica Chambers prelude?
    Oh, damn...I forgot about the Wichita Massacre, and the Nashville Horror.

    Let's see some movies about those, too.
    ------------------
    Or a movie about white babies being raped and killed by fellow white men? Oh that's right, white lives only matter when negroes do something to them you racist asshole!

    ReplyDelete
  43. White Lies Matter10:07 AM

    BTW, didn't the people who committed the Wichita "massacre" and kill Jessica Chambers arrested and sentenced? Oh yeah that's right racist assholes want more retribution. Maybe if the people responsible for killing THOUSANDS of negroes had suffered the same fate instead of getting off scot free or not even arrested we could talk about equality. Fuck you you racist assholes! Reality isn't your friend.

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  44. Anonymous10:34 AM

    The Kaepernick saga seems to have a logical structure to me.

    . He can say what he likes.
    . He's a professional entertainer working for a large company that sells media content.
    . They should be able to fire him in a New York minute if he is costing him money. Of course they should weigh that against whatever PR cost there is from the firing.

    It's not the team's fault that we currently live in a world with asymmetry in what public figures can say (ie. blacks can insult whites and/or traditional institutions, but not the inverse). No doubt that wheel of karma will swing back the other way someday and will be viewed as unfair by someone else. I'm not going to get my knickers in a twist about it.

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  45. White male affirmative action Jackson11:58 AM

    (ie. blacks can insult whites and/or traditional institutions, but not the inverse). No doubt that wheel of karma will swing back the other way someday and will be viewed as unfair by someone else.
    -------------

    Really asshole? You are butthurt because whites can FINALLY get called out on their bullshit after centuries of lynching, raping and doing all kinds of ungodly acts upon people of color without repercussion and you want to talk about karma?????????? You are one sick stupid asshole or just a young white male with no sense of life outside of his own bubble.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anonymous3:10 PM

    "Really asshole? You are butthurt"

    I detect no 'butthurt' in my post. It's a kind of thing that swings back and forth as groups gain or lose political power.

    My best guess is that black politics at the mass level is self limiting in the power it can acquire, aside from the strength of birthrate or something similar. This doesn't seem to be hugely competent group of people, at least if inner-city USA or sub-Saharan Africa is any indicator. In any case, current tribal identities will morph into something else in a thousand or two years, just wait a bit.

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  47. Lt. Commander Johnson7:10 PM

    "Ok, you bastard....Where was and IS the media on these atrocities?

    Silent.

    The Knoxville Horror. Can you even imagine it the torturers, rapists, and murders had been white, against black folk? The news media would be all over it.

    YES. You can, but you never do. It's too "inconvenient" to your agenda.

    Hey! Let's see another commercial with a black man with a white whore, and lots of fun, happy Zebras running around!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Testicle Sweat9:49 PM

    Yisheng = nigger

    lilac = cunt

    ReplyDelete
  49. Anonymous7:23 AM

    To those of us who still view our Country and our Flag with pride... Colin Kaepernick's 'idiocy' looks like childish and anti-American behavior; Ryan Lochte's 'idiocy' looks like the 'ugly American' abroad syndrome that embarrasses us nationally.

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  50. The ONLY reason Ryan Lochte is slated to appear on Dancing With The Stars is because right wing enabler Mark Burnett produces it.

    He's responsible for the appearances by wooden-legged (figuratively of course) Bristol Palin, Tom DeLay, Candace Cameron-Bure (wingnut Kirk Cameron's sister), Sadie Thompson (Duck Dynasty offspring), failed Celebrity Apprentice Gary Busey, etc.

    ReplyDelete