A Whites-Only Basketball League?

Wow. Just wow. The fact that this "whites-only" league would be comprised of teams from 12 southern states makes me laugh in the ironic sense.

But wait, there's more:

'I don't hate anyone of color,' he told the Augusta Chronicle. 'But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here's a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like.'

And that's as far as I got because I started laughing so hard at the idea of white people not being allowed to play basketball in the NBA because too many black people (and other nationalities) have taken over?

Then I decided to take another quick peak and found this gem:

Players would have to be 'natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race.'

Bigoted racist privileged white man that Don "Moose" Lewis is, I'm not going to change his mind. So I'll just avoid him and his ilk.
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District 9

Friday evening I treated myself to District 9 and was not disappointed. It had a viable plot and the CGI graphics helped me quickly forget I was watching something another human being made up. Peter Jackson has been making quite a name for himself and this movie did not disappoint. However, when discussing the movie the following day with the boy, he asked, "Can't you just watch a movie for its entertainment value?"

My response: "That movie was not made for pure entertainment purposes."

At least in my opinion.

**WARNING: Spoiler alert**

An alien ship, we learn, broke down just over Johannesburg, South Africa. Right away I thought it interesting that a ship carrying *other* beings would stop over one of the more historically racially/tribally divided countries in the world. Then I thought, "Whew, at least it wasn't the US."

For nearly 3 months the ship hovered of Johannesburg. One day it was decided the military would go up to check things out, cutting a hole in the ship. They found the aliens to be starving, malnourished and unable to take care of themselves, perhaps because they had not anticipated their ship breaking down.

In the good Samaritan sense, it was decided to evacuate the aliens from their ship and certain death, placing them an internment camp which eventually became a heavily militarized slum. Other Africans set up shop within the camp, exploiting the aliens, selling them meat and cat food at exorbitant prices. Piles of trash were found throughout the camps. There was no running water, electricity or insulation for their “homes”, which were made of aluminum and/or wood pieces.

The movie begins with an interview of a gentleman, Wikus, we later learn was put in charge of evicting the aliens from District 9 so they could be moved to a refugee camp called District 10. The team bribed the aliens with cat food or threatened them with military action if they didn’t sign the eviction notice.

Throughout the movie we see flashes of varying signage declaring particular services for humans only.

So far does this remind you of anything? Apartheid anyone? Or how about segregation and slavery in the U.S.? The list of repeats could go on.

When speaking to the boy, he stated the reason for the heavy military presence is because the aliens had become violent and combative. I asked if he, too, wouldn’t have become that way if he had been exploited, oppressed and discriminated against for the last 20 years. What if someone were to decide all white men needed to be evacuated and held in slums like those aliens, wouldn’t he begin to lose hope, become desperate or possibly even violently angry?

Then I went on to mention how it has been proven over and over again that projects do not work. That refugee camps do not work. That internment camps do not work.

Yet we seem destined to repeat our same mistakes in an almost cyclical fashion it’s almost predictable.

Ghettos breed hopelessness, desperation, shame, anger and even a learned helplessness. Out of these emotions comes violence, because when you look deep under the surface, oppression and exploitation can be found. Keeping the undesirables hidden away amongst themselves will not cure the problem.

Instead, accepting everyone equally will. Something District 9 did not show us very well I think.

At some point in the middle of the movie, Wikus, when fiddling with a weapon "Christopher" made, was sprayed with a black liquid that eventually turned him into an alien. We watched as Wikus was experimented on and with then, nearing his disintegration, almost killed for his parts.

Wikus has a chance to save him, Christopher and Christopher's son yet chose to be the selfish white guy he really was. But he couldn't operate the controls and got shot down by an anti-aircraft missile.

Blah blah blah Christopher gets caught, Wikus feels bad for his earlier transgression then aides in getting a beat down Christopher back to the large ship that was started by his son and moved in position over the smaller vessel. Christopher was beamed to safety as Wikus stayed below to hold off the soldiers, who eventually perished at the hands of the angry aliens.

The 1 million plus aliens were eventually moved to District 10, a refugee camp that was made of the smaller white tents we've all become accustomed to.

And the wait as another 20 years pass before someone decides to move them to another sort of camp began.

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What I would really like to do....

is create a post on this falicious rumor that Obama's campaign is consistently throwing out the race care. Because he isn't, at least not in the purporseful manner McCain's campaign has been.

Obama is black. Actually, he's biracial if you want to get technical. But our society reminds him, his wife and their 2 kids everyday that they are black. So yeah, race comes up in his conversations quite a lot I'm sure, especially when confronting the inherent racism dripping from the McCain/Palin rallies as of late.

He makes us confront our privilege and the crackers out there who think he's throwing out the race card to get special treatment need to take a real good look at the Republican Party as a whole and get back to me.

Peace, I'm out.

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Noteable Reading II

The Class Warfare Before Palin

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Being Raised up Biracial

Monday, during recess, a schoolmate went up to Peanut and proceeded to call him a “white n*****”. Peanut and his friends immediately launched into the, “But I’m/He’s not white!” defense, to which I agree. Then I told Peanut that is when you tattle, to let the teachers be aware this phraseology and supposed insult is being used and hopefully a talk with the child’s parents will come out of it. After all, the kid didn’t pull it out of thin air; he had to hear it from somewhere.

Charlie was astounded when I said I wasn’t angry, which got me thinking, “Why am I not?”

Peanut is biracial: his dad is Filipino and I’m Caucasian, or Euro-American if you want to break it down that far. We live in a very urban neighborhood, far from being suburbia it is. We live in a city that has a prominent African American/Black population and in Peanut’s school, he is the only Filipino kid with the majority attending being African American/Black and maybe even biracial.

The kid who referred to Peanut as the racial epithet has probably never seen a Filipino person, much less been subjected to the influence of said culture via a 4th grader. Peanut’s hair is straight and a very deep chestnut with skin a shade of russet. (There are a ton of pictures in my flickr pool to the right.) So to him, Peanut is either white or black, there is no in between as no experiences have taught him otherwise.

Which brings up another issue entirely: How do we teach kids racism transcends all boundaries that once seemed solid but now are becoming fluid-like? With the increasing population of biracial children, how are they to learn who they are and, unfortunately, where they belong?

I did a quick goggle search using the term “raising biracial children”. I didn’t expect to be alone in this strife and was not disappointed.

As the mother of biracial children, I am well aware of racism in America and how subtle it’s become. Although we like to think of ourselves as evolved, there are still many among us whose actions reveal attitudes about those they consider different from themselves.

As I stated above, I am white. How do I prepare Peanut for a world of racism that I don’t experience daily but he will? Taken a bit further, how does the occasional white guy I date take this on as well? More importantly, how does me dating the occasional white guy affect Peanut when many strangers assume he was adopted and yes, at times talk to both of us with that assumption in mind (or does it matter since either way he is my son)?

When discussing the incident Monday afternoon, I informed Peanut that, regrettably, now is when he is going to start experiencing and being aware of the attitudes of those who think everyone belongs in a box with 4 sides and no way out. That our society places people into categories, whether we like it or not, and that eventually, someone is going to put him in a position where he will feel like he has to “choose sides”.

Before you can offer biracial children guidance, you must explore your own experiences of racism in America.

Oh how spot on this is. Your children are a mirror of your true self, reflecting your own idiosyncrasies, prejudices and quandaries. Just listen to them talk sometime, I mean really listen. I find often that Peanut repeats a lot of the same views I have and that’s obviously because he thinks I’m right and awesome enough to emulate. However, through his repetition, I have often realized just how flawed my way of thinking can really be, not to mention my desire he think for himself.

Being aware of who you are, why you are that way and of course taking on a heavy dose of self-responsibility, help you better see yourself in someone else’s eyes. Empathy is something definitely worth obtaining the rights to as well. Just a little bit of self-awareness can really go a long way; kids will show you the way whether you wanted to go there or not, but it’s up to you to pay attention.

For example, I was brought up to believe everyone was the same no matter what and they deserved to be treated as such. I don’t recall my parents ever saying a discriminatory word toward anyone though I do realize now my mom thought them on occasion. But no matter what your parents teach you, being in school around a diverse group in terms of thought and practice is something else entirely. I remember kids in high school, white kids for clarification purposes, stating black girls were to be feared because they were mean and angry (oh yes, this stereotype has existed for decades). My high school was predominately self-segregated. After hearing this belief repeated over and over yet having no direct contact with anyone other than my handful of white friends, I internalized this prejudice, fighting hard years later to rid myself of them.

This is what racism feels like. Someone exerts their power over you because they want to and because they can. You are judged for what, rather than who you are. The sense of injustice is overwhelming. Although sometimes the oppressor is someone who holds no true power in the world, it’s an experience that leaves the victim feeling dehumanized and shamed. Imagine feeling this way every day of your life.

Which makes me wonder where the kid got the phrase from and what place from inside him was it coming from. Being 8 years old, I doubt he’ll know, but kids are wondrous little people and can be talked through the process of discovery over time.

Then the question prompted is what does that mean anyway? Is this the “reverse racism” people erroneously purport exists in this day and age? Or was its use misunderstood? Perhaps the kid was joking around with Peanut, but something tells me he wasn’t.

Either way, racism is a power play and in the very depths of the individuals soul who is the racist, they are afraid. We crave power because it means we can be better than someone and in order to feel superior, someone needs to feel inferior whether honestly or ill-begotten.

But how to explain this rather large deeply rooted problem to a 9 year old?

Explain to biracial children that racism is based on fear and insecurity. Extremists and hatemongers are fearful bullies at heart. Hating others because they don’t share the same ideas or views gives birth to intolerance.

If there is one thing Peanut has had hammered into his head, it’s the fact that people are human beings first, and everything else secondary. We bleed the same; have all the same organs, facial structure and body parts. We are one until someone sets themselves apart.

And unfortunately, because he has the benefit of looking much more like his dad, Peanut will always face some sort of racism based solely on his skin color then again when they find out he has a white mom.

(I highly recommend reading the rest of the article quoted here and I added this book to my wish list.)

via

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I'll take the high road, You take the low road

So yeah, McCain is finally getting smart and attempting to climb up the hill with Obama, leaving the muck down below.

It's about fucking time.

When I asked my One Republican Friend his thoughts on the defense of Obama by McCain, he stated the latter was attempting to take the high road. When I stated it was about damned time, 1RF said, "Well Obama's been doing it, too."

I stopped then asked how old we were and aren't we all adults?

Then I added, "McCain and mostly Palin have been getting the crowds riled up for weeks now so it was no surprise their people had gotten a lot of strange ideas in their heads, such as Obama being an Arab. Seriously, he was born in HI! His mom moved them to Illinois where he grew up! So how is he an Arab exactly?"

Some considerable amount of stumbling later, and an interruption from the landlord, the conversation was over.

I think I've officially become obsessed with this years election, maybe even politics in general. But not so much so I wish we'd hurry up and vote Obama into the White House already in order to start getting our shit (as a nation) together.
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Rummaging

Today Bernie Mac died. He was only 50.

Then halfway across the world the Olympics are happening and Americans have so far kicked ass in fencing, swimming and maybe even men's gymnastics for at least the individual portion anyway.

Meanwhile I've been sitting back wondering how all this goes on and we somehow not remain ambivalent. Or maybe even patriotic? Two contradictions in terms I know, but so are the feelings those 2 stories bring up.

Our country has been quite the bully over the past few decades and this one has been no different. We've got thousands of soldiers in Iraq fighting for our supposed "freedom", Afghanistan is growing bolder with every passing hour and I sure hope Iran isn't stupid.

And let us not forget China, where, just weeks before the Olympics were to start, there was an uprising between them and Tibet.

Somehow, through all this, we're supposed to remain hopeful and optimistic, shunning words like jaded and bitter from our vocabulary, misanthropic even. Budding relationships bringing up new doubts but old worries.

I went on vacation a couple of weeks ago to a place cell phones don't work, tvs a commodity, not a necessity, newspapers have to be sought out....my first morning back in the "real world" was met with news of a man walking into a church and opening fire, killing 2 people I believe it was and injuring several more. That first half hour of the news was nothing but sadness, drawing out a depressive nature in most who watched I'm sure.

So is it any wonder when you meet someone new, who seems to be mostly spot on with all that you've been hoping for, you're a bit skeptical and need to wait for the smoke to clear to be sure it's not just an illusion?

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The Assassination of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto

Horrible news.

She was shot in the neck and back by an assassin who then blew himself up. Coward.

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What year is it again?

Congress has finally decided protecting the rights of Indian women is a good 21st Century action to show solidarity with the 1st Nation people's since we are in it's 400th year of creation (well, it's really Virginia but you know what I mean). Now Indian women get to be made a little more visible and hopefully their voice will begin to be heard throughout the U.S. so all you people who think the 400th anniversary of Jamestown should be "celebrated" can get a clue.

The measure follows an April report by London-based Amnesty International on high rates of sexual crimes committed against Native women, with a large portion committed by non-Native men. An Indian woman is at least two and a half times more likely than other U.S. women to be raped.

Think about it for a minute: 1 white woman is thought to be raped every 7min or so and Indian women are thought to be raped 2.5 times that. Wow. It makes me wonder if those mostly white guys who are committing this atrocity are under the same impression Thomas Jefferson was, you know, where he told his fellow white men to have plenty of procreative sex with their negro women because they will have children, those children will have children, etc., and eventually everyone will be white in the world. Nice eh?

Aye. It's great fun being a woman in a world full of men who think they are entitled to me and/or my body simply because I'm a woman.

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Virginian's be aware

Did you know there are 8 Native American (or as I like to say, indigenous) tribes here in Virginia? Can you name them all? I could only name 5 a few days ago but now, thanks to google, I can name all 8:

1. Rappahannock - not recognized federally
2. Pamunkey
3. Mattaponi - pronounced mat-ta-poe-nigh
4. Upper Mattaponi - not recognized federally
5. Chickahominy - not recognized federally
6. Eastern Chickahominy - not recognized federally
7. Nansemond - not recognized federally
8. Monacan - not recognized federally

For those unfamiliar with Virginia and its geography, each of these tribes are within 4 hours of each other and the Monacan's have what I believe to be the only Episcopal Church Mission on the reservation. They are located in the more mountainous regions of Virginia but not actually in them if that helps any. There were more at one point but our governments' have succeeded in helping them disappear over the many decades of mistreatment and ignorance.

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