Saturday, May 24, 2008

Violence and the 2008 Presidential Race

TwitThis


There are two stories that I have arisen in the past two days
that have me thinking about violence in the
presidential election.
The first is the story related to the
above image of Michelle Obama. It
was allegedly created by an
Obama supporter who is apparently completely
ignorant of
the legacy slavery, lynching for African Americans.

Professor Kim
wrote an informative piece on it. This quote sums
up my perspective on the the image,

Two final layers. This image flips and merges two of the most emblematic images in our tragic racial history: the black (usually) male victim suffering unjustly at the hands of white racists, and the fragile woman (historically white) being violated by brutish (black, and often imaginary) men. In a provocative 2001 book, Playing the Race Card: Melodramas of Black and White From Uncle Tom to OJ Simpson, UC Berkely professor Linda Williams argued that racial melodrama sets the terms of our debates over equality. What we may be witnessing in part, is just how poorly those terms fit our current situation.

Last thing. As I pondered the image, I thought about Sen. Obama's recent call for an end to the attacks on his wife. Bowling Green Daily News columnist Kathleen Parker derided his comments, along with his recent gaffe when he called a woman reporter "sweetie." But look at that image again, and think of another historical echo. During and after slavery and Jim Crow, black women were routinely sexually violated by white men -- and their husbands, fathers and other family members were powerless to defend them.

On another note, there is something about the notion of "defending them"
that strikes me as being uber patriarchal. I think I would reframe it as
"no way of seeking justice" instead.


I was also reminded of violence when I heard Hillary Clinton's
statement that she is she is staying in the race because her
husband didn't win California until June, and that Bobby Kennedy was
assassinated in June. On its face, it seems to be a careless comment,
but then again, Bobby was a young senator who was assassinated.
Obama is a young senator as well.
Given this countries history of violence, what does the fact that she
said
this intentionally or unintentionally say about her?
Was she tired? Is the statement in exusable even if she is tired?
I immediately thought, If she is insensitive enough to say this, if she is lacking
in judgment to the extent that these words could come out of her mouth,
we are left to infer, what else is she capable of saying and doing?

Don't get me wrong, last year,in March of 2007 I mentioned how
Obama may be great, but the prospect of him being murdered makes
his viability questionable. I now realize that this reactionary thinking
that has no place in what he is trying to accomplish for if fear was the
determining factor, MLK would have been just another Cadillac driving,
Negro preacher tauting prosperity gospel.

Hillary has apologized, but has the damage been done?
How does one view her apology?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

yo. on the reals, that ish was a talking point - as in pre-planned by her peoples. not like the question was unexpected.


she is a calculating woman, has been from the start. i feel like that was a wink and a nod to the lynchmob to go get this cat before its too late.


-lightdigga

M.Dot. said...

wink and a nod to the lynchmob
=======

Say word?

Anonymous said...

I don't respect her apology.
It took me a minute to even understand where she was getting at when she started talking about Robert Kennedy and her husband. I didn't understand the connection between this race.

Besides, if this brawd is tired now and is saying shit like this, what is she going to say when she's President and tired 24/7?


...didn't she use the excuse that she was "tired" when she "misspoke" about being under fire in Bosnia?

Model Minority said...

...didn't she use the excuse that she was "tired" when she "misspoke" about being under fire in Bosnia?
======

Holy shit.

M.Z. said...

In entertainment & politics, the only "real" soundbites you get from somebody is when they're tired. Any other time they can pull from their planned responses.

As for the apology, I can't accept it. What she said is the equivalent to a subliminal in a rap verse. It'll go over most people's head's but those who it was intended for will get it(as well as people who pay attention.)

M.Dot. said...

As for the apology, I can't accept it. What she said is the equivalent to a subliminal in a rap verse. It'll go over most people's head's but those who it was intended for will get it(as well as people who pay attention.)
=====
Thats Hot ock,

Unknown said...

How do I manage not to post for almost 5 months and post about the same comment?!?

She was wrong. Point blank. She's much smarter than that and knew what she was doing.

How are you? Been out of it for a while, but getting back.

Model Minority said...

Yo.

B/c the election is giving us incredible material.

Has it been that long? I have been thinking of you this week. Ta-Nehisi wrote a piece on (White) Feminists and I was reminded of the shit that you went through.

WHere YOU BEEN. How you feel?


Im in NYC...so Im checking for you....don't wanna hear 8 months from now when I move to Philly ".....I thought you were here...we ain't meet...." ***Wink.

m.dotwrites@gmail.com

~m.dot

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