Comments on: Tim Wise on White Privilege http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/13/tim-wise-on-white-privilege/ | social justice | higher education | technology | Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:52:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: Tim T http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/13/tim-wise-on-white-privilege/#comment-29677 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:45:13 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/13/tim-wise-on-white-privilege/#comment-29677 Kiera hit the nail on the head. Maybe it's just that the GOP is better at muckraking, but if Obama had these problems it would be a much bigger deal. It would also be a much bigger deal if the day after Katrina Obama was hanging with Bush and celebrating his birthday while people were drowning in New Orleans. It would also be a much bigger deal if Barack had called Michelle a c*nt as McCain did his wife in 1992. It would also be a much bigger deal if Obama said something derogatory about white people as Palin allegedly did about black people. She doesn't even get asked about this stuff. I don't think it's as much that she's a woman or even that she is white. It's simply that there aren't left leaning political commentators on FOX, CNN etc that would say something like that whereas Hannity, O'Reilly, Limbaugh make their careers out of it. Why not simply ask Palin if she tried to ban books or called Obama Sambo? The GOP is much better at that game and if the Dems do it it's someone like Michael Moore who isn't taken seriously. Kiera hit the nail on the head. Maybe it’s just that the GOP is better at muckraking, but if Obama had these problems it would be a much bigger deal. It would also be a much bigger deal if the day after Katrina Obama was hanging with Bush and celebrating his birthday while people were drowning in New Orleans. It would also be a much bigger deal if Barack had called Michelle a c*nt as McCain did his wife in 1992. It would also be a much bigger deal if Obama said something derogatory about white people as Palin allegedly did about black people. She doesn’t even get asked about this stuff. I don’t think it’s as much that she’s a woman or even that she is white. It’s simply that there aren’t left leaning political commentators on FOX, CNN etc that would say something like that whereas Hannity, O’Reilly, Limbaugh make their careers out of it. Why not simply ask Palin if she tried to ban books or called Obama Sambo? The GOP is much better at that game and if the Dems do it it’s someone like Michael Moore who isn’t taken seriously.

]]> by: Kiera http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/13/tim-wise-on-white-privilege/#comment-29661 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:49:57 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/13/tim-wise-on-white-privilege/#comment-29661 As you should Michael, people of all races need to understand that this is not a one sided back room conversation. This topic needs to be spoken about plainly & openly. You will still encounter defensiveness, but bring in those facts. I had a conversation recently regarding how Obama would have looked had his daughters been teenaged & pregnant & how it would look to embrace that by bringing her "radical" teenaged husband to be up onto the stage with the hopeful presidential family . . . you think America might have the same reaction they had to Palin's family? I think not. Take a look at the young man this family is welcoming, dig around & find out a little about him, then think about what will happen if McCain wins & dies in office. The fallout would be catastrophic! Talk about white priviledge, we all better pray. I know I've strayed a bit from the core topic, but it all relates. I'll be spending my Sunday, like I have in the past year, making calls at anothers house, with my children & other supporters to get people out to win that vote we so desperately needs, that all of America needs. The power is in our vote, encourgae others, so we can effect a change. As you should Michael, people of all races need to understand that this is not a one sided back room conversation. This topic needs to be spoken about plainly & openly. You will still encounter defensiveness, but bring in those facts. I had a conversation recently regarding how Obama would have looked had his daughters been teenaged & pregnant & how it would look to embrace that by bringing her “radical” teenaged husband to be up onto the stage with the hopeful presidential family . . . you think America might have the same reaction they had to Palin’s family? I think not. Take a look at the young man this family is welcoming, dig around & find out a little about him, then think about what will happen if McCain wins & dies in office. The fallout would be catastrophic! Talk about white priviledge, we all better pray. I know I’ve strayed a bit from the core topic, but it all relates. I’ll be spending my Sunday, like I have in the past year, making calls at anothers house, with my children & other supporters to get people out to win that vote we so desperately needs, that all of America needs. The power is in our vote, encourgae others, so we can effect a change.

]]> by: FinanceBuzz http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/13/tim-wise-on-white-privilege/#comment-29655 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:46:26 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/13/tim-wise-on-white-privilege/#comment-29655 This is about attempting to insulate a candidate from criticism, a candidate with a questionable background and questionable policies regardless of his race, all by implying that questioning that candidate is tantamount to racism. Right out of the left wing playbook for the 2008 campaign. I could have stopped reading this article after the fourth paragraph when Wise shows that he is either completely out of touch with current events or he cannot call a spade a spade. "no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement" Did you not catch Tina Fey's SNL skit that very clearly implied that Palin was an intellectual lightweight? What about this article (http://www.slate.com/id/2200297/) today in which Ms. Solomon makes a very clear implication that Palin is not smart or intelligent? I am glad I did not stop reading or I would have missed Wise political speech protected in the specter of "white privilege." It is a speech filled with hypocrisy. He then goes on to show his complete bias in comparing Palin's experience to that of Barack Obama. Is he so out of touch or, again, does he not care when reality does not support his position? Being President is an executive position. Being a state senator and a U.S. Senator does not carry any executive experience. However, being a mayor does and being a governor of a state of any size provides experience over a multimillion (if not billion) dollar organization that any of the other members of the two tickets have, including Barack Obama. Obama cannot even complain an edge in duration of his government experience because Palin's governmental experience is at least as long as his. What is infuriating about this comparison is it sets up the defense that I knew was coming during the primary. If you question Obama's qualifications or positions, you must be a racist. Once you apply that brand, it makes it much easier to dodge any real defense of one resume or positions. This hypocrisy is clearly shown in his claim that criticizing Obama's experience as a community organizer is out of bounds. Furthermore, is dangling "white privilege" enough of a defense to allow a presidential candidate to avoid defending a background filled with close associations with socialism (http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=3 ... Wise is also hypocritical is implying that it is wrong for women to take a second look at the GOP ticket because of a woman being on a ticket, when I suspect he would have no issue with Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) being emotional over a black man being nominated for president by a major party. (http://www.examiner.com/r-1848315~Rep__John_Lewis_ ... Wise also misleads in discussing the church affiliations of the two candidates, implicitly equating a political endorsement during a campaign with 20 years of sitting in the pew of said pastor. Thus, this is not a column about real instances of "white privilege" (even in the rare cases where this exists) but rather a political spin job intended to establish a powerful defense based on a threat of racism so that Obama does not have to defend his history and policies. There are even some bonuses where Wise attempts to minimize positive perspectives on McCain/Palin using the same "brand them as racist" tactic. This is about attempting to insulate a candidate from criticism, a candidate with a questionable background and questionable policies regardless of his race, all by implying that questioning that candidate is tantamount to racism. Right out of the left wing playbook for the 2008 campaign.

I could have stopped reading this article after the fourth paragraph when Wise shows that he is either completely out of touch with current events or he cannot call a spade a spade.

“no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement”

Did you not catch Tina Fey’s SNL skit that very clearly implied that Palin was an intellectual lightweight? What about this article (http://www.slate.com/id/2200297/) today in which Ms. Solomon makes a very clear implication that Palin is not smart or intelligent?

I am glad I did not stop reading or I would have missed Wise political speech protected in the specter of “white privilege.” It is a speech filled with hypocrisy.

He then goes on to show his complete bias in comparing Palin’s experience to that of Barack Obama. Is he so out of touch or, again, does he not care when reality does not support his position? Being President is an executive position. Being a state senator and a U.S. Senator does not carry any executive experience. However, being a mayor does and being a governor of a state of any size provides experience over a multimillion (if not billion) dollar organization that any of the other members of the two tickets have, including Barack Obama. Obama cannot even complain an edge in duration of his government experience because Palin’s governmental experience is at least as long as his. What is infuriating about this comparison is it sets up the defense that I knew was coming during the primary. If you question Obama’s qualifications or positions, you must be a racist. Once you apply that brand, it makes it much easier to dodge any real defense of one resume or positions. This hypocrisy is clearly shown in his claim that criticizing Obama’s experience as a community organizer is out of bounds.

Furthermore, is dangling “white privilege” enough of a defense to allow a presidential candidate to avoid defending a background filled with close associations with socialism (http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=3 …

Wise is also hypocritical is implying that it is wrong for women to take a second look at the GOP ticket because of a woman being on a ticket, when I suspect he would have no issue with Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) being emotional over a black man being nominated for president by a major party. (http://www.examiner.com/r-1848315~Rep__John_Lewis_ …

Wise also misleads in discussing the church affiliations of the two candidates, implicitly equating a political endorsement during a campaign with 20 years of sitting in the pew of said pastor.

Thus, this is not a column about real instances of “white privilege” (even in the rare cases where this exists) but rather a political spin job intended to establish a powerful defense based on a threat of racism so that Obama does not have to defend his history and policies. There are even some bonuses where Wise attempts to minimize positive perspectives on McCain/Palin using the same “brand them as racist” tactic.

]]> by: Michael G. Jordan http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/13/tim-wise-on-white-privilege/#comment-29647 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:23:10 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/13/tim-wise-on-white-privilege/#comment-29647 I'm going to try to show this to some of my White church brothers and sisters and see can they possibly get the picture that I've been raised up in all my life. LOVE, MGJ I’m going to try to show this to some of my White church brothers and sisters and see can they possibly get the picture that I’ve been raised up in all my life.

LOVE,
MGJ

]]> by: Janie P. Bess http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/13/tim-wise-on-white-privilege/#comment-29639 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:18:15 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/13/tim-wise-on-white-privilege/#comment-29639 This is very very true! Everything is two sided, but never fair in the U.S. This is very very true!
Everything is two sided, but never fair in the U.S.

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