The Reason Why We Leading the Pack? This Is A Marathon…

So even if I slack, I got enough leeway
to put out “The Reason” by the Mack and “Philadelphia Freeway”
So I’m back, without leaving
I’m here, but you can’t see him

Yes yes y’all. It’s your boy Sonnyredd with but a few words before I hand over my platform to a gifted young thinker. He comes straight out of the halls of academia, so we're breaking his cherry. I’ve explained that we don’t stand on ceremony round here, and he has taken that ball and run with it. Don’t be nice, because I won’t. And y’all don’t gotta agree, cause I’m not sure I do. But please enjoy the prose and ponderings of young “Lucky X.”

George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People… And Neither Do You!!

According to a military source, at the peak of the Hurricane Katrina crisis in Louisiana, Rep. William Jefferson (D) delayed two heavy trucks, a helicopter and several National Guard members for over an hour while he went back into his house to retrieve "a laptop computer, three suitcases and a box about the size of a small refrigerator". (Reported by ABC News)

So, let me get this straight. Not only is this bastard a self-righteous, two-bit hustler, but he’s also a selfish prick who needed a fuckin’ army to help him nab some suitcases, his Powerbook, and [GASP] a refrigerator-sized box. The shit probably was a freezer. [btw, kudos to Sonny for the ‘cheddar on froze’ quote.]

The worst part of the whole ordeal is the fact that RACE has once again reared its ugly head. Slowly though, I am coming to grips with the fact that racism is here for the long- haul, which brings me to my topic…

I recently encountered an interesting experience. I live in New England and I’m in the process of receiving an advanced degree from ‘a fine institution of higher learning’… no not that one. One of my favorite leisure activities (and I assure you, this is the most you’re getting from my personal life) is attending various educational forums – particularly discussions of racial issues. I can’t get enough of these things. Usually there’s some bombastic dreadlock-having, Kente cloth-wearing, harpy educating ignorant Keeblers on Negro particulars. It’s great fun. (One time, some pathetic chick didn’t know who Malcolm X was).

Anyway, the harpy was there, but this forum was different. Me, perhaps the only Negro in New England, along with a countless number of whites and Asians filed into a forum on ‘Racism in America’ – original huh? After a few minutes of introductory banter, the leader of the panel asked the audience “Who here thinks that America has a race problem.” Every hand, including mine shot up… an obvious response.

Me? I thought of the disenfranchisement of Black voters across America – the countless blunders made in New Orleans by the ne’er-do-well federal government (and other crooked politicians) – the recent Duke rape case where the mass media has played blacks and whites against each other – and my personal favorite, the new White House press secretary who channeled Uncle Remus in a recent press conference: “I don’t want to hug the tar baby…” said Mr. Snow.

The list goes on and on, but I digress. The next question asked by the speaker was “Okay, who here considers themselves racists?” As you can imagine, every hand went down – including mine. Who me…I ain’t no racist, got-damnit! [Plus, no need to draw additional attention to my black ass]. But I got the speaker’s point immediately. How can we live in world that runs rampant with racism, yet includes no actual racists? How can we begin to solve a problem that no one admits exists?

So, after careful thought and consideration, I announce right here, right now, on my very first blog entry… I AM A RACIST. There, I said it. I am a big, fat R-A-C-I-S-T. And guess what? So are you! Just admit it to yourself. I guarantee you’ll feel better. What? You don’t believe me? Shit, let’s look it up in the dictionary…

rac•ism n: 1)The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability 2) The belief that a particular race is superior to others. 3) Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

There it is from Noah Webster himself (an actual racist, so he would know). The sad fact is that many Americans simply refuse to identify with this simple definition – specifically the first one.

But I can. To be absolved of all racist feelings means that you are able to forgo judgment of someone regardless of their race. It means that you don’t lock the door at the sight of a pack of dark-skinned brothas walking down the street – you don’t roll your eyes at the sharp-tongued Indian woman behind the Macy’s register (she’s a racist too, ya know) – It means you easily confront the two loud-mouthed black women talking loudly through X-Men 3 without fear that they might cut you (true story.)

In today’s society, racism has turned into such a pejorative term. We toss it back and forth at each other as an insult, while feverishly denying it exists within us. What the fuck!! Where the hell does that bring us?! Now that I’ve come out of the Ku-Klux-Kloset, at least I can withhold some of the negative tendencies that have been engrained in me by this fucked-up society.

So, what’s the next step? When you hear someone say ‘I’m not racist but, [insert ignorant racist sentence here],’ calmly remind them “Well ignorant person, we’re all racists. And the sooner we acknowledge it, the sooner we can work through it. Now shut the fuck up you nigger hater!!”

~Lucky X.