[doxy]

The following is a 3 minute intro to what this is about, I suggest watching it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuoiZnr4jLY

The below is just a story of my Friday night and how it relates to The Jena Six:

So there I am, enjoying my original martini (gin, sweet vermouth, a hit of orange bitters, lemon twist) and a bloke sits next to me at the bar. It's a hotel bar and so I'm figuring he isn't from here. I'm a social cat and so I ask what he's in town for. He says he came down for the Jena Six. I was immediately pleased to meet his aquaintance. I told him my roommates and neighbors went to the rally, and asked him what he thought of the turn-out for it. He was happy with it but emphasized there's still a ways to go. From then on we discussed my dissapointment with the majority of the white people who are actually from this state, especially those outside of New Orleans.
(yes, this email is politically motivated, you can delete it or email me one on one with your dissapointment in me sending it if you'd like, in the end this state has some serious problems)
The basis of my disspointment was how I felt the majority of this state's double standards that went on and go on in all the small parishes, and even the three bigger parishes, did nothing but leave us in 2007 by technicality alone...we're surprisingly behind the times...hate and ignorance has bred more hate and ignorance so much so I feel at times I'm living in Jim Crow's retirement home and it's quite simply the most backwards state in the union ...and I'm not talking just the continental United States either. (I seriously think we've got Mississippi beat--and that's just because their bigotry is more sophisticated)
Back to the main point of my tale.
So myself and the chap next to me are finding ourselves in good company. He told me I shouldn't just accept that I don't like the way things are here and have my views to just sit there at the bar drinking my original martini...that my lazy self should do something productive about it. True, but damn are those martini's tasty.
Then a couple people walk into the bar and they flip-out over my new friend. I asked him what was up? He told me he was sort of a celebrity. Really? Well who are you, I say. He said his name was Most Def. Later on I found out he spells it Mos Def. Either way I still didn't know who he was but said, "damn, that's cool...nice talking to you."
So yeah, I hang out with Mos Def. We have drinks together at the same bar, we're tight. Check me out.

In ending...god bless america.

[treehugger]

heh..I was trying to reply and my internet was wonky...and by the time I got back here GT said it so very eloquently I can almost not bring myself to attempt a reply.

Almost.

I have to say, doxy, I can see where you are coming from. I don't live in New Orleans, or Louisiana in general, but I have a friend who lives in Bunkie, Louisiana and I go there once a year...and I've seen the racism there. It's much, much more blatant and pervasive there. We have racism here too, in liberal Madison...so liberal it's considered the Berkeley of the midwest...we have it here but it's much more hidden.

Sooo..what GT said. I can't generalize because I don't live there. I've gotten a little taste of it, and it's ugly. But racism is ugly everywhere...it's just more subtle/hidden here.

And...I also wanted to touch on what GT was saying last night about everybody having some racism in them. I experienced this firsthand. I always thought of myself as the most open-minded person I knew. I still think I am, in my immediate circle of friends.

But.

I was in the market for condos and I was looking at stuff little "big for my britches" (I was mislead on the value of the house I was selling and thought I could afford at least $50,000 more than I could.) I was looking at, for the Midwest, upper scale condos. Rich, nice stuff, in nice neighborhoods. So, my realtor took me to see a FSBO in the BEST neighborhood in this city...a very, very nice place, with granite countertops, maple cabinetry, a beautiful view of the Capitol, etc.

And...we walked in and the seller was a Black man. And I was a bit surprised. Not in a bad way, more of an impressed way. Because this was truly a beautiful condo, it could have been in Metropolitan Home magazine.

But, I realized later, that I was impressed because I had a lesser EXPECTATION of what black men can/can't achieve. So, I'm ashamed of myself for that. I wouldn't have been nearly as impressed if it had been a white man as the owner.

But...(yes, there's a lot of BUTTS in this post)...I am also proud, cause part of evolution is recognizing racism and trying to overcome it. Not to sing my accolades or anything...but I was pretty shamed to realize that I do have some prejudices and some racism...and I thank that guy for making me aware of it. And it's something I'm going to be more aware of in the future.

And, I'm so proud of that guy for having such a beautiful home!