DoubleSpeak Dictionary #5

Hillary Clinton: “Now, like some of you may have been, I was taken aback by the demeaning remarks Sen. Obama made about people in small town America. Sen. Obama’s remarks are elitist and they are out of touch. They are not reflective of the values and beliefs of Americans. Certainly not the Americans that I know – not the Americans I grew up with, not the Americans I lived with in Arkansas or represent in New York.” (April, 2008)

“Elitist”

Some possible decodings…. by Organizer JP

Elitist:
Used with racist implications to criticize an African American person who dares transgress what the speaker sees as the place of black people in society by running for high office. This use of “elitist” suggests that African Americans 1) should not contradict the racist stereotypes of unemployed males and welfare moms or 2) they can be model middle-class citizens but should never dare attempt to enter the elite ranks of power in U.S. society. Both the Democrats (in the Hillary Clinton campaign) and Republicans have attacked Obama as “an elitist.” What’s factually misleading about attacking Obama as “an elitist” is that he was raised without class privileges and has gone on to modest economic success and to become a social and political leader, thereby fulfilling the American Dream.

This is Your Nation on White Privilege

Thank goodness for Tim Wise. Very important read… a laundry list of blatant white privilege playing out in the election.

White Privilege, White Entitlement and the 2008 Election

by Tim Wise

For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because “every family has challenges,” even as black and Latino families with similar “challenges” are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is when you can call yourself a “fuckin’ redneck,” like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you’ll “kick their fuckin’ ass,” and talk about how you like to “shoot shit” for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

“Clean, Articulate, and White Approved!”

“…he’s the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and
bright and clean and a nice-looking guy…” (Joe Biden)

Commentary by Organizer KD

In Joe Biden’s political career he’s become known for being “loquacious”; feisty, gritty; speaking with candor. He’s a straight talker, a man who speaks his mind. Now, saying what you think is one thing; but when saying what you think invokes historical prejudices and stereotypes, you’ve moved beyond inappropriateness to racism; whether it’s intentional or not.

Biden’s most recent “gaffe” when talking about Obama during the Democratic primaries is inexcusable. He insists that his comments are being misunderstood and he regrets that “some have taken totally out of context my use of the word ‘clean.’” He goes on to explain, “My mother has an expression ‘clean as a whistle, sharp as a tack.” On an appearance on Good Morning America he explains. “Look, this guy’s incredible, He (Obama) is really bright. He’s fresh. He’s new. He has great ideas.”

So why not just say that Joe? Instead he chose to use clean and articulate to describe Obama; words historically (and currently) used by white folks have to divisively distinguish between the “good” and ‘bad” black folks. The “good” ones of course being ‘clean’ or ‘articulate;’ and the “bad” ones? Perhaps, as Wahajat Ali sarcastically quipped in CounterPunch they’re; “…disheveled, mumbling, Colt 45 drinking, dread locked, gangsta rapping, sexually threatening and incapable of intelligent speech.”

Actually, using ‘clean’ and ‘articulate are code words to let white folks know the black person in question is “white approved.” In fact, I can see the next Obama ad campaign. Obama steps fresh out of the shower with a sparkling clean white towel wrapped around his waist with a great big, warm smile. They freeze the frame, and from the bottom corner of the screen pops a little Joe Biden with two thumbs up saying: “Joe Biden here! Remember folks, Obama’s clean, articulate, and white approved. Vote Obama-Biden in ’08!”

Well maybe not, but if Joe Biden really is a straight talker then perhaps it should be.

In another “whoops” moment, the senator lets his stereotypes show here:

DoubleSpeak Dictionary Entry #3

“community organizer:” too black…??

Dictionary Entry by Organizer CF

According to New York Governor David Patterson, VP candidate Sarah Palin’s mocking reference to Barack Obama’s experience as a community organizer carry racial undertones. Palin’s quote: “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.” Patterson (and I)  feel that use of the term “community organizer” in this mocking tone is code for anti-black racism- along the lines of “Oh, you know.. he’s a ‘community organizer.’ He’s from those… kind of communities.'”

“The Republican Party is too smart to call Barack Obama ‘black,'” said Paterson, the state’s first black governor.

Patterson: “But you can take something about his life, which I noticed they did at the Republican convention. A ‘community organizer.’ They kept saying it, they kept laughing, like what does this mean?”

“you cannot go to a 7-11 or a dunkin donuts unless you have a slight indian accent…”

White Woman vs. Black Man, Take Two

Hermene Hartman calls out the elephant in the room: race. And tells us to see this election as a contest between Palin and Obama….

In her acceptance speech, she compared her career experience to Barack’s, not Biden’s…. Sarah is running against Barack, minority to minority: The ‘white woman’ against the ‘black man.’ Hello, History!Barack probably won’t attack her, because he is not running against her and he is too much of a gentleman. He will play above it, but somebody had better play to it. There is an elephant in the room. The last thing you want is for Barack, the gentle intelligent one, to act like an angry black man. But is it OK for Biden to be an angry Irishman and attack Catwoman?