On Hannity & Colmes, Rev. Peterson compared Obama's church to KKK

"Well, inter racial mairrages are indeed an abomination, and equal segregation would be beneficial for all parties involved."---Fin.

Fin,

Why do you choose to live in the United States if you feel this way?  what are your thoughts about two different ethnicities of Eurpoeans marrying?  Are you 100% sure of your own heritage?  The one compliment I can give you is that I appreciate your candor.  Earlier you were trying to soften your stance on things and say you weren't a racist, but lately you have been more honest.  At least we know where you stand.

Since you are here as an American citizen now, how do you about the soldiers of various races who have fought for YOUR freedoms?  My main question though is why do you live in a place that is so diverse?

Oh, and I would love to hear your explanation of how segregation would be beneficial for all parties.

I guess Bush wouldn't have Condi to trot out every time he needs a good lie.

Seperate water fountains means shorter lines for everyone, huh?

d!psh!t.

Sorry to say, Preston – but for 90% of white America, ALL they know about black people is what they see on television and the bigoted stereotypes passed down through the generations or from their peers. Most of us don't admit it to ourselves, what's more publicly.

Yah, I should not have said "black community".  I should have said "what I saw".

Anyway, getting past my gaffe ... what I'm thinking is that we tolerate statements and actions of blacks that we do not tolerate of whites because we feel guilty about past injustices.  (There are present injustices, but I think the vast majority of guilt comes from the past injustices which were by far the most egregious.)

Atheist,

While you're waiting for Preston to reply I'd like to add my 2 cents.

Just like there are still White racists among us who would get into an African-American's face in an elevator, or scream racial epithets at a Black driver in a traffic mishap, it's simply gonna happen in reverse sometimes. Ok, that's too simplistic I know.

I'm sure there are angry people of both races. Blacks who still feel put upon by Whitey. Whites who resent Blacks & probably wish there had never been a Civil Rights movement.

I was born & raised in a lily-White suburb. And I reside in a nearly lily-White suburb so I'm not exactly an expert on this subject. All I can tell you is my personal, though limited, one on one relationships with Blacks has been positive.

We know there are individuals out there, on radio & TV that still fuel hatred between the races. And we are seeing a very divisive primary campaign that has sadly been infested with allegations of racism & race-baiting. There are agendas on both sides I'm afraid. Just when one starts to think we've come so very far in 40 years, we realize we still have a long way to go.

Atheist, I'm sorry to hear that you experienced such vicious attacks like that. I don't dare excuse that type of behavior at all and it's a shame you'd have to hear nasty remarks such as "white b**ch" over a situation that's non-racial.

This is why I say I do feel sorry for certain white people because if many of the blacks you encountered are those who fit the talk-to-the-hand-I-can't-stand-you-white-people stereotype, and all you see in the media is cartoon images of black people, of course, based on that framework, you'll start to think that the majority of black people act this way. It's in our "culture" what many analysts will say.

But I will say that I can probably give you many stories where I've experienced racism, some where it’s reminiscent of Jim Crow era. I don't say this to you to make you feel guilty as a white person or sorry for me, because despite what conservatives say that blacks enjoy "playing the victim," we speak about racism because racism effects us a lot deeper than when a black bigot calls someone a "white b**ch." And when I say deeper, I'm referring to white supremacy that has its roots in colonialism. Black bigotry does not segregate black people and place them as second-class citizens as white supremacy. This is not to excuse blacks who are bigots towards whites; I'm just suggesting that black bigotry does not hold the same institutional weight and historical relevance as white supremacy. It was/is white supremacy that controls the judicial, legislative and executive branches, where in the pass made slavery and Jim Crow legal.

I believe you're making a mistake to connect the personal experience you had with certain black bigots to those who promote a "black agenda." A "black agenda" is not some type of Nazi underground movement where preachers are breeding black Christians to gain power and oppress whites because of slavery. A black agenda means to attack systemic racism and economic disparities head on while also encouraging moral behavior within poor communities. This was the centerpiece of the Civil Rights Movement.

But please don't take isolated incidents and feel threatened that blacks are secretly planning to oppress white people. Most blacks do not hate white people, we just tend to get frustrated when some refuse to understand our experience and dismiss our complaints as "playing the victim." Again, I've experienced racism from a lot of whites -- so much, I'll probably lose count. However, I'm also friends with many whites who are radically different than the racists I've encountered in the South. In fact, I'm in a relationship with a white guy (though he tends to say technically he's not white because he's Jewish; I tell him he's still white). Our experience with white people in this country has always been based on how we distinguish the racists from the non-racists because our life depended on it. But just because all of us aren't smiling and understanding doesn't make us demons.

A black agenda is not a negative but a positive. And all the pasts successful black agendas in this country have often succeeded because of a coalition with white liberals. Remember, the NAACP was started by blacks and Jews; the Civil Rights Movement was a strong coalition with white liberals and black activists. And even today some of the best scholarship regarding poverty and inequality in black neighorhoods are often done by white scholars. They're are much a part of a black agenda as black activists.

What do you think ?

The reason why you were treated that way is that by and large America is still a racist society albeit not as overt.  The reactions you encountered from these black folk is a defensive mechanism to combat this racism.  There are  stories that that women on the elevator could have told you regarding her [bad] experiences with white people.  There are stories I could tell you and I'm sure Preston has some stories.  Unfortunately, these reactions will continue until racism is stomped from our society.  Phrases like "Black agenda" and "Black values" have nothing to do with it.  People who are pushing a "Black agenda" only do so to close this chasm-like disparity between White and Black folk.  There is a need for it.

Athiest - My 2 cents...

Wow, those are some stories. I’ve had similar things happen to me and know they can be difficult to put behind. For me the most recent was a white trailer-trash crackhead woman who came at me at an intersection because I used my horn when she didn’t move after the light turned green at the previous intersection . I’m a man – and she called me a fa$$ot! (Actually, I’m not sure of any part of my description of her, except the white woman part, the rest is perception - so I’m showing MY acceptance of prejudiced stereotypes – she LOOKED like trailer-trash crackhead.) It’s not uncommon for a lot of hotheads to use racial, ethnic, or sexual slurs when they are angry and the adrenalin is flowing. If you were a man dressed in flamboyant clothing she probably would have called you a f@g. Words bite – so we use them in defense, almost as second nature.

I’m not making excuses for this type of behavior – only suggesting that the occasional racially charged outburst does not identify a whole race of people. The same goes on throughout the world. You heard Germans  called “krauts” or “Nazis” and Japanese called “japs” or “nips” as part of commonplace dialect in America for years after WWII - well into the 60’s and 70’s. As a child of the 50’s and 60’s I thought it was OK to hate them, yet I had absolutely no reason to do so. I heard derogatory names used for Jews and African-Americans in my own family, from my older brothers. I was well into my 20’s before I even started to consciously stop using such words. Prejudices are a hard thing to break – disparaging language is even a harder habit to crack.

Just the consciousness of saying such racial or ethnic slurs is a big step in removing them from your language - It’s when you say these words without even realizing how distasteful and hateful they are that you have a problem.

Brabantio, it's good to see you, and as usual, I agree with you! I think when some people read or hear "black agenda" they think this is somehow all-black with no participation from other ethnic groups to pitch in and help. Conservatives like Sean Hannity often lack critical thinking skills, and history is always the worst enemy to people like him. I can't even sit and watch guys like him anymore because it's surreal that a person can actually say in all seriousness that black self-empowerment is the same as "white power." To do that one has to rive race history and twist concepts to make blacks fit into a prototype that does not represent our experience. Then again, I do remember a certain poster by the name of Bushlies where he said one of the absurd statements I've ever heard months ago: everyone that's born in America has start off as billionaires. Basically, we're all born rich, the wealth is here for the taken, all we have to do is follow the rules, work hard, and ANYONE can become as rich as Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey! (Which kind of reminds me of something one of my British classmates told me. He said, "In Britain we don't have a British Dream like you Yanks with your America Dream. You know why? Because we're awake!")

It just amazes me how simplistic some of the arguments I hear conservatives make regarding wealth, class and race. I use to listen and read a lot of conservative opinion just to keep me on my toes -- I can't do it anymore. Everything is always black-and-white (no pun intended) in their thinking. Many of them assess situations in comic book terms and it's quite hard to take serious. Race has always been one of those subjects that America hates to face because it challenges the conventional wisdom of the country being some perfect democracy. So being cockeyed optimists, dreaming, and denying current conditions that effects those who are disenfranchised is our way not to feel any responsibility to do something for those in need.

Thomp,

Thanks for the clarification.  I am not a fan of Louis, but I think any comparison between him and the KKK is a stretch.  That's all.  I appreciate your response.