Racism, USA Today, and the disappointing cycle of America

Today (Tuesday, November 16, 2010), I came across an article in USA Today which really pissed me off. At first glance I was irritated, but then I read the article again to try and understand why I was so agitated.

I have tried to STOP myself when I get pissed off and acknowledge what my knee jerk reaction is caused by, and effectively think it out.

The title of the article, in fact, is so offensive, I almost didn’t read the article itself, but realized in effect, I was ignoring the war, not another battle. “If young Black men don’t learn now, we’ll all pay later”, is the title of the less than informative article.

If the title weren’t offensive enough, the article goes on to depict a fast food experience the author had with a less than competent cashier, who happened to be Black.

Are fast food cashiers now the select echelon of society’s educated masses, and this poor Black chap happened upon this job by his equal opportunity status, quite unlike the rest of the Blacks in this country - lawyers, doctors, professors alike who happened upon their career paths as well by the gift affirmative action? Are Black men the sole worker bees amassing the up and coming entry level positions across the country regaining the speed and strength of our economically challenged country? Are other cashiers across the country, all races and ethnic backgrounds, who can’t count or read, excused from this article because the issue is, in fact, that Black uneducated men (as opposed to the uneducated masses of Americans who are being spit out of schools daily) are the problem?

As I re-read the article, I realized what was pissing me off was the “so subtle”, but still neck-hair raising, immediate stomach churning statement of racial hatred and stereotype, every minority has felt at least once in his/ her life.

This country stereotypes and perpetuates (through the media) fear of Black men. This article not only fed the monster, but based it’s concept on undisclosed facts and a single experience of the author in a subpar environment. The article, distributed nationwide in a publication I had respect for, until this morning, identified a group of Americans by skin color, and went on to discuss the potential downfall of an entire country by this race in a specified amount of time.

WHAT THE FUCK!

The percentage of Black men in this country isn’t growing at the rate of minorities. And every man with brown skin is not a Black American. Get it right America.

Here we are 2 years into the first glimpse of racial equality, which in effect was another gifted token by the culture of equality and supremacy (and celebrity), showcasing a Black, excuse me, bi-racial President of the US and USA Today is beginning the media infiltration and domination of the next political arena with its racist, taunting depiction of Blacks as a threat - Black man’s ignorance as the future of America. Next, we’ll see the media rise in Black on Black crime, then the rise in Domestic Gang warfare, which stereotypically depicts Black youth.

Sound familiar? We, as a country, are prolific in raising awareness when it suits a political agenda, and guess who wants in office next term? Or, should I say, who we want out of office?

I have traveled extensively. I know why other countries hate the concept of America and the petty, simple, racist, greedy, ignorant Americans who live here. I get it. I am still proud to be able to live by Amendments which created the Freedoms of this country. I am proud to be Black. I am proud to be a woman. I am a cross selection of everything that exists (good and bad) within the history of the U.S. And I will fight for it.

One of the most disturbing issues I had with this article is the fact that it was in the USA Today news section. This paper is in every airport, hotel and business traveler accessible arena across the country. The estimated daily reader count is 1.8 million readers[1].

This article is not only a virus spread faster than Fox News, or Entertainment Tonight, it is the death of education being transmitted like a trash rag to our supposedly educated, passport holding, upper class working America – the people that actually are out there in the world making a difference. Maybe I am not giving enough credit to the educated, who have the opportunity to read and discuss, to form their own opinion, but the fact is, a man with an opportunity to make a statement, and a difference, chose to instead propagate a stereotype. And it is sickening.

Black Americans are fully aware of the split in culture between, as Chris Rock so un-politically correctly stated, Black People and Niggers. Black people are educated and raise kids in four year colleges, with the value of education and strong work ethic, and financial security. Black people resemble the Huxtables, with the now reasonable goal of becoming President of the United States. Then there are Niggers, who write gangsta rap songs(and articles) about our culture, deal drugs, love their bitches and ho's, showcasing how ignorant the young, poor afflicted are, instead of raising up the culture with information and positivity…based on facts, not stereotypes; In fact, stealing from our own history and culture to keep a Black man a negative figurine in the eye of the majority and his neighbor. Whether a drug dealer or a “stereotype pusher”, niggers work the system, to help racists keep Blacks in their place.

Yeah I said it.

The views of this article are solely my opinion – perhaps Mr. Wickham would think about making a similar disclosure next time he writes an article based on one experience he had almost a decade ago.

Hey! DeWayne – the education issue we have in this country is hardly limited to black men. It’s an epidemic, and I deal with uneducated masses daily, with an average percentage of black men being less than 1% of my 3000 person per day customer base.

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[1] The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the paper has 1.8 million copies as of March 2010^[1] compared to the Wall Street Journal's 2.1 million though this figure includes the WSJ's 400,000 paid-for, online subscribers. USA Today remains the widest circulated print newspaper in the United States. USA Today is distributed in all fifty states, Canada, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the United Kingdom. Courtesy Wikipedia :)

Disappointing Stereotypes

I live downtown. Part of my agreement in living in an urban environment is parking curbside in front of my residence. Seems reasonable, yes?
Well, in order to park in front of my home, or on the street in general in downtown Denver, as in most domiciles of the city, it requires a parking permit. A free permit which you may obtain by strolling into the Department of Parking Works downtown (a mere few blocks from my house) and showing proof of residence. No big deal. The sticker is placed on the front window of your vehicle(s) and they even offer up to 2 guest permits (window hangars) for guests who wish to remain at your home for longer than 2 hours (which is the parking time limit for street parking). Every year thereafter, you may renew via mail by simply signing a form stating all previous info remains the same.
On September 3, 2010, I resubmitted info for the permit I already have and requested my two guest permits, via mail.
On September 24 (noted via mail stamp on envelope) I received this form letter:
We received your application for a Residential Parking Permit. You did not enclose the proper documentation to obtain a Residential Parking Permit. Please submit the following items that have been marked:
*to follow in the form letter, were numerous items which had no relevance to my situation, but I read diligently, wondering what could I have possibly forgotten, the small form only required drivers license number and signature - confirmation all information on record was the same.

I then reached the highlighted area, which someone duly took time to check and highlight for me, in case I wasn't intelligent enough to comprehend the marked line:
"Any outstanding parking tickets need to be paid before a residential parking permit can be issued. Please contact the Parking Cashier Office for further assistance"
AND
"Please return all required documentation including documents previously submitted"
[I highlight in bold because that's how it is highlighted in the letter]
Note: date I submitted request for new permit: September 03, 2010
Note: date letter stamped via PostMaster September 24, 2010
and
Note: date parking ticket I received (apparently in anticipation of request for parking permit):
September 21, 2010 1:13 p.m.
I can only assume, after driving downtown and being ticketed for "parking 18 inches away from curb" in front of banking structure, for 4 minutes while I used atm, the Residential Parking Office connected the license plate to the request for renewal and immediately sent out required form letter.

Here are my issues:
1) In effect, if the government is so prompt in sending out form letters to reject permits, why are they not so prompt in sending out permits... when request was sent 1 month prior to expiration and 3 weeks prior to vehicle being ticketed?
2) The definition of "outstanding"[out-stan-ding]

–adjective

1.

prominent; conspicuous; striking: an outstanding example of courage.

2.

marked by superiority or distinction; excellent; distinguished: an outstanding student.

3.

continuing in existence; remaining unsettled, unpaid, etc.: outstanding debts.

4.

(of securities and the like) publicly issued and sold or in circulation.

5.

standing out; projecting: a stiff, outstanding fabric.

6.

Archaic . that resists or opposes.

or opposes.

—Synonyms
1. eminent. 3. owing, due.

A. The ticket received on September 21, 2010 is not due until October 11, 2010 - hardly OUTSTANDING

B. There is an option to dispute the citation, which I fully intend on doing, for number of reasons - primarily, the one which indicates I was not parked 18 inches or more from the Goddamned curb. [Oh, you know I have photographic evidence in my favor]

3) Even if I had paid the citation the same day, placed my check in the mail on the eve of the 21st of September and it had been received on the afternoon of the 22nd or 23rd of September, there is no way in hell this letter could have been adjusted on the same day and my citation information updated to reflect payment by the afternoon of the 23rd before this mail went out on the 24th. That would lead to a massive inconsistency with the timeliness of the government and the original issue with why it took 3 weeks to produce my Permit in the 1st place.

WHAT GIVES?
This form letter, addressed to no one, is in fact an indication of everything wrong with the government and the impersonal attention given to tax paying, law abiding citizens who do indeed attempt to do the right thing all the time, pay tickets on time and choose to live on the right side of the street and are treated as common criminals with no INTENT to continue to do the right thing, even though proven historically.
I have no history of unpaid parking tickets (with Denver at least). In fact I have had only 1 parking citation in the last two years which were shown "paid" on the form letter they sent me. Yet, I am being held hostage to get a parking permit to park on the street in front of my house until I pay a parking ticket received 3 weeks after renewal application.
I don't bitch about much, but I am not appreciative.
In fact, I have composed a similar letter to the Department of Public works expressing my disgust at their offensive form letter and unfortunate display of stereotypical government "red tape" games, and indicated not only would I not be wasting my time (stamps, envelopes, etc) re-submitting application, but I would instead be parking my vehicle in my fucking garage, and expressing as powerfully as possible the ineptness of our city and state policies via word of mouth, and every social networking tool which maintains an audience.

On the topic of being a single Mom...

I realize, or I should say I notice lately that the bulk of my friends are single and childless; most by choice, some just by timing. The friends I do spend any amount of time with that do have kids are single dads. This in itself is a societal change that makes the stereotype of being a single mom more of a common, and being a single dad more the new selective point of interest in modern society.
And still single dads are looked upon as some sort of hero. Single moms have been doing the same thing for decades upon decades, yet the stereotype moved from “poor her” to simply being a substantial part of the mainstream. The stereotype of single dad moved from, “what horrible woman would leave her kids to a man” to “what an amazing father”.
Makes me want to puke.
My mom was a single mom and I remember times when she worked 3 jobs to keep our house running. My Nana was a widow and I remember her cleaning houses and going to nursing school full time while raising me. She raised 4 kids and a few grandkids. Women have been taking care of children, making a home while working and educating themselves for years. Our strength as women has allowed society around us to forget the challenge of remaining a woman and an individual outside the stereotype. And, I believe, because we spend so much time catering to men, we have put them on a pedestal for doing the same thing we have been doing all along. I think about how to address certain discussions with my son on being a man and doing the right thing in life, but it’s expected. My single dad counterparts have the awkward task of explaining menstruation to teenage girls and teaching them how to put on makeup and NOT dress like a hoochie. What man wants to have the discussion with his daughters about why her best friends from school last week are so mean to her at school this week? Does he even know?

I don’t believe it’s any easier for a woman to be a mom (much less a single mom), it’s just come to be expected. Women are expected to run the house, raise the kids, make lunches, balance the checkbook, get the cable turned off/on, get a job, feed the dog, register for school/soccer/swim team/etc etc etc, drive carpool, plan play-dates, do the grocery shopping, show up for all the games/awards ceremonies/recitals/etc etc etc, man up for sex, while working on her Master’s thesis and look beautiful while doing it. While a dad (single dad or otherwise) gets a break simply because he’s a man. Really?
Yet another point to be debated on the list of, “equality vs. inequality” of the sexes.

In the end we don’t get paid as much for being mom’s either.