Really? Really? Come on man...

To the person that felt the need to use my birthday wish as your forum to dispute the hatred and racism I personally and physically experience. 

Thank you. 

Thank you of reminding me of my place. Thank you for reminding me why I work hard to transform hearts and minds with my words and my deeds. Thank you of reminding me that, despite how far we have come, the distance traveled isn't comparable to the distance we have to travel. Thank you for reminding me that empathy is an applied skill, and whereas I may try my best to apply it graciously and across the board, that people are allowed to apply it as they choose. Thank you for reminding me that even in the relatively safe of my friends, that the ability to go through my day, even merely reading my own FB wall, can't guarantee me the ability to have my experiences question. Thank you for reminding me that for every person that can empathize with the African American experience, there's three against it and six that don't act because they believe the three of you over us. 

Thank you for reminding me the struggle against White Supremacy is a 24-7 job, and you don't get your birthday off. 

Yours in Blackness,

Doug

Deez Nuts to you...

The Debate summarized in way under 500 words...

In a nutshell...

Economy flowed Clinton, except for the Rust Belt people who are sold on NAFTA/Trade and the shell of what the upper midwest used to be. 

Justice flowed Clinton, except for those who believe that the world is less safe than it was, and that police officers should get the benefit of the doubt in order to do their jobs and keep America safe. 

Security flowed Clinton, except for those people who think that the world, and America, in on the verge of being awash in terror, and want to be able to make sure they're safe when they go to the mall, as to not be stabbed or killed. 

Temperament flowed Clinton, except for those who see Trump's ability to bully not just her but the moderator as a sign of strength for him and weakness for both of them (a woman and a black man).

So HRC won in all the areas she wanted to win, and Trump moved the needle in all the areas he needed to win. He'll pick up votes in OH and PA, where he needs to win to be able to win the presidency. He'll pick up suburban whites who believe that the world is becoming more racialized and thus less safe (we remember safe is a code word for white from our coded language dictionary, right?). He'll pick up some undecided who will see HRC as too weak on crime/terror because she's bound by that damn Bill of Rights. 

Winner. In real time-HRC. In what matters, accessing undecideds, Trump. Not sure HRC won any votes she didn't already have, and I'm sure Trump moved the needle on trade and crime, despite my finding his claims abhorrent for the most part.

We deserve this. 

The conversation on race we're not having

We're having the wrong racial conversation in America. Or a better phrasing, we're doing quite well at not having the racial conversations we need to have.

Kaepernick has been at the apex of the news for his decision to quietly protest against the Star Spangled Banner by sitting. His argument is that there is disparate treatment for Black and Brown people in this country, and he can't stand for an unjust system. But for some reason, people have an inability to show empathy for black and brown people, to step into their shoes for just a minute, look through their eyes and try to align with their pain. Why is it hard for people to show empathy? There's a ton of reasons I'd imagine, but I think the framing of the discussion is key...

...in the last week, I have read articles with regard to politicians and executives that have taken what i think are racially abhorrent stances. Governor of Maine, after calling all drug dealers Shifty and D-Money and accusing them of impregnating white women on their way home (yes, he got to say that and really nobody said shit), has made the claim that blacks and hispanics are The Enemy, and that you shoot and kill The Enemy...This is followed up by Rudy Giuliani telling people that it's not cops they should fear, but instead they should fear black children, and it's the fault of black parents for not instilling more discipline in their kids. We end our Racism Trifeca with the onslaught of NFL football executives who have come out, anonymously of course, to say some of the most hate-filled things- from (simply) being called a traitor to being compared to murderer Rae Carruth- they believe he'll be cut and never play in the NFL again. For sitting during the National Anthem.

But meanwhile, a Governor can, in the process of over-exaggerating the number of black and brown people convicted for durg offenses (He says "Binder 90% full of black and hispanics"- numbers more like 15%) essentially give a shoot to kill order on black and brown kids. Giuliani telling people it's black parents faults simultaneously makes people look down on black people collectively, the kids, because they need to be feared, and the adults, who don't have the moral code to enforce respectability. The NFL execs, behind a cloak of secrecy, help spread anti-blackness against not just Kaepernick, but ends up projecting into other facets- if the owners can hate him, then so can I.

Politicians propagate fear through the society about black and brown people. Police officers respond to the people and their fear by being particularly mindful (profiling) black and brown people. Black and brown people complain to deaf ears. Which is why Kaepernick acted.

The irony is most won't see the connection.