September 27, 2010

Why people don't care about Indians

A column on Mayor Bloomberg's recent anti-Indian remarks:

Apathy in Indian Country Cuts Both Ways

By Harold A. MonteauThe apathy about which Nation Representative Halbritter wrote is not just about the lack of tribal response to a public official who uses his bully pulpit to invoke racist Indian stereotypes to “dehumanize” a minority population so that “victimization” of the minority is acceptable. The underlying goal of “restricting commerce rights of tribes” is rendered acceptable to the public by a campaign to portray Indians as savages that need to come to heel or be annihilated. Members of Congress and the Administration depend on our apathy when they pass into law measures that restrict our sovereign rights. The “dehumanization” tactic is something that has been practiced from time immemorial and was inflicted upon the Jews during WWII and continued currently by the leadership of Radical Islam. It is meant to create apathy so that when the person(s) seeking to victimize the minority takes action, usually under color of law, there is no outcry, especially if the action only effects a mundane subject, like taxation. However, the action regarding the mundane subject is usually part of a series of incremental activities that cumulate in a larger wide-spread victimization of the minority target. Eventually, more and more harmful actions can be taken against the “de-humanized” minority. This is especially true if the aforementioned campaign succeeds in painting the minority as evil, greedy, dirty, sub-human and so unworthy of any consideration that society would be better if they cease to exist. This should all sound very familiar to any Jewish person, including Mayor Bloomberg.Comment:  This passage is a bit hard to follow, but the basic point is one I've made many times. Namely, that negative stereotyping leads to real-world consequences. By treating Indians and other minorities as less than full-fledged Americans, people can ignore them and their problems. When politicians do this with budgets, laws, and court rulings, the harm is palpable.

There's no demand for justice because we've painted minorities as greedy, evil savages who don't deserve human consideration. "They" want our money, jobs, even our very freedom, we tell each other. Healthcare reform, illegal immigration, and mosque building are all part of "their" insidious plans to turn the US into a Mexican/Kenyan/Muslim/socialist/communist state.

This is the message people are sending every time they cheer an Indian mascot or wear a hipster headdress. "Indians are people of the past! We conquered them! We're part of the white power structure and you're not! We 'honor' you by publicly showcasing our superiority!"

For more on the subject, see Obama Fights Negative Stereotypes and Bigots Protest Brown-Skins on 9/11.

Below:  "We can pretend to be savage Indians because we're civilized white people!"

5 comments:

Johnny White Man said...

"Why People Don't Care About Indians"

Yes, you meant--White Supremacists. Naturally they don't care about anyone, much less their own. But not "people" in general. So you are sadly mistaken(as usual).

The White Supremacists tend to "view minorites as less than full-fledge Americans".

I'm not surprised, and you shouldn't be either. After all, you are White Supremacists. But if your inane assertions were actually true, which it isn't. We would not have a Black Man as *YOUR* President. Not to mention the numerous non-Whites as Senators, Military Generals, CIA/FBI agents, CEOs and so on and on. You're living in a very depressing fanstasy world there Rob. I pity you very much.

"There's no demand for Justice because we've painted minorites as greedy and savages"

That's entirely because you and your kind who harbour this odious inhuman "view" of people, are the vile White Supremacists. Bent on spreading fear, lies,hate and misconceptions about non-Whites. The very mentality/rhetorics associated therein as expressed by you. Again I pity you.

So unfortunately for you, we have come this far as a Nation, where non-Whites/women have more Rights, protection, and opportunites to seek their dreams. As Barack Obama is the epitomic proof of that.

~Johnny White Man

Rob said...

You think people do care about Indians in general, "Johnny"? What's your evidence for that? Your opinion that I'm "mistaken" is worthless, so try again.

And you think I and thousands of other writers haven't addressed the persistence of American racism despite the success of Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Colin Powell, et al.? Wow. Read all my postings on white privilege, bright boy--for instance, Exercising Power:  Individuals vs. Groups. Learn about such concepts as structural inequality and systemic racism so you don't sound so ignorant.

You are aware that I voted for Obama and still consider him better than any conservative alternative...aren't you? Yeah, it's really "unfortunate" that my choice for president is the president. I'm all broken up about it.

We already know you're too stupid to understand when I'm paraphrasing or mimicking racists. And your opinion that criticizing stereotypes is the same as championing them is, again, stupid. Please do something to alleviate your stupidity, okay?

P.S. Why don't you sign your real name, which I presume is "Geno"? By now you should know how I feel about anonymous cowards like you.

Johnny White Man said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Rob said...

Cowardly commenter "Johnny White Man" claimed people don't hate Indians in general. Never said they did, yellow belly. I said people don't care about Indians and have stereotypical views of them, in general. That doesn't equate to "hate."

Indeed, no one has used the word "hate" in this posting except you. You've invented a straw-man argument because you were too dense to understand my actual argument. Duh.

Johnny the coward also asked where's the evidence supporting my "egregious theory"? First, you stupidly misunderstood my theory. It's that people don't care about Indians, not that they hate Indians.

Second, I post the evidence every day in Newspaper Rock. There's a huge archive of it in my Stereotype of the Month contest and other places. Learn to read what I write so you don't sound so ignorant, buddy.

Johnny the ignoramus didn't understand the point of my reference to "thousands of other writers." You referred to "white supremacists" (plural) and "you and your kind," dumbass. My response was that my kind (writers like me) have refuted the asinine argument that Obama's election means the end of racism. Duhhh.

Finally, it's funny seeing the fraidy-cat who hides behind juvenile nicknames calling other people "immature." Perhaps you don't understand what immature means? That would be consistent with your general lack of understanding, coward.

Rob said...

FYI, I deleted the rest of "Johnny White Man's" comments because they were more personal attacks on me. Apparently he was too dumb to understand me when I said I wouldn't tolerate such attacks. Now you know, dummy.

If you don't like Newspaper Rock, I'll tell you what I've told all the other carping crybabies who have stopped by. Find a blog you like and go there instead. Or start your own "Rob is a racist" blog. But whatever you do, stop wasting our time.