I have received numerous emails from Daily Kos asking me to post my personal feelings and that I intend to do, right now.. And I’m sure some will not like what I have to say, but I’ll say it anyway.
I have been a lifelong Democrat, supporter of Pres. Barack Obama and I have written numerous letters to the editor in support of democratic ideals. On occasion I have had full editorials published.
I supported equal rights for women long before was fashionable, strongly condemned the Republican position which is that the problem with America is that the rich don’t have enough money and corporations don’t have enough power. And, being a student of pre-Civil War history, I certainly understand the plight of the black people in America, I would dare say better than most.
Being a protester of the Vietnam War, one need not even start on the issue of the war in Iraq.
I don’t have to explain my loyalty to the Democratic Party and to democratic ideals to anyone.
That being said, I think we greatly hurt ourselves by playing into the hands of certain hard-core conservatives who accuse us of being intolerant and, you asked for it, I have to tell you that I am furious at a very intolerant website know as the Democratic Underground.
Let me explain ..
When Pres. Obama had that disastrous debate with Mitt Romney I was among those most loudly posting the fact, as I saw it, that he turned in a very poor performance and if he were to do that again he would be defeated. For this I was pillared again and again by people on that site who could not stand the criticism. Yet, in retrospect, I do think I was right as do many others, including the President himself as evidenced by his later performances.
Now specifically to the point of this current rant.
They have it in their minds that black people are helpless...stress on the word HELPLESS.. victims of bigotry and discrimination. I do not doubt they are the victims of a racist system and as a student of pre-Civil War history, I daresay I understand better than most how deep that racism goes. Nevertheless, there are those blacks who, quite frankly, are not a credit to their race. And to defend them undermines the cause of racial justice. as is the effort to portray them as always helpless victims.
A month or two ago there was a post on DU dealing with the problems of blacks in America. I agreed but I also asked about the problems in the black community due to the absence of black fathers.
Right or wrong.. This was not some idea I got from some hard-core right-wing racist website but something I read on the website devoted to black issues quoting the Census Bureau figures. It was a website which acknowledged the hardships that blacks faced but also asked the question as to whether or not there were things the black community could do to help improve their situation. So i repeated the question ... a simple question,,and for that I was banned for making "hateful" comments.
I was told this would be reviewed,..that this was temporary ,I sent a message to the people in charge explaining myself,,,I never received an email in return and much to my surprised ..months later I am still banned,,,
In the minds of these posters, blacks are always helpless victims and never the least bit responsible for anything, a position which undermines the many hard working honest blacks...and while its okay to point out the problems of white racism, its not okay to think that SOME black people have at least SOME responsibility for the current situation. No! Blacks are ever helpless victims..and to even suggest otherwise is hate speech..
As a white man. I freely acknowledge that many people of my race are bigots and racists. (You want to know how many times I have heard the N word since Obama was elected??) I also know as do many that while open racism is no longer acceptable the feelings are still there and that is why there is such hatred against Pres. Barack Obama. That is why the most outrageous claims are so easily spread and widely believed and stubbornly resistant to facts and logic.
But while criticism is okay when directed against whites, the idea that blacks, too, might have some faults is something that is not acceptable, at least not on that website. For merely asking the question I was deemed one was posting hateful and divisive rhetoric and was banned from from that site.
I wrote an email to those in charge of that site explain my position. That was about three months ago and as of this date I have not received a reply and I’m still banned.
It really doesn’t matter to me whether or not I am allowed to post on that site. I am not the first, I am one of many to either be banned or willfully withdraw because my views were not popular or acceptable to those who profess to have liberal principles.
Well I am a liberal and have been the liberal longer than most of them have been alive in one of the main principles of liberalism is a toleration of different ideas.
So what’s the point of all this rants? It really doesn’t matter to me whether I am or am not allowed to post on that site but it is a fact that conservatives feel there is a double standard and things like this only strengthen their argument. Its the kind of thing that alienates many that might be our allies
Well, you asked me to post my feelings and there they are.
Someone do me a favor and post this on that site which is a discredit to Democrats and liberals alike.
'Yeah, DU, it’s me, Vietnameraveteran. You wouldn’t let me post on your site because I had the nerve to ask a question that did not fit your way of thinking...so I have to post it with someone else. How about practicing what you preach?