ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, July 29, 1996 TAG: 9607290083
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF ARTIS
FOR MOST of my 39 years, I have read and listened to many discussions about the issue of race and racism in this country. The majority of these discussions have been disappointing.
I do not say this because I consider myself an expert on race relations. I say this because whenever this country talks about race and racism, whether these discussions take place in the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries, or take place in 1996, our society fails to deal openly and honestly with the problem.
Oh, we meet and talk. We tell ourselves that we will work to end the problem of racism. We make ourselves feel better about the problem. We shake hands, promising to meet again when another problem arises. Yet, when the time comes to attack the institution of racism, attack the institutions that manipulate racism to perpetuate their economic power, their political power, or in some cases both, either the attack never comes or the attack is so limited it ultimately fails to provide the necessary number of victories needed to bury and defeat racism once and for all.
This is not to say there have not been victories. There have been. However, there hasn't been total victory.
Why haven't we been able to defeat racism? For one thing, in the history of this country, we have yet to have an open and honest discussion about racism. We have yet to admit that, yes, we have a race problem in this country, have had a race problem in this country, and will always have a race problem unless we choose to do something about it.
Second, we have a tendency to see racism only in terms of black and white, with the white man being evil and black people being his victims. We forget that other cultural groups have suffered and continue to suffer at the hands of racism. We also forget that there are people who are racists in all groups, all cultures and all racial groups.
Third, some in our society try to justify their racism against others by saying, ``This group is racist against me, so I'm going to be racist against them.'' Still others justify their racism in a pathetic attempt to cover up their own shortcomings: ``I can't get a job because I'm black,'' or ``I can't get a job because of affirmative action,'' or ``The only reason I did not get that promotion is because of my race.''
Certainly, there are instances where this is true. I have been in these situations myself. However, when these charges are made, we must make sure that those making them are correct in their assessments and that their charges do not cover up the fact that they are uneducated or undereducated, have no job skills, or give employers no good reason to hire them.
Finally, we have a gross double standard in this country when it comes to the manipulation of race and racism. We condemn one political party for playing racial politics while saying nothing when the other political party plays the race card. We condemn the racism of one political ideology while saying nothing about the racism of the other. We condemn certain media practices by one group while accepting the media practices of another.
Gangster rappers refer to black women in terms that are totally unacceptable. Yet those same rappers and their fans would be the first to take on anyone outside the black community who made a similar record.
Some community leaders say it is perfectly OK to practice racism against another group as revenge for years of oppression or as revenge for one group taking away their ``white Christian heritage,'' while screaming bloody murder when they become victims of racism and discrimination.
This double standard must end. It can no longer be justified and supported.
Can we defeat racism? Yes. We must recognize that the face of racism has changed drastically over the past 25 years. We must stop accepting racism in some instances and condemning it in others. When we see racism, we must fight it, even if it means raising Cain. Most important, we must take the time to understand it, to be honest in our perception of it, and to have no fear whenever we fight it.
Jeff Artis of Roanoke is former Republican candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates and Roanoke City Council.
LENGTH: Medium: 76 linesby CNB