…during today’s impromptus here is the whole section:
In preparing to write about this, I was looking at a news article, which had a photo of Dr. Benjamin. And I thought, “Hang on, I think I know this person.” I had forgotten her name. I had not forgotten her act. Some years ago, I was at a large conference, dominated by liberals. I was one of the handful of conservatives there. And, at a big plenary session, I made some statements about race: I said I thought the country was too soaked in race; that we could use a rest from race; that race-consciousness was killing us; that separate graduation ceremonies, and separate proms and so on, were heartbreaking and wrong; that we should not give up on the integrationist ideal; that we should cling to E pluribus unum; that we should not be black and white but Americans and human beings; etc. You know: my usual anti-racialist spiel.
These remarks fell pretty flat, I figured. And, when the session was over, I made a beeline out of the hall. And as I was leaving — racing — someone was chasing after me. Running, I think — in high heels, I think. It was a woman, and one of the few blacks in attendance. When I turned to greet her — not knowing what was coming — she said, “I just wanted to thank you. That was great. It really needed to be said.” Do you think I was touched?
And I realized, looking at the news article, that this was Dr. Regina Benjamin. Which has nothing — nothing — to do with my feeling about the “fat” controversy. Just so you know. I was going to write what I’ve written about the controversy before I realized that I had encountered this woman.
I must say, I will love Regina Benjamin forever.
Now this is a nice feel good piece about Dr. Benjamin and I’m very pleased that she had this reaction to Jay’s words, but when I read this two particular sentences jumped out at me, from paragraph 1:
I was at a large conference, dominated by liberals. I was one of the handful of conservatives there.
So we have a large conference of liberals with a token conservative or two and his remarks on race fell flat but as he was leaving one person rushed to say something to him about those remarks…
It was a woman, and one of the few blacks in attendance.
One of the few blacks in attendance.
So you have a statement suggesting that we should treat blacks not like “blacks” but like the Americans and human begins that all of us are and the mostly white liberal crowd didn’t like it, after all blacks are NOT like us, they need to be cared for, they need to be shepherded, and only only person to agree with the idea that all needed to be created equal was one of the FEW blacks in attendance.
The modern liberal would be the kinder gentler plantation owner, they would “care” for their blacks and provide them with a living wage as they support the owners, and to raise their standard of living they would make sure that abortion very available so that say 1/3 of the costly black children. And maybe the smartest who see things the owner’s way would be able to attend the big parties and conferences with the rest of the beautiful people.
It reminds me of the reference to Augustus Caesar in this poem from I Claudius:
He shall give Rome marble in place of clay
And fetter her fast with unseen chains,
Augustus governed wisely and temperately for his times and reconciled Rome to monarchy instead of a republic. Our liberal friends through their kind intervention are fettering people of non-white race to dependence on government so they will be able to take care of them from seats of power and privilege that they will be able to hold for life.
Da Techguy's (no longer backup) Blog 