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Subtle and not so Subtle Racism When in my youth, I was taught how Fredrick Douglass learned to read through the noble, compassionate, and kind efforts of his master’s empathetic wife; despite great risk to her own safety and standing. It was a learned form of subtle racism, and it was all bullshit. Little Freddy taught himself to read! Conning the white boys he played with by claiming he could out-read them. Sure enough, they’d out-read him every single time. It was in the process of proving it, that Fred stole bigger and better words right out from under them. Words were immediately filed away for practice in private with clever, admirable, and ceaseless determination. A self-taught genius dreaming the impossible. There weren’t any kind or empathetic slave owners! Where Fred had grown up, black male children were kept hungry, and when fed at all it was out of a communal bowl; like you’d slop hogs. More often than not, it was the same sustenance that the swine received. From the seeds of this complete and hopeless hell grew Fredrick Douglass, Indisputably, one of our greatest American heroes. His impossible dream of freedom came true. Last week, two cars pulled into a video store parking lot. One door dinged another and words were exchanged, escalating to blows; until a white man pulled a pistol and fired twice, killing a black man and wounding his wife. The police arrived and allowed the killer to hand over his weapon, along with his version of the story. No search, no cuffs no trip to the station, no bail, no arrest. We know what would of happened if the white man lay dead and his wife was on the ground wounded-don’t we? That’s not so subtle… |
This Poem was Critiqued By: arnie s WACHMAN On Date: 2005-05-06 16:06:18
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 8.73077
I don't know of this Fred Douglass. Guess I gotta Google him. I didn't know of racism until
my parents left Montreal in 1948 to live in Florida, and then I quickly learned. And then there's
the last paragraph. It could have been two blacks, or two whites squaring off...I think the
problem in America (USA)is it's gun laws. Too easy to kill that way. Why is it that nations
like Canada, England, Australia percentage wise have about one quarter of deaths by guns?
Why? Good thing for you to research Mark.Anyway, a very interesting read. Thanks.