Aside: That said though I'm glad of the result, America the beautiful, if I were living at the time I would have been a loyalist. You can't tar and feather people, throw stones at soldiers, lynch public officials, or destroy crap tons of property just because you have a few political differences with the current head of state and his legislative body. George was right to bring in the troops, damn it. )
My politics, and identity are closely tied to my being black so I don't have to wave a flag this time of year, that flag was already flying high on the mast a long time ago.
Now, there is a movement to get rid of Black history month that makes a similar argument. Black history is American history and should be integrated into the rest of it.
Just for the record I'm not part of it. I'm on the "if you don't want to deal with it don't" side which is a fancy way of saying. I really don't give a damn one way or the other. I don't like politicizing race if I don't have to.
That said whether or not we should keep black history month depends on how far you think this country has come in terms of race relations. I have a pretty pessimistic view on that.
People assume, and yes I already made this point in another essay, that just because we don't talk about race it doesn't affect society. I believe converse, that we refuse to talk about race proves that it still does affect society. And because we refuse to talk about it we end up making a bunch of blanket assumptions that wind up making everyone look like asses. Yes even in the Detroit area there is a black middle class. Yes some blacks did fight for the confederacy. And as mentioned in this post part of the point of Huck Finn is to show slavery as having been wrong.
Now as if I weren't pissed off enough I will show you clips that make me want to throw a chair. Yes despite the ehhhhggh cuteness of Heidi. The Littlest Rebel made me want to punch Shirley Temple in the face.
While I love Bones I would like to forget this episode ever happened.
Dr. Temperance Brennan: [after describing rap music as tribal] African-Americans aren't the only ones with tribal heritage.
Female Dancer #1: You sayin' we're natives of some tribe?
Dr. Temperance Brennan: Anthropologically speaking we're all members of tribes.
Female Dancer #2: You better shut your mouth.
Dr. Temperance Brennan: Hip-hop mirrors the direct visceral connection you see in tribal communication.
Male Dancer: What?
Dr. Temperance Brennan: After the Cartesians split in the 17th century we separated out mind from our bodies, the numinous from the animalistic.
Female Dancer #1: Are you callin' me an animal, fool?
Female Dancer #3: No, fool. She's using Descartes's philosophy to say she's down with the music.
But I can't. Bring the brain bleach. Bring the brain bleach!!! BRING !!! THE!!! BRAIN !!!!BLEACH!!!!! So wrong in so many ways!!. Brain Bleach.
And now for the first major feature length film in America that because of that status will never be forgotten. It's also arguably the most racist film in American history.
Yes foam at the mouth young Miles. Feel the rage. MHAAAAAA. I can feel your anger. Give in to it.
No, For I am a jedi like my father before me. Though I can do with cool black leather robes, and force lightning would be cool, and being able to choke a dude from 10 feet with my mind ...Okay I admit being a sith lord is a hell of a lot more appealing than being a jedi knight. But... I AM CHAOTIC GOOD.
My nerd is showing.
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