BUSTABITCH

Last week, I watched the national news about the story of the African American and Latino children who were asked to leave a pool at a private country club. The Manager of the country club stated that the patrons were uncomfortable having the children in the pool as they “changed the complexion of the pool”. One of the young African American children stated while crying, he could not believe this happened. The camp counselor who accompanied the day campers to the pool echoed his sentiment, it is 2009, I can’t believe this is going on!

Constantly that comment is thrown about, it is 2009 folks, it is 2009 and my response to that is SO WHAT! It constantly surprises me that persons seem shocked and at a loss for words, when they are confronted by racism and discrimination. The response to this is usually, it is 2009, we have black president, I can’t believe this happened! Why can’t you believe it? Why are you shocked or amazed? In 2009 racism and discrimination is alive and well and I can argue more prevalent that in the 1950s. Today, they no longer wear robes and burn crosses, but covertly create programs, neighborhoods and private clubs. Why are we (the collective we) shocked by such incidents. It happens every day, in every city, in every state, it just happened that this time, this incident made the news, but there are thousands more that can tell the same story.

For those of you who don’t believe me, click on the link below to read the horrific comments that this blogger made about the African Americans, the Obama’s and more specifically their children.

http://gawker.com/5312952/hate-speech-against-malia-obama-on-conservative-blogs-reported-by-hate-speech-planting-journalist?skyline=true&s=x

Please understand, I am not writing this to inflame the situation or to create and Us against Them mentality, but until we (as a people) get real about the state of race relations in America we cannot hold the mirror up to country to expose and then hopefully heal old wounds.