More on "A reader objects"

Well, as of this moment 12 people have commented in response to the post "A reader objects". Of the 12 comments, one is from a so-called Anonymous and, as such, does not merit a response from me. Nine of the comments are supportive of my positions as outlined in the post. One response is from a Mac Diva who refers to Ken Blackwell, Michael Steele, Lynn Swann, Bill Cosby and Salim Mansur as Uncle Toms and to my support of those people as further proof of my racism. Hmmm. Salim Mansur an Uncle Tom? Uncle Ismael, perhaps, but I don't think the Uncle Tom label fits Salim too well. Tom at Say Anything says this about Mac Diva:

After reading at the above link it has come to my attention, from reading at the link in the above update, that Jadegold has also gone by the name Mac Diva, a troll that has harrassed me since my days posting at Blog Critics.

She has, on occassion, claimed to be a lawyer, a teacher, a college professor, a soldier and pretty much anything else that is convenient to whatever argument he or she is making at the time.

At one point she even made a big stink about Say Anything guest poster Seth Yantiss being a racist (a totally unfounded allegation) here on this blog under the name Mac Diva.

In short, this person is one of the most dishonest (and truly deranged) people I've ever come across.

I might add that Mac Diva kindly provides a link to her blog where she has not posted since December 19, 2006. A New Year's resolution, perhaps? "I resolve not to post anything else in this blog until I might post something that is not pure crap." Or too busy reading and attacking other bloggers, I suppose. I don't think Mac Diva uses her real name, either. Try MAC Diva for a better fit. Ultimately, Mac Diva's response deserves no further comment.

Now we come to Sacha, who jerked my chain in the first place. I will not first address Sacha's specific objections to my views, or at least to the manner in which I expressed those views. What I would like to first address is the fact that Sacha chose not only to post a comment to the original McKinney post but also to respond to the "A reader objects" post. The "reader" in question was, in fact, Sacha. This is what blogging is supposed to be all about. A blogger writes something (yours truly, in this case) and a reader responds (negatively, in this case). Who has a problem with that? Not me, I assure you. Disagreeing and attempting to clearly state the grounds for the disagreement is much appreciated by this blogger, just as much appreciated as are the positive and supportive responses.

This blogger, under no circumstances whatsoever, believes that his positions and opinions are 100%, correct 100% of the time, unassailable and eligible for stone carving and public display alongside the Ten Commandments and the Pledge of Allegiance in various Red State courthouses around these United States. Nor does this blogger believe for one second that his ability to express his opinion is always crystal clear and done so with the very best and most accurate use of the King's English.

If Sacha is writing from the perspective of a black person, or, more specifically, from the perspective of a black female, then it is difficult for me to argue with her. How could I possibly understand the perspective from which she thinks and writes? I could not and I do not and I don't pretend to do so. About the best that I can do is try to explain my positions and listen respectively and try to understand her positions as best that I can, which is poorly. If we were to engage in a discussion about some factual issue, as opposed to the way that opinions about that issue were expressed, then we could go toe-to-toe with data, statistics, historical precedents etc., all in an attempt to sway the other with fact, as opposed to opinion.

We are not discussing a factual issue here. We are discussing the manner in which I stated, in jest, my opinion about Representative Cynthia McKinney. Sacha objected to the way in which I expressed my opinion. Then, in the following post, Sacha not only was more specific in identifying the terms that Sacha found personally offensive, but also offered some personal experiences as support for her opinion. Great! I am pleased to read them. I am more than pleased to ponder them. And there follows my response to Sacha.

1. I regret that the terminology that I used in the McKinney post offended you.
2. Would I write anything differently if I had it to do over again? I dunno. Maybe, maybe not.
3. Am I a racist? What is a racist? The term is thrown about with so much abandon these days that it has become meaningless. Every time someone opens their mouths about issues involving another race, another religion or another continent, they are accused by somebody, somewhere, of being a racist. The term has lost its meaning, completely. If one states facts and/or opinions critical of Islam, one is called a racist. What race are Muslims? If one states opinions critical of Israel, one is accused of being anti-Semitic, at best, and racist, at worst (even I have been guilty of this, I think, maybe once or twice). What race are Jews?
4. When a WASJ (White Anglo-Saxon Jacobite) supports someone of a different race, that someone is called an Uncle Tom by other members of that race. Is that not racist?
5. If I lived in Ohio, I would vote for Ken Blackwell. If I lived in Pennsylvania, I would vote for Lynn Swann. If I lived in Maryland, I would vote for Michael Steele. I support Bill Cosby and his efforts to help black people. I think he's right. If J. C. Watts ran for any office in the land, and I were eligible to vote in that area, he would get my vote -- for any office, including that of president. If Dr. Condoleezza Rice runs for any office in the land, and I am eligible to vote in that election, I will vote for her -- for any office, including that of president. I believe in the positions expressed by the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson and would support him for office if he should ever choose to run. Does this all make me a racist?
6. I think that Louis Farrakhan is one of the most dangerous people in America and will applaud the day he dies. I think that Barry Bonds should hide his head in shame and that he is an embarrassment to America. I think that the Democrats should find someone, anyone, to run against Cynthia McKinney and get that maniac out of Washington. I think that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are race-baiters and professional extortionists who have done and continue to do their race terrible disservices. I think that David Duke is an irrelevant, bad joke and is best just ignored, unless some reason can be found to throw him back into the can for a few years. Does this all make me a racist?
7. I didn't coin the phrase "chocolate city". That term was invented by Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans, a black person. When I use it, I am a racist? And when he uses it, he is not a racist? Nor did I coin the terms "ghetto blaster" nor "barrio-blaster". Those are common terms used on the streets every day by white folks and black folks alike. My use of them makes me a racist? When a black person uses those terms, he is not a racist?
8. When all of my race is accused of being racist because many people of another race refuse to take responsibility for their own futures, their own present, their own children, their own problems, instead choosing to blame it all on my race, and I object in a strenuous manner, that makes me a racist?
9. When I cite example after example of persons of that race who do not subscribe to those opinions and have taken those responsibilities, those people are Uncle Toms and my citations are further proof of my racism?

Sacha, I was serious when I said that I was tired of it. I see no reason to continue to diligently strive for political correctness to avoid injuring feelings when under a constant barrage of vicious attack and accusations of being personally responsible for problems created by other people and fostered by other people. I appreciate your visits and I appreciate your comments, critical or otherwise. I hope that you continue to visit and take a whack anytime you believe that I have crossed the line.

TAGS: racist