Speaking Up And Out…
Since most folks are hung-up on the health care thing it kinda puts politics at a stand still. And since it’s becoming bigger news about Barack Obama’s popularity numbers really starting to fall, and his job approval numbers likewise….well, what can be said at this point. I did take a Gallop Poll survey today since I had some time, it’s relatively easy to join these pollster places and let your voice be heard. I grew up and was taught by my dad that you have to speak up to be heard. Don’t be bashful about how you feel on a subject…and I haven’t, case in point:
A very long time ago my hours at work had to be changed in order to accommodate a schedule that I needed. The new schedule had me starting work at 12:00 pm, and since I’m am early riser I had extra time on my hands before heading out the door. Part of my morning routine was working out , and my particular cool down period was on a stationary bike, courtesy my mom since she never used it. The bike stayed in my living room sort of in line of sight to my TV.
I always turned on the TV as I rode off to nowhere, and this was long before cable came along so of course your choices were quite limited where your viewing pleasure was concerned. One of the shows that aired at one particular time-slot time were reruns of the sitcom “Good Times.” You may remember it with that bozo J.J. Jimmy Walker, the wannba comedian whose catch-word was “dynooomite!” Anyway….it was a show about a struggling family in the ghetto or projects in Chicago and the different trials and tribulations they went through but always with a comical touch. It was never humorous to me…that’s just me though. Well, for 4 days in a row the youngest member of the family, supposedly the one that would eventually get out of the ghetto because he was so smart, would everyday,(in the story line), come in the door and start ranting and raving about how all “white people” are rich and how they flaunt what they have. He made it quite clear that “ALL” ” white people” are “rich.” It was stereotyping at it’s finest!
Now mind you…the word “all” was referenced in each segment that he was in, and he was acting out his despair at this fact, and of course the other family members would, on cue, chime in with words of agreement, and words of despair as well, supposedly in a comical way. It wasn’t funny at all and it was obvious that the writers were trying to make some sort of point, or statement, in a very racist way. No….it was incredibly racist, and way too obvious. The script may as well have had lines saying that all black people are dirt poor, that they all live in high-rise tenements with government assistance, or in the projects, still with government assistance. Nothing…. absolutely nothing could be further from the truth! And to make each segment within this shows context, saying outright, that all white people are rich, which by default would make all black people poor is a direct and stinging slap across the face to both whites and blacks. Remember, this show aired long before the politically correct police came up with the term “African American”. Imagine the scripted dialog had that term been invented back then.
Watching this infuriated me to the point where I had to complain, if not to the TV station, then to someone somewhere. I found the stations main number and on the off chance that they might have a complaint department, I asked. They did when I asked the receptionist. She put me through and the line was answered by a very polite and perky woman, who asked what my complaint might be. I explained to her everything I felt and pretty much what I’ve written above only in vocal terms. I explained to her that if I’m viewing this show in this light, then so must many others, and I’ll bet there’s more than a few black folks out there feeling just the same. I didn’t yell or get rude with the girl, I was quite polite but fairly firm in how I felt about how this show was representing both whites and blacks. She listened very intently and acted as though she understood how I felt, and even seemed to agree with me on a couple of points.
I was done, the phone conversation over, she thanked me for taking the time to call and then the proverbial “have a nice day.” Now please don’t get the impression that I think that the show was taken off the air and replaced with something else based solely on my complaint…because I don’t. I might lean more to the thinking that perhaps I wasn’t the only one to have called the station and complained about the same thing. That’s my thinking….but the point being is that I spoke up, I voiced my opinion about something that I felt was wrong. And lo and behold, my eyes were not deceiving me, but the very next day that show was gone, replaced by something else that certainly couldn’t be tagged as being racist…don’t ask me because I don’t remember what it was, I just remember that it was much more non-controversial. Prior to that instance I’d been outspoken and since that instance I’ve been outspoken, and I’m sure I’ll never change…I wouldn’t want to. Because it’s by our voice and our actions that we can get things done, being passive in this day and age just doesn’t cut it, you’ll lose and then wonder why you feel that way you do. You’ll look back kicking yourself saying “if only I’d just said something back then, it might have made a difference!”
Don’t you just hate when that happens?
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