From: Tony Berkman (tberkman@rcn.com)
Date: Mon Nov 27 2000 - 14:36:28 PST
Well, I couldn't let this one pass without defending the city in which I
grew up in and returned to after a brief respite for some formal education.
One of the things I like best about NYC is it's the LEAST racist place I
have ever experienced, and I have travelled far and wide and shared many an
experience. I certainly understand the difference between subtle and
blatant forms of bigotry, and frankly find the subtle variety to be the
more repulsive because of the hypocrisy and deceit inherent. And I readily
admit that I have seen plenty of each variety in this city I love.
But one of the things about NYC is the attention that gets cast on all the
caricatures and celebrities. The tabloid press is quick to shine a
flashlight on every incident and situation. Entire neighborhoods are
stereotyped and everyone from the police force to the investment banks are
subjected to immense scrutiny where race is concerned. And yes the racism
exists, but how could it not with such an immense population.
But having lived here my whole life, I must say that by and large I have
never been to a place where such plurality of cultures flourishes and
intermingling is the overwhelming norm. My sister teaches public
high-school and of the myriad of incredibly problems she witnesses every
day, racism is not one of them. New York is a true melting pot and most
New Yorkers relish that and miss it dearly when they move. My mother
recently moved to Boulder and she can't get over how "white-bread" it is.
Yes, NYC is provincial to an extent as is any other major metropolis, but I
know of no other place where there is such cross-race and cross-culture
interaction, understanding, intermingling and admiration. I would gladly
put NY up against any other city in this respect.
If you found NYC to be one of the most racist cities you've ever been in, I
QUESTION how much you really got to know NY.
- Tony
At 01:07 PM 11/27/00 -0800, Tom Whore wrote:
>On Mon, 27 Nov 2000, Jeff Bone wrote:
>
>--]sunny CA. It's one of the reasons I left; I hated the hypocrisy of
>dealing with
>--]folks that were soooo careful about being PC, and yet soooo race
>conscious and
>--]judgemental.
>--]
>
>
>Spot on JB. Thats dead on accurate in a sea of blah blah.
>
>NYC, for all its supposed "liberal" basis, is perhaps ne of the most
>racist citys I have ever been in. From Al Sharpton to the Bani' Brith to
>the falafel push cart guy to the old folks onthe park benches to the gehto
>nigs to the bridge and tunnle red necks to the PRs bashing the Dominicans
>bashing the mexicales bashing who ever...
>
>(insert spike lees exlcetnt montage frm do the right thing here)
>
>Of course these very same folks think of the south as the racist capital
>of the world. bzzzzt. You dont need a pillow case on your head to think
>like a clansman.
>
>The dems THINK htey are the mother teresas of racism. Fuck all about that.
>Its a pillow case of a differnt sort, but whoomp, there it is.
>
>Its alive and its being USED by most all politcos. Its like the POOR and
>the NEEDY, if you can be seen to be thier saviour...well thini about it in
>raw numbers. If its true that non whites will be the majority then who
>do you go to for numbers=votes=power.
>
>Follow the power trail.
>
>"Amos , I thinks deres some ting fishy goings on here"
>"Hush Andy, this here chese is mighty tasty"
>
>
>
>
> /"\ [---=== WSMF ----http://wsmf.doesntexist.com===---]
> \ /
> X ASCII Ribbon Campaign
> / \ Against HTML Mail
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Nov 27 2000 - 14:02:05 PST