I was in the lounge the other day getting some reading done and one of the TVs happened to be turned to Fox News. They ran down a few stories and the last one caught my ear. The anchor said (translated as close as I can recall), "In the wake of the Obama presidency, do minority children now have an excuse to not fail?"
I don't expect a lot out of Fox News; The have a base and they pander to it. But I had to wonder why this stuck in my head. I believe the main reason is the blatant use of racism to try and hook a surfing viewer. As a white man, am I supposed to stop when I hear them ask that question and say "Yeah! Those [insert your favorite racial slur]s don't have any excuse now! Let's see what their excuses are now!"
It reminds me of our reading and how labels were used to make an entire people into savages. Only in this case, its painting them as lazy people who are all this time refused to succeed. But now there's a black president watch out because now all you lazy colored people have to start working harder.
Instead of celebratingthis historic milestone they've turned it into a way to divide us.
What are your thoughts?
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I think that was a terrible thing for that newscaster to say. It's one thing to try to catch people's attention, but it's another to label and make false statements about a certain "group" of people. We, as American's, should be treated equal. It is people like that newscaster who separate our race as humans, making equality hard.
ReplyDeleteI tihnk you're right. It's not right for them to label people like that. Saying that they're always lazy and not taking any effort to eccede in school, and now "they have no excuse"> I don't think they make up excuses to fail. I think they try as hard as we do to succeed but the only one's who people look at are the one's who don't want to try, but even whites have people who don't try. We even make up excuses to get out of things. Since all our previous presidents have been white, then we shouldn't have any excuse either. I think we should ask ourselves what's really the difference between us. My answer is there isn't really any difference besides our skin color and that's just an addaptation to our environment.
ReplyDeleteI find it strange that the newscaster asked if minority children now had an excuse not to fail. It's strange to me because it's not like minorities are the only people who fail. Within every group there are people who exceed and people who choose not to do much with their life; it's not a minority issue, it's a people issue.
ReplyDeleteI am actually very happy i did not hear that newscaster say that because i would have been royally pissed off. So as an african american i had an excuse to fail when i was a child? I would like to know exactly what this excuse was. Are the "failing" minority children he is talking about the ones who are in very hard possitions like living in a ghetto? I highly doubt getting out of that possition is an easy task but that fool must think otherwise. Oh yeah and now that there is a black president do white children now have an excuse for failer?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aaron completely. It seems like most people in America, especially whites, think that minorities whether it be blacks, mexicans etc. are the only ones that "fail." I think people need to start and realize that there are just as many white people that "fail" as there are blacks that fail. I think it has alot to do where you grow up at. I know if I were to be born in lets say the ghetto in LA, it would be very hard for me to make it out of there whether im black white red or brown.
ReplyDeleteI think that no one has a real excuse to fail, i think that in light of our new president we should look at this time as an oppportunity to unite our country and truly become a melting pot, not a divided nation. We are the only ones who set ourselves up to fail and race has nothing to do with it
ReplyDeleteJust like what Kristi said, there is no real excuse to fail. Having an excuse to fail is just a cop out to saying that you just were lazy and didn't want to try to be successful. Everyone can succeed not matter where they live, what they look like, what their background is, or how they live their lives. There is Always a way to succeed in life. Your background has nothing to do with it.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with what the news casters said, but what do you expect from our media today? I don't believe that minorities today have any reason to fail...Life is hardwork, for every race, ethnicity, living in American. There are no excuses for a white, black, hispanic, asian etc person not to suceed as much as anyone else. You have to want it, the race card does not work anymore, you have to want it. I believe in this economy-we are equalized and oppurtunity is out there for anyone who wants it..no matter who the President is.
ReplyDeletei'm surprised that a comment like that is mentioned on the news. i'm sure the newscaster has heard/felt some backlash from his comments but its part of their job to raise questions to the public. i just think its sad that people still hold these stereotypes against certain racial groups
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