More racism...

By now, many of you will have heard of Michael Richards' racist tirade against a couple of Black hecklers at his performance. Not so long ago, Mel Gibson went on a drunken, sexist and anti-Semitic rant when he was arretsted for drunk driving. I'm sure that everyone is beating this issue to death and psychoanalyzing Richards by remote. I hate to follow the crowd. But I really have something to say, so I'll say it.

If you're reading this blog, you've read my post on the Syro-Phonecian woman. (http://weiwentg.blogspot.com/2006/06/he-left-that-place-and-set-out-for.html) She asked Jesus for healing. He responded with what was likely the equivalent of "chink". She persisted, he healed her ... and subsequently, he never denied any of the Gentiles when they asked to be healed. Nor did he insult them.

You've also read me excoriating Singapore, my native country, for its own refusal to acknowledge racism.

Leonard Pitts Jr, writing for the Baltimore Sun (link below), lambasts America for the same reason. Apparently, TMZ.com, the website that first aired the footage, had a survey showing that 40% of respondents didn't think Richards was racist. Pitts contends, and I agree, that you don't launch a 2-1/2 minute tirade with multiple references to "niggers" and a reference to a lynching without being racist. It is good that Richards apologized publicly, and is trying to do so privately to the hecklers. It is not enough.

Many well-meaning White Americans persist in denying that their country is racist. I have to say, this is very unfortunate. People of color in America should not forget that racism is not only a Black/White issue, and they should not forget that they are racist among themselves.

America's problems with race relations have not been solved. They will not be solved before we can admit to ourselves that we are sinful, and one of those sins is racism. And one of the biggest barriers to recognizing racism is the guilt. We're so guilty that in 21st century America, there is racism. We're guilty about the past treatment of Africans and Native Americans. We're so guilty that we repress it and deny it, and that is just as bad as the original sin.

But, if we admit it, we can start to talk about it, and then we can start to do something about it.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.pitts26nov26,0,4427975.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines