IP: Littleton and the Race Issue

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Unfortunately he has a point. djf


> Date: 30 Apr 99 07:41:05 PDT
> From: Bill Ardis <billardis () netscape net>
> To: farber () cis upenn edu
>
> Dave, 
> The Littleton killings provide a real insight into race and racism in the
> United States. Listen to the tone of the national breast-beating and mea
> culpas by most of the talking-head pundits and citizens: it is empathetic,
> sorrowful, and the pronoun most often used is "we". "We" are somehow to blame,
> these are "our" children, what have "we" done to create the culture of
> violence (video games! movies! and The Internet, my God!!) which damages "our"
> children. Rosie O'Donnell was very explicit on one of her appearances; in
> shock and horror, she said, "...but -- these are OUR children!" 
>
> By contrast, when the gunslingers are black or minorities, the tone is VERY
> different: it carries more than a hint of blame, of accusation and controlled
> fury. These are no longer OUR children. If they are teenagers or younger,
> there is little consideration of that fact; throw them to the wolves, try them
> as adults, the hell with them!, is the tone. The sorrow and empathy are
> missing; only the anger remains.
>
> Of course, the WE who are speaking, pontificating, posturing....are 98% white.
> Where race and violence are concerned, United States culture is still very
> much an us-versus-them affair. Where is the empathy for elementary school kids
> in the inner cities who've seen more than a few dead bodies in their streets
> -- before they reach 11 years of age?? Are these not "our" children too?
>
> Bill Ardis
> bill.ardis () pobox com
>
>
>
> Bill Ardis
> bill.ardis () pobox com
>
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