Halloween may be over, but truly frightening incidents of racism never end in America.
While day-to-day racist incidents in the news are always pretty hair-raising, the following incidents, as reported in the media, are extra special scary, and give new meaning to the phrase "truth is stranger than fiction. "
People should be particularly frightened given that the perpetrators were school teachers, U.S. military base occupants, their neighbors, and political representatives.
Enter at your own risk…
Cynthia Ramsey, a white math teacher at Camden County High School in North Carolina, reportedly told a white student that if she had only 10 days to live, she would "kill all black people," according to a news story originally reported on WAVY-TV. The statement was reportedly overheard by other students as well.
But I'm not sure what is more scary: that a teacher with such violent inclinations is in a public school, or that the school district allowed her to come back to teach after only a few-days suspension -- pending an investigation by the District Attorney.
In the meantime, parents of black students at the school should probably think about investing in those bulletproof backpacks they are selling now - just in case this teacher gets bad news from her doctor.
Read the story and see the TV news report here.
Ok. So an "unidentified" occupant of a home in a military base in Fort Campbell in the South put up a Halloween display depicting a black family - including a child - lynched and hanging from a tree.
The owner (after being forced to take it down by the military) denies it was racist - and had a very reputable defender in the right-wing Modern American Revolution group to back this denial up.
Again, I'm not sure what was scarier: that the owner saw nothing wrong with the Halloween display, or that the person was allowed to just apologize and move on without disciplinary action.
To the black neighbors of this person, I will use the words of Antoine Dodson of YouTube fame: "Hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband," because your neighbor sees nothing wrong with lynching people.
See the sick Halloween display and read the story here.
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| Pol Danilov |
Police officials said Danilov has a history of hatred toward African-Americans and told police he stabbed the woman because she was "an easy target" because she was elderly and black.
The woman survived the injuries, and Danilov was charged with attempted murder.
But there is nothing scarier than having to fear that your grandmother or mother can be randomly attacked simply because of her race and physical limitations.
Read more about the attack here.
The quote above was from a story published in The New York Daily News earlier this month. It came from a video posted on Livestream from an incident that occurred after a protest of the Michael Brown shooting was staged at a St. Louis Cardinals game in St. Louis, Mo.
As expected in America, the peaceful protest quickly escalated into a racist situation.
The quoted, unnamed woman may have been somewhat inebriated, but like they say, "liquor don't lie." What is truly scary is that this woman - who lives in one of the most heavily African-American-populated areas of the United States - actually holds such an entitled, privileged, and racist viewpoint.
It is also ironic that while many white Americans disassociate themselves from American slavery - saying they had nothing to do with it - this woman clearly shows that such a a disassociation is not always the case in reality. For as she stated, she (and others like her that had nothing do with slavery) gave black people the freedoms that they have. How is that possible if you had nothing to do with it and weren't there?
Anyway, say thank you, Black people.
Read the story and watch the original video here.
Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham got caught earlier this month saying in a private meeting that "white men in male-only clubs are going do great in my presidency."
As always happens when racist people in power get caught saying racist things, Sen. Graham stated he was just "joking." Well, most comedians tell their awesome one-liners in public to an audience - not in a private meeting where they don't think anybody will ever hear it. What would be the point?
What is actually not so scary about his statements is that most African-Americans know that most politicians are not looking out for the best interests of ALL Americans. But they usually get called paranoid, or are accused of "playing the race card" when they point this out.
Disclaimer: The Sen. Graham logic does not apply to President Barack Obama, America's first African-American President, who better not be perceived as looking out solely for the interests of African-Americans - or else.
Read the story of Sen. Graham getting busted by CNN here.
I hope you enjoyed this truly scary edition of "Dispatches from a "Post-Racial" America." Knowing how pervasive racism is in America, I'll be seeing you again real soon.
