Ignorance Comes In All Colors

P.C. walked into the room. "Well, Steve, who are you mad at today? When I see you keystroking like that, it can only mean one thing."

Meet my good friend P.C. Uptight. He means well, I think, and we have some pretty interesting discussions sometimes. Almost everything I post is against his better judgment. He's at least a good bellwether of where I might stand if I still gave a fuck about who I piss off.

"Well, P.C., until yesterday I was a fan of this Chicago hip-hop band called The Individuals. They seemed to be pretty cool. They played the Seattle Hempfest last year. They advocated freeing the Prince of Pot, Marc Emery. So we agree on that.

"Then I'm guessing they checked on MySpace to see all the friends of the Hempfest, and sent them all friend invites. I got one a few weeks ago, and accepted it," I told him.

"I found their songs at least mildly engaging. They write lots of stuff about smoking pot, and how tough they are, and how you'd better not try to stop them from smoking pot because they're so tough. Let A Thug Smoke, that kind of thing."

"Oh yeah? They sound culturally interesting," P.C. said. "Of course, you have to take into account their urban backgrounds when it comes to the 'tough' thing. You know, the male role models they had growing up probably didn't teach them any other male way of being in the world."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. If they wanna front tough, then let 'em front tough. That's occasionally amusing, even if it gets old pretty quick. I don't have a big problem with it."

P.C.'s brow furrowed. "Well, then, what's the problem? I know you don't take issue with their weed obsession."

"You know me well," I said to my friend. "It's something a lot more harmful than weed."

"You mean they've started doing the hard stuff? Once again, it's probably their neighborhood to blame..."

"No. I'm not talking about smoking crack. I'm talking about being obnoxious, prejudiced assholes."

"Whatever do you mean?" P.C. looked earnestly into my eyes. "You know, their life experiences have probably led them..."

"P.C., I think we agree that in our still somewhat democratic society, people get to support whomever they wish for political office." "Yes, of course!" P.C. quickly agreed. "That's a fundamental right, upon which almost everything else depends."

"Well, yesterday afternoon, I started getting bulletin after bulletin from these Individuals," I said. "At first, I determined that I'd ignore them. I told myself, 'Well, they're understandably excited about the success of Obama's candidacy -- an excitement which you know I share -- and if they've perhaps gone a little overboard, then you have to cut the young fellows some slack. Maybe they're not yet overly familiar with how the political process works."

"Admirable restraint on your part," P.C. praised. "But something tells me there's more."

"Yeah, they kept on sending them past my tolerance point," I said. "Here's about the tenth MySpace bulletin I got from The Individuals yesterday. They all had almost identical information." P.C. flinched when he saw the subject line.

_______

Get these coons out of office!
From: THE INDIVIDUALS
Date: Feb 6, 2008 3:51 PM

These people do NOT represent Black People at all! PERIOD!

Among those endorsing Clinton are Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas; Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio; Kendrick Meek, Corrine Brown and Alcee Hastings of Florida; Yvette Clarke, Charles Rangel, Gregory Meeks and Edolphus Towns of New York; Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri; Dianne Watson and Laura Richardson of California; David Scott and John Lewis of Georgia and Donna Christian-Christensen (V.I.).

Add Bob Johnson!

More toms and sellouts to come!

_______

P.C. looked slightly shaken. "OK, I'll grant that the language is rather offensive, but aren't they allowed to call each other..."

"Oh, that's not my real problem with it," I replied. "Here's my reply to their bulletin."

_______

From: Steve ~~alapoet~~
Date: Feb 6, 2008 5:53 PM

Just like anybody else, black or white, these folks have the right to endorse anybody they want.

So they have an opinion different than yours? So what!

It is a FREE COUNTRY.

They get to think and say whatever the fuck they want.

_______

"I see your usual diplomacy is showing." P.C. had that perpetual look of mild disapproval which I seem to elicit on a regular basis. "You do have a valid point, but..."

"Here's their reply to THAT," I told him.

_______

RE: Get these coons out of office!
From: THE INDIVIDUALS
Date: Feb 6, 2008 3:54 PM

Mind your business!

_______

"Uh oh," P.C. said. Like I said, he knows me pretty well.

_______

From: Steve ~~alapoet~~
Date: Feb 6, 2008 5:56 PM

When you fill my bulletins up with stupid-ass bullshit, it BECOMES my business.

_______

"Oh, dear." P.C. was looking a little, well, pale.

"And here's what THEY said," I told him.

_______

RE: Get these coons out of office!
From: THE INDIVIDUALS
Date: Feb 6, 2008 3:58 PM

Fuck you bitch!

_______

"Well, maybe they shouldn't have said that," P.C. told me, "but, you know, you can't really do anything about that, can you?"

"Actually, I can," I said. "You know, having done time, I really, really don't like being called a 'bitch' or a 'punk.' Someone does that, they are calling you out. They are saying, "Show me what you got.'"

"I KNOW you aren't talking about violence here," P.C. said, pasty-white in the face.

"Of COURSE not, you idiot. I'm going to BLOG those obnoxious motherfuckers."

"Oh, Steve, there is enough hatefulness and bile out there already."

"Oh yeah, I agree," I told P.C. "That's why I'm calling them on it. This shit has got to stop. And nobody can make me say it's OK to tell people they have to base their vote on the color of their skin."