As related on Doc's Potpourri, Housing Authority Director Randall Wood and Deputy City Administrator Carlos Sanchez got a "time out" ordered by Council President Bridget Rivers because Sanchez allegedly pointed his finger at Wood.
It brought to mind the reaction of one of my charges at a special needs school where I worked in the 1970s. No matter what was going on, everything had to stop if a finger was pointed.
"Don't point at me, my momma ain't dead!" my student exclaimed.
I never learned the origin of this perceived offense and in recalling it last night, I found I am not alone in being mystified. Writing in The`Dallas Weekly, Vincent Hall says he knew the consequences of the act, but not the exact basis for it. He raised the cultural significance of the act in relation to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's finger-wagging in the face of President Barack Obama in 2012.
"Brewer is lucky she didn't get her 'skirt dusted' for such a despicable and tasteless display of political incivility," he remarks.
In a city that values diversity as much as we do here, the corollary is to learn the cultural do's and don'ts so that civility does not take an unnecessary hit during important discussions.
--Bernice
--Bernice
Alternatively, realizing that we live in a diverse community, we should all be slower to take offense at perceived slights without further, clear evidence.
ReplyDeleteOh come on - grow up. He didn't give him the middle finger. This is like how you can't say "you people" without a charge of racial overtones and "I have been disrespected..".
ReplyDeleteHow come when Black people are disrespected excuses are always made to justify the other person's behavior, or to say, "Grow up that was not so bad".This town is so racist, half the people that come to Council meetings have no respect for the council or people who do not look like them.I don't care how many black people kiss the white people in the room, or how many white people kiss the Black people in the room ,because at the end of the day we are really not feeling each other.If we really sat down with each other outside of the courtroom and shared our concerns we would better understand each other.For example Black people have always been oppressed,discriminated, racially profiled, and a host of other negative things.When a majority of African Americans have the opportunity to give Blacks businesses work they are always going to vote yes, unless it is a business with bad credentials.Other ethnic groups have been doing it for years. Why when Black folks do it it is terrible.That is just one example.If we would as a community sit down and have an honest conversation with each other we would better understand a lot of things, even clear up some misconceptions.We need a conference on Race Relations in Plainfield, just us plainfielders.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not agree with 12:48 totally, I think the idea of Race Relations conference is wonderful.
DeleteNot sure about why they think white people or Latino people get away with being rude, but it is important to understand that all people have in some form or another had hard times. It is how we deal with them, and if we use them for an excuse that is the differential.
I think an honest and open conversation about this is exactly what this town needs.
Limit the disrespect to shoe throwing-
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RFH7C3vkK4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gq7pw3Nypk
Love Hillary's line "I didn't know solid waste management was so controversial."
This link to a blog was sent to me, in view of the present discussion worth reading.
ReplyDeletehttp://phillisremastered.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/a-teachable-racial-moment-on-fingers-pointed-in-black-faces/