Nov. 15, 2008
Post-Racial USA? Not So Fast
Obama's Election Spurs Widespread Vitriol; Children Chant "Assassinate Obama"
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This photo provided to the Associated Press by Gary and Alina Grewal of Hardwick Township, N.J., shows a charred cross that had been burned on the lawn of their home. The Grewals placed a banner in their yard congratulating President-elect Barack Obama on his election victory. They found the banner wrapped around the charred cross Nov. 6, 2008. (AP PHOTO)
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The election of Sen. Barack Obama has spurred a series of racist acts and hate crimes around the country, police and academic experts say. (CBS)
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World Reaction
For many, Barack Obama's election seals America's reputation as a land of opportunity.
Incidents around the country referring to President-elect Barack Obama are dampening the postelection glow of racial progress and harmony, highlighting the stubborn racism that remains in America.
From California to Maine, police have documented a range of alleged crimes, from vandalism and vague threats to at least one physical attack. Insults and taunts have been delivered by adults, college students and second-graders.
There have been "hundreds" of incidents since the election, many more than usual, said Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate crimes.
One was in Snellville, Ga., where Denene Millner said a boy on the school bus told her 9-year-old daughter the day after the election: "I hope Obama gets assassinated." That night, someone trashed her sister-in-law's front lawn, mangled the Obama lawn signs, and left two pizza boxes filled with human feces outside the front door, Millner said.
She described her emotions as a combination of anger and fear.
"I can't say that every white person in Snellville is evil and anti-Obama and willing to desecrate my property because one or two idiots did it," said Millner, who is black. "But it definitely makes you look a little different at the people who you live with, and makes you wonder what they're capable of and what they're really thinking."
Potok, who is white, said he believes there is "a large subset of white people in this country who feel that they are losing everything they know, that the country their forefathers built has somehow been stolen from them."
Grant Griffin, a 46-year-old white Georgia native, expressed similar sentiments: "I believe our nation is ruined and has been for several decades and the election of Obama is merely the culmination of the change.
"If you had real change it would involve all the members of (Obama's) church being deported," he said.
Change, in whatever form, does not come easy, and a black president is "the most profound change in the field of race this country has experienced since the Civil War," said William Ferris, senior associate director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina. "It's shaking the foundations on which the country has existed for centuries."
"Someone once said racism is like cancer," Ferris said. "It's never totally wiped out; it's in remission."
If so, America's remission lasted until the morning of Nov. 5.
The day after the vote hailed as a sign of a nation changed, black high school student Barbara Tyler of Marietta, Ga., said she heard hateful Obama comments from white students, and that teachers cut off discussion about Obama's victory.
Tyler spoke at a press conference by the Georgia chapter of the NAACP calling for a town hall meeting to address complaints from across the state about hostility and resentment. Another student, from a Covington middle school, said he was suspended for wearing an Obama shirt to school Nov. 5 after the principal told students not to wear political paraphernalia.
The student's mother, Eshe Riviears, said the principal told her: "Whether you like it or not, we're in the South, and there are a lot of people who are not happy with this decision."
Other incidents include:
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Someone once said racism is like cancer. It's never totally wiped out; it's in remission.
William Ferris, Center for the Study of the American SouthEmotions are often raw after a hard-fought political campaign, but now those on the losing side have an easy target for their anger.
"The principle is very simple," said BJ Gallagher, a sociologist and co-author of the diversity book "A Peacock in the Land of Penguins." "If I can't hurt the person I'm angry at, then I'll vent my anger on a substitute, i.e., someone of the same race."
"We saw the same thing happen after the 9-11 attacks, as a wave of anti-Muslim violence swept the country. We saw it happen after the Rodney King verdict, when Los Angeles blacks erupted in rage at the injustice perpetrated by 'the white man."'
"It's as stupid and ineffectual as kicking your dog when you've had a bad day at the office," Gallagher said. "But it happens a lot."
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See all 534 CommentsIsn''t this exactly how liberals have behaved towards conservatives, Christians, and Bush supporters for the past 8 years??
Go to youtube and search for Howard Stearn''s on-the-street interview with blacks, where the interviewer ascribed McCain positions with Obama, and they didn''t know the difference.
They were simply voting for Obama because he''s black.
Isn''t that racist?
"and that teachers cut off discussion about Obama''s victory. "
That''s just sad and pathetic of us as Americans. Whomever that teacher is, isnt much of a teacher. In fact, I think I am embarrassed for that teacher and the student needs to be apologized to. I suppose if McCain won, they would have just completely verbally annihilated that little girl. Perhaps we are a country of ignorance, intolerance, and just outright whiny.
Why not bring back the military draft so that all of this supposed anger can be channeled into a real sense of service to our country.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!
Posted by blazercoach1 at 06:01 PM
Sorry, I haven''t seen any burning Shrubs in the yards of republicans, I haven''t heard any second- and third-grade students on a school bus chanting "assassinate McCain," No death threats, racial slurs, or beatings have happened to any republicans in my neighborhood....Maybe you could give some actual examples of how liberals have been perpetrating hate crimes over the last 8 years.....
And the world was once thought to always be flat....
Religious hatred is alive and well all over the world ... even right here in the US where religions are attacked as ignorant, crazy scary etc etc ... by progressives who promote diversity and tolerance towards their own beliefs ..
Folks should get a clue and realize that none of this stuff will ever go away .. You cant wish it away, you can''t vote it away and you certainly cant make it go away ... we are who we are .. black, white, brown, yellow ...
Most folks have some degree of racism or intolerance somewhere inside .. whether you want to admit it or not just think about it
YOU ARE A RACIST AND YOU ARE TRYING TO RATIONALIZE IT. IT IS CALLED "BLAME THE VICTIM."
Posted by dowjones20k at 06:26 PM
So how do you think your rational will play out in heaven? (if you believe)
EVERYONE HAS BIASES IN THEM. THAT''S AN OBJECTIVE VIEW.
Posted by comeon11 at 06:31 PM
Also remember, (MR ALL CAPS), that Obama polled better with white males having college degrees than he did with uneducated white males...
Posted by comeon11 at 06:34 PM
No. But then again, I don''t have anything worth stealing....
Posted by comeon11 at 06:37 PM
And yet, if everyone was given an equal opportunity at an advanced education.....Well MR ALL CAPS, I''m glad I don''t hold your opinion of human nature.....
Hey CBS, why keep publishing the ignorant rantings from the less educated people in this country.
I know the feelings are such, that most Americans are happy with the election results.
And it runs through all races.
Quit fueling the flames of hate.
McCain and Palin behaved like juvenile delinquents playing with matches and negligently starting a wildfire, and then disavowing any responsibility for the resulting property damage.
The Republican Party and the Right in General have a very large problem on their hands. THEY have allowed the lowest among us to gain control of their party AND they played to them and their fears during this election. They will NEVER gain NATIONAL Stature again as long as they are linked to those people and since the Traditional Republican''s have abandoned them, they now must either become the Party for the Kooks and wacko''s or throw them under the bus and HOPE they can again attract what was once their base. American''s went to the polls and elected this black man in the face of him being accused of being a socialist and being a friend to a Terrorist! That more than anything else, should tell them where the feelings of the vast majority in this nation are. It''s your call Republican''s, what few of you there are left!
For humanity to ever rise beyond its most primal fears, hatreds and prejudices, we will have to create a color blind society through education, patience and tolerance... not yellow, sensationalist journalism like this.
Posted by comeon11 at 06:34 PM
No. But then again, I don''''t have anything worth stealing....
Posted by earache4 at 06:37 PM : Nov 15, 2008
If you are Black and see a group of white ''teenagers'' headed your way, or if you are White and see a group of Black ''teenagers'' headed your way, you should quietly go a different direction. Groups like that are just like a pack of dogs ''Pitbulls in particular'' when they think they have the advantage over you...
The people have spoken; there was no newsworthy divide based on race that decided the election.
CBSnews should take on a healthy perspective - that people are individuals and race is irrelevant.
Let racism die the death it deserves.
I know the feelings are such, that most Americans are happy with the election results.
And it runs through all races.
Quit fueling the flames of hate.
Posted by slim1h2o at 06:47 PM : Nov 15, 2008
So we''re going to blame the messenger? This isn''t a secret and reporting it ONLY makes REAL American''s, especially those of us who got on Buses during the 60''s to help overturn Jim Crowe Laws, that these people have been there all along. No reporting the TRUTH, especially when it''s a wide spread as this, is NEVER a bad thing!
For humanity to ever rise beyond its most primal fears, hatreds and prejudices, we will have to create a color blind society through education, patience and tolerance... not yellow, sensationalist journalism like this.
Posted by sincity_q at 06:50 PM : Nov 15, 2008
There''s people who have a honest difference with the POSITION of someone and those who have a LONG and very DIRTY history of just hating people because of the color of their skin! This is a PROBLEM that the RIGHT has allowed to exist within their ranks for power and now they and they alone must find away to deal with it. The Democrats kicked this scum out a LONG time ago and a very greedy and selfish Politician came along and gave them a home. It''s NO secret and it''s a great thing that it is NOW coming to the surface. I''ll tell you from a view held by the vast majority of this nation, these people and those who give them a place to hide, do NOT deserve a spot on the National Political Map. Don''t think so? GO to any part of this nation outside the Fascist South and LISTEN to people.
Posted by Irmcvet97 at 06:52 PM : Nov 15, 2008
I''ll give you that McVet, but you know what I was getting at.
Lets get behind the guy, Obama, for the sake of the country.
Hopefully he''s legit, we need legit right now.
Right?
Posted by earache4 at 06:55 PM : Nov 15, 2008
Yep! I know that for a fact. I have a VERY good friend who lives in Kentucky. He has told me about how "Christian''s" used to come to his school, sometimes with the Klan, to teach them "Equal but Different". He told me the story of a Lynching on a Saturday Night and the pastor of his church told them that Sunday that it was the fault of the black kid.. Seems he didn''t "know his place" and strayed into a County after dark where "his kind" was not allowed.
Lets get behind the guy, Obama, for the sake of the country.
Hopefully he''''s legit, we need legit right now.
Right?
Posted by slim1h2o at 06:57 PM : Nov 15, 2008
Oh I have LIVED in Illinois for a long time and been represented by Obama for a long time. He''s a legit as it gets. The problem is we also know the hate of these people and the length they will go. My friend in Kentucky has been keeping me up to speed on the Klan Trial that''s been going on there THIS LAST WEEK... so to just hide your head and pretend if we ignore them they will go away is not going to work.
Most people like to hang out with their kind, that''s no secret.
But groups of people shouldn''t be affraid of other groups of people either. I blame the Feds for all this garbage.
This is what the war on drugs have brought.
Amongst other problems, nay,,,many problems.
Posted by Irmcvet97 at 07:03 PM : Nov 15, 2008
Hey Bud,,I don''t hide from nothing, longs I have level field to work with.
I know that race relations needs work in this country, but our leadres have done nothing to fix it.
Except to reverse discriminate against whites.
Bot what a fix. But most whites have seen past all that.
It''s time to move on, if we can.
It''s considered bad manners to have your "caps" on, please take them off.
Posted by Irmcvet97 at 07:03 PM : Nov 15, 2008
Unfortunately all too true. This is why I strongly support additional penalties and punishment for crimes that are "hate based". It MUST be driven home to the bigots and race baiters that their values are NOT compatible with the spirit of America. (In case anyone is wondering, I do not particularly care what the race is of the perpertrator or his/her victim).
I am more of a "carrot" man than a "stick" man and do not believe we can legislate attitudes or ideology. I also believe that however inborn racist thought processes are, enlightened education and positive role modeling will blunt the effects. But that said, we CAN make the consequences of acting from a corrupted set of values, ideology or inappropriate anger very painful. With this nasty element, we need a lot less carrot and a great deal more stick.
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And just where did they learn to hate like that?
It''s bad enough that some are so ignorant as to hate entire races of people but it is indeed a crime to impregnate the minds of children with such stupidity.
Obama one by 2% more the Bush did in 2004 (51%) and you claim Unity get off it. "We" as a nation wanted something different but not a radical charge to the left.
You made the comment about the Southern Fascists. If you will notice, almost all of the items mentioned in the article are in the north. How does that translate to ''southern''?
I agree with most things you say, but your decided hatred for anything southern is galling.
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