Quarterbacks, Dogs & Racism
The Michael Vick story isn’t a political one, but it relates to racial politics in that a tactic used by those who want to defend him is often used when discussing political and social issues within the black community and it is a tactic that prevents our community from being honest with each other and finding solutions to our problems; especially those problems most affecting black males.
I was reluctant to blog about the whole affair because it’s just sick. Dog fighting is a felony and is deserving of a fine and restriction from owning any animal, mammal or fish. I wouldn’t even give that person a plant. I realize these are dogs and not humans, so I wouldn’t put that person in prison. But if you want to put a dog down, you euthanize them. The way it was alleged to have been done in this case, is sick. Electrocution, hanging and bashing their heads into the ground is indicative of a psychopath and someone who needs to be locked up.
I decided to blog about it because I happened to be listening to the Jim Rome show online yesterday. It’s a sports show, so of course the host brought the topic up. Not seconds later, a brother called up and accused Rome of being racist. He said Rome was only bringing this up because Vick was black. If Rome really cared about the cruelty of dog fighting, he would have brought it up before. Yes, I was just thinking myself that I don’t hear nearly enough about dog fighting as I want to. Actually, Rome had brought the topic up a few years ago when it involved another athlete, but this caller wasn’t interested in any facts.
The caller knows he was wrong, but it’s such a familiar and successful tactic of deflection used in cultural politics and racial issues. Anytime someone is criticizing an act or behavior of someone who happens to be black, especially a black man, you threaten the “racist” label. This makes them either shut-up or veer off of the real topic; a topic that needs to be discussed if we are ever to find a solution. So, even though a couple of brothers phoned in to call that guy out for what he was doing, his tactic worked. For the next 2 hours, Rome spent most of the show explaining why he isn’t a racist instead discussing the real issue.
The caller said he’s listened to Rome for 3 years now. So have I. So I know that he knows Rome isn’t even remotely racist and doesn’t tolerate it from his audience. Rome never fails to mention when a white athlete gets in trouble or acts the fool over something. People who make racist comments are banned from the show and he refuses to read racist e-mails even though he admits he gets many. He rails endlessly against people in the world of sports who make racist statements no matter what color they are. Because the caller knew this, he knew that all he had to do was put the suspicion of racism on a well-intentioned person and “the black man” in this case, Vick, suddenly becomes the victim. Shame on him for doing it and shame on Rome for falling for it. www.politopics.com
