Ladies and gentlemen? Introducing the "Kitchen Table Blog"

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Via Racialious

“Citizen Melissa:”

Barack does not look into the camera and decry racism because we are not really Americans. We are not allowed to express our political needs or tell our political histories because when we do it makes other people feel uncomfortable. African Americans are still supposed to be grateful for being saved from the “savagery of Africa,” civilized by the cross, offered the crumbs of capitalism, and given the chance to die for the flag. Our sacrifices and our suffering are still elective courses, not required reading. Barack does not talk to Melissa the professor because if he did he would be labeled a special interest politician, even though worrying about Joe the Plumber is somehow universal. Barack does not mention that he is under special attack because of his race because silence about America’s racial legacy is the price of admission to the social contract.

“Six Packs and Such:”

To glorify Joe Six Pack as the only genuine American, as the real moral and political core of our country, is to invalidate the experiences of all the other folks in America, folks who are people of color, women, non-Christians, city dwellers, or educated. When only Joe Six Pack becomes the target audience for political commercials, tax cuts, legislation, and economic incentives, we ignore the fact that most of this nation does not fit this profile. And finally, we ignore the fact that despite the rhetoric, none of our current political candidates currently fit the Joe Six Pack mode, although some of them have come from humble beginnings. When Sarah Palin indicated that her retirement portfolio lost $20,000 in one week (which means there was much more in there to begin with), she lost her street credentials as a Joe Six Pack wife.