Thursday, March 5, 2009

Too many to talk about, whiners abound

I have been reading a lot of posts recently, on Facebook groups, CBC discussions on articles, and have seen a common theme. "Minorities stop whining". "Pull yourself up by the bootstraps", if you have never had the opportunity to own boots, how is this possible.
I just finished reading through post about a article in where a local drugstore had a display case, under lock and key, for certain products for Black folk. Yes, under lock and key. Along side you could buy products such as you aussie shampoo, brylcreem, clips, barrettes, combs, and any of the other millions of products geared towards White folks. While reading through the comments people insisted the store had a right to lock up anything they feel neccessary. They had a right to protect their property. I totally agree to this, yes, they do have a right to protect their property. But are they protecting it properly? Since statistics in the US and Canada show the majority of shoplifting is done by White mid to upper income females, should they not be locking up the aussie shampoo? what about those barrettes? This is not protecting your proprty. This is buying into the stereotype that Black folk are theives, and not law abiding like the "norm" of society. Like I said, buying into and perpetuating the stereotype. The same stereotype we see on shows like Cops, Law and Order (remember Adam Beach, in his final show, even he was hauled away in the back of a police car.. I wonder if he was dropped on the outskirts of Saskatoon like so many before), even the current season of 24 has the Whitehouse being taken over by a poor country in Africa who the Americans are trying to save. The same stereotype that shows a black man on the front page of a local newspaper being put in the back of a car (caught) and a White guy's picture, small as possible, buried in the paper even though he is wanted for robbing a bank.
The other comment I noticed over and over is that minorities should "stop whining". I find it interesting that pointing out an injustice is considered whining. Is it whining that is going on in the South end of Halifax because they want to divert tucks onto the throughway for the train? No, it is called a community rallying together. Is it whining when a group of Black folk get together to protest the newest racial profiling case, aka "driving while Black", by the police? Why do these two questions get different answers. I find it quite ironic that when White folk are telling minorities to quit whining, they themselves are the ones doing the whining.

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