Largely I don’t see what Obama can do to reduce racism. Racism is a disease of the heart and mind. It’s nurtured so early in childhood in the family home, in school, in the neighborhood, in the social settings that parents drag their kids to, even church. It’s reinforced throughout the years. Peer pressures can compound it further in the teenage years. Etc, etc. However, there are things that would help . . . . .
Federal legislators should work tirelessly to pass laws that standardize anti-discrimination behavior throughout all the states. They should not be satisfied with the federal laws that are already on the books but ones (for example) related to voting rights, and gerrymandering, etc., etc. Not only can the states not be trusted to do the right thing, they have no right to choose discriminatory practices in the first place. This whole notion of States’ Rights as a holy untouchable concept is such crap. Back when the Constitution was penned one can understand the need they saw for a Senate structured as they wrote it but things have changed (for example) populations are extremely mobile now unlike back then and the Senate no longer is the guardian of the minority it is now ruled by the minority through the filibuster. If the main function of the Senate has, in reality, morphed into preserving a State’s “culture” then we’re now operating like the Sunnis and Shiites. Additionally, through gerrymandering the House in no way represents the will of the people; again it is ruled by the minority. Abolishing the stacked decks through legislation could not cure racism but it would help make racism harder to practice.
Then there is commerce. Certainly corporations don’t want black and brown co-mingling with their daughters but they don’t mind at all having black and brown dollars co-mingling with their investments. People who are discriminated against must realize the tremendous value and power of their collective wealth. Overwhelmingly corporations have no loyalty to white when it comes to profit. Negative impact on the bottom line sends intolerable pressure through the system. The 1955 Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott seriously impacted not only the bus company financially but the shop keepers of Montgomery as well. This year we saw business interests such as the California Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers pressure the GOP to switch-up and pass immigration reform because businesses want the cheap labor. Currently this is a huge resource that goes untapped in any meaningful way.
Another is the already “browning of America”. This cannot be stopped and cannot be reversed. We are not a nation of just one race, or two races or three races. As far as I know we are the most racially, culturally, religiously, etc. diverse country on the planet. What are the chances that we’re going to give up our highly developed palate for multi-national cuisine? No way, even places like Texas and Wyoming have Thai restaurants. Also extremely important is the birth of inter-racial babies, this cannot be over emphasized. The more bi-racial citizens inhabiting the neighborhoods of America the more racism will suffocate. Praise Jesus. This is a long term process but so goes the definition of evolution.
Power to the People
Port Tack 
The Trump Success
31 JulSo tiresome, the incessant media question . . . “with all of the ignorant, course, foul comments made by Trump how can he continue to do so well?” This is not a question; this is a well worn media strategy to keep a marketable story kinetic. In media land it’s like Trump, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. This maneuver masquerading as a question insures an endless parade of talking heads babbling on about how unprecedented and confounding it all is. This media position; this disingenuous search for the answer is as Madison Ave. as Trump himself. The repetition from program to program broadcasts to us that there is no explanation to be had, we are hopelessly adrift in the Trump fog but we, the media, will keep up our end by continuing to book experts. The covert aspect of “the question” is that it has boarders. Permissible on air conversation is confined to Trump’s charisma, media savvy, his sculpted persona of strength and decisiveness, his blue collar language and attitudes, his fearless use of deceit. For the supporters piece the boundaries include disenfranchisement, disillusionment, stagnant wages, perverted patriotism, and plain old rage.
What is never discussed is racism, sexism, homophobia, and Christian bias. It doesn’t matter what Trump says it only matters what he projects. He constantly spawns new ways to say the same thing over and over, to reassure straight white people that they will not become a dreaded minority class; that they will always remain the ruling power in America. More than anything his supporters desperately need to hear that their whiteness will always be preeminent in the American caste system. There are millions upon millions of scared white people who can feel it, the shift. It’s been coming since the sixties and seventies. They thought they had it tamped down but beneath the boot mitosis was under way. People of color have been procreating as Jesus counselled. Also some serious mixing has been unleashed; unabashedly bi-racial babies are on the rise, why they’ve had to add a new box on the census form. The cultures of people of color have soaked permanently into main stream Americana: music, cloths, food, language, attitude, philosophies, the staples, the launch pad for life. For God sakes the TV ad folks have even bet their all mighty money on commercials featuring diversity. The white comfort of the 1950s, even for poor whites, is slipping further and further into the before time. Despite the white man’s premier military position it hasn’t knocked out anyone since World War II, even the shockingly under armed Vietcong kicked our ass. This evolution creates great confusion and fear for white folks. With the advent of the internet the white people’s control of US history is increasing being exposed to the light of day, authority over the narrative is being lost. The internet coupled with “devices” is neutering the once powerful tool of isolation. The masses can now communicate and educate at will, hell, give them a second and they’ll send you the video.
This is the very simple ugly unspoken answer to why Trump continues to do so well. May the Force Be with Us.
Power to the People
Tags: Demography, Diversity, Elections, Media, politics, progressive commentary, Race, Racism, republicans