Can I Also Go Back to Saying "I've Been Gypped"?
Cool. It's OK to be politically incorrect and rascist again. I can say things like "would you look at those bazooms", "The Cleveland Injuns needs a better relief pitcher" and "Don't be such a Hebe! Leave 20% on the tab."
Remember Earl Butz--secretary of agriculture for Nixon? He made an off-the-record joke, "the only thing the coloreds are looking for in life are tight pussy, loose shoes and a warm place to shit." That was in the less progressive, cocainey times known as the '70s. Still, Nixon sacked Butz and Butz faded into obscurity, and old white guys bitched about what this world was coming to when you could no longer make jokes about blacks and Jews.
Did that mean only blacks could tell jokes about Jews?
Poor old Jesse Jackson made a remark about NYC--off the record of course, calling it "Hymietown" back in the go-go morning-in-America 80s, and in the end, after some side stepping and blatant denials, he had to humble himself before a large congregation in a synagogue and say "Sorry, sorry about that."
Now.
Haven't we all just joined forces, linked arms, formed an unstoppable, progressive posse hell bent for leather on chasing down the elusive future of change, that better world Obama spoke of on election night in a speech that choked me up and made me all misty eyed?
So. Benjamin Emanuel, our new chief of staff's Daddy was quoted in the Jerusalem Post as saying of his son's new job, "“Obviously he’ll influence the president to be pro-Israel. Why wouldn’t he? What is he, an Arab? He’s not going to be mopping floors at the White House.”
After some prodding and kvetching by Arab-American groups, Rahm dashed out a boiler plate letter of apology. End of story.
Now, supposin' Rahm's Daddy had said, "Neggra"? or "Spick?" or "Fag" then maybe his boss would have felt that he should step up, live up to the hype, step in, or at the very least pander to special interests and remind us all that he's the point man in this posse of change. Dammit. The man promised us change! I want my brave new world! I've earned it.
Oh, and maybe the story would not have been an A-5 single column news event.
Remember Earl Butz--secretary of agriculture for Nixon? He made an off-the-record joke, "the only thing the coloreds are looking for in life are tight pussy, loose shoes and a warm place to shit." That was in the less progressive, cocainey times known as the '70s. Still, Nixon sacked Butz and Butz faded into obscurity, and old white guys bitched about what this world was coming to when you could no longer make jokes about blacks and Jews.
Did that mean only blacks could tell jokes about Jews?
Poor old Jesse Jackson made a remark about NYC--off the record of course, calling it "Hymietown" back in the go-go morning-in-America 80s, and in the end, after some side stepping and blatant denials, he had to humble himself before a large congregation in a synagogue and say "Sorry, sorry about that."
Now.
Haven't we all just joined forces, linked arms, formed an unstoppable, progressive posse hell bent for leather on chasing down the elusive future of change, that better world Obama spoke of on election night in a speech that choked me up and made me all misty eyed?
So. Benjamin Emanuel, our new chief of staff's Daddy was quoted in the Jerusalem Post as saying of his son's new job, "“Obviously he’ll influence the president to be pro-Israel. Why wouldn’t he? What is he, an Arab? He’s not going to be mopping floors at the White House.”
After some prodding and kvetching by Arab-American groups, Rahm dashed out a boiler plate letter of apology. End of story.
Now, supposin' Rahm's Daddy had said, "Neggra"? or "Spick?" or "Fag" then maybe his boss would have felt that he should step up, live up to the hype, step in, or at the very least pander to special interests and remind us all that he's the point man in this posse of change. Dammit. The man promised us change! I want my brave new world! I've earned it.
Oh, and maybe the story would not have been an A-5 single column news event.
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2 Comments:
Fine piece of journalism. I think we get to call it that, even if the original piece was in someone else's single column.
Okay. Op-ed-ism. At the very least, it gets op-ed-ism. Still, the sins and gaffes and prejudii of the father really oughtn't be visited, etc. etc. I gots to stand up for that. Maybe Rahm's the flawless example of change?
Booda--touche. You are absolutely right about the father's sins and gaffes. And Rahm Emanuel's left-of-center voting record gets my two thumbs up. But Rahm's idea of patriotic duty during Gulf War I was to do volunteer work on Israeli army bases.
Guilty. I am making implications and conjecture about the direction Obama's presidency will take based on day-to-day decision making, symbolic acts and odd, out-of-context scattered pieces of rhetoric. But then, he got my support in a similar fashion.
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