Do we give them the satisfaction of stealing it? [View all]

[MannyGoldstein]

A lot of discussion over the past couple of days on the wisdom or idiocy of serving food like fried chicken, watermelon, corn bread and collard greens to celebrate black heritage. Celebrating soul food? Or feeding a stereotype?

I took a slightly-risky swipe at the situation with a post last night celebrating Ashkenazi Jewish foods. Please know that was having fun with the situation, the back-and-forth between opposing points of view, rather than attacking either point of view. The fact is, I'm not sure where I stand on this.

While I'm not sure who's correct, I will say that my inclination is to not allow the bad guys to steal from us. A number of years ago, Republicans demonized the word "Liberal" so many Liberals started calling themselves "Progressives". I think that's a bad idea. We win by fighting, not by letting others claim whats ours.

In the case of my joking about Jewish foods, it struck me today that I was inadvertently being a little stupid (first time ever, right?), since my post could have been construed as "See black folks? I can have fun with foods that *my* people eat: why can't you?" But there's a reason that it's easier for me than for black folks: the Jewish experience in America has been unbelievably different than the Black experience. Jews have had some issues (e.g., the Italian Catholic kids used to beat on the Jewish kids when I grew up in Queens), but basically we've been as accepted into our nation about as smoothly as any other minority - perhaps even more smoothly than any other. Blacks, on the other hand, started off here with SLAVERY. @#$%ing SLAVERY. And for a century-and-a-half since that was over, they've suffered so many other depradations and degradations, terrible, terrible stuff. In their case, perhaps the pain is so great that it's best avoided rather than launching it back at the savages.

So, I apologize for my post. I should have been a bit more thoughtful.

That being said... can I ask that we generally try to NOT GIVE THE BAD GUYS AN INCH? When they claim our words, our ideas, or our other "intellectual property", we become small every time the words are used; we give them power over us. I suggest that we claim what is ours with pride, gusto, and the number "one" displayed on our digitus medius.

This is probably not always appropriate. But I suspect that it usually is. Your thoughts welcome.

Mostly, let's be friends with each other, and let's win. We need to pull together the largest group that we can, as soon as we can, to grab a rope and pull the 99% from the quicksand the 1%'s poured on us while we weren't paying attention.

Best regards,

First-Way Manny