The inadequacy of a "good heart"

[sheshe2]

In attempting to defend herself against charges of racism, Paula Deen claimed that she has a "good heart." Juror B37 said the same thing about George Zimmerman.

When people make these claims I suspect they have pretty good evidence that the ones they are referring to have shown caring and concern to the people in their lives and that they do not exhibit hate for anyone. The underlying assumption is that racism involves hate.

The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of beauty is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, but indifference between life and death.

- Elie Wiesel
As a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, Wiesel knows a thing or two about the topic.

The issue today is that most racism doesn't depend on hate - but indifference. We are indifferent to the lives and perspectives of people who are not like us. That's what allows jurors to see things from George Zimmerman's perspective but not from Trayvon's. Its what allows Paula Deen to fantasize about a slave-themed wedding reception. There is no empathy for the black person's plight.

A "good heart" that displays concern for people like us and indifference for anyone not like us is the definition of racism today. If you have any curiosity at all about how that indifference has been passed on to us all from the time we were young, listen as Jonathan Odell talks about Ms. Helen - someone with a "good heart."

Jonathan Odell's video at the link~


http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-inadequacy-of-good-heart.html

[factsarenotfair]

1. That is an incredible Elie Wiesel quote.

Thank you.

[HiPointDem]

11. except that the opposite of beauty *is* ugliness, etc.

[madaboutharry]

2. Very special post, thanks.

[sheshe2]

6. You are welcome, madaboutharry.

And thank you.

[BanzaiBonnie]

3. It's why people can say...

but I don't HATE... *insert target group* and believe there is no racism. This is part of the how and why of institutional racism.

[Cha]

4. Eli Wiesel has it exactly right, she.. Thank you~

The issue today is that most racism doesn't depend on hate - but indifference. We are indifferent to the lives and perspectives of people who are not like us. That's what allows jurors to see things from George Zimmerman's perspective but not from Trayvon's. Its what allows Paula Deen to fantasize about a slave-themed wedding reception. There is no empathy for the black person's plight.

The vid of Jonathan O'Dell had me bawling The innocence of a six year old Jonathan on how to treat people and then along comes adults who set him on a path of indifference..

But, Thank Goodness for people like JO'D who had an awakening and are able to get passed their ingrained racism.

Smartypants is so brilliant to put all this together for us. And, this quote in the comment section she gave us from MLK~

"In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends."

It takes more than people having a "good" heart.. it takes a wise heart.

she

[sheshe2]

5. "It takes more than people having a "good" heart.. it takes a wise heart."

Perfect way to put it Cha~

I can't imagine what it was like for Jonathan to grow up in Ole Miss in the fifties. It was his strength of character, that allowed him to change the beliefs that had been ingrained in him. As you put it, he had a wise heart.

I did like the MLK quote from the comments page. Fitting I would say.

[ReRe]

7. Indifference is what I heard in the words of Juror B37

K&R

We've heard it time and again. When someone uses the term "those people" or "their kind", or "you people." What was it Barbara Bush said about the Katrina refugees in Houston?

I guess racism or indifference crosses over into the hate category if one feels justified in injuring or killing someone he is indifferent to. I truly believe that that is what GZ did. He did commit a hate crime.

[sheshe2]

8. Here ya go...

"What I'm hearing which is sort of scary is that they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this (chuckle) – this is working very well for them." –Former First Lady Barbara Bush, on the hurricane evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston, Sept. 5, 2005 (Source)

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/currentevents/a/katrinaquotes.htm

[great white snark]

9. Outstanding as always sheshe2.

You are truly a DU treasure. Thank you for this poignant post.

[sheshe2]

10. great white snark~

You are very welcome.


To Trayvon~
Picture from The Obama Diary



Thank you that was a very sweet thing to say~

[great white snark]

12. Nice picture.

I see so much potential in that picture. I'm sure Zimmerman and his ilk see a thug in the making.

[hfojvt]

13. I find the phrase "people like us" to be offensive

it accepts the racist point of view that the only thing that matters is skin color.

Like the only thing I am is white. Or maybe that is just the most important thing about me - according to this point of view. A point of view that says the content of my character does not matter, only the color of my skin. Or perhaps my gender too. That I am somehow exactly like every other white male in this country because we all fit into the pigeonhole of white male.

Even Obama's statement "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon" is ridiculous and superficial. Like all black males look alike. Like my mom could say "If I had a son, he would look like Matt Damon"

Sorry mom, I look more like Steve Nash. I don't think either of us are gonna be mistaken for Matt Damon any time soon. True, we are even less likely to be mistaken for Hallie Berry. But Hallie Berry has lots of fans who do not look like her. I would have far more concern for her than I would for somebody supposedly "like us" white males like Mitt Romney or George W. Bush or Paul Ryan.

And many good hearted people are the same way.