Toni Morrison: "At some level, you know, it hurts. It really hurts."

[bigtree]

____ When Barack Obama was elected, Toni Morrison says, it was the first time she felt truly American. "I felt very powerfully patriotic when I went to the inauguration of Barack Obama. I felt like a kid. The marines and the flag, which I never look at – all of a sudden it looked… nice. Worthy. It only lasted a couple of hours. But I was amazed, that music that I really don't like – God Bless America is a dumb song; I mean it's not beautiful. But I really felt that, for that little moment."

Now every other week from the stump Newt Gingrich refers to Obama as the "food-stamp president"; Mitt Romney accuses him of wanting to turn America into a "welfare state". Morrison does not take this language to be racially neutral. "Oh, that's very deliberate. Welfare, food stamps; gangs. They have a whole vocabulary of code. Some overt, come covert." She finds it "hateful", but beyond that embarrassing – "Really embarrassing for my country."

Look, she says: "I used to think there was a Republican attitude and language that, although I vehemently disagreed with it because I thought it was fraudulent, it wasn't dumb. It made some sort of sense. If you really and truly think that the United States is free, and capital is free – none of that's true, but if you really believe it – you can develop an argument that's not embarrassing. But they don't do that any more. They use coded words. Did you see that the other day – Rick Santorum said 'the man in the Whitehouse is a government nig – uh?"

Yes, he says he misspoke. Morrison bursts out laughing. "He said he didn't say that! They used to say 'government nigger' when black people got jobs in the post office, stuff like that. And that's what he was saying. And earlier he said, 'I don't want to take your money and give it to bla – people.' He catches himself right at the vowel. Man. I guess it was worse in South Africa before Mandela, but I can't do it any more." She sighs. "At some level, you know, it hurts. It really hurts."


read: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/apr/13/toni-morrison-home-son-love?newsfeed=true


Morrison in 1985. Photograph: Corbis

[cali]

1. And Ms. Morrison couldn't be more right

vile fuckwads are using dog whistles.

[Bake]

8. Dog whistles? They don't even try to hide it anymore.

They just come right out with it. I hope America is paying attention: they're showing their true colors.

Bake

[Solomon]

15. Thats the point. They hope America is listening too.

[Bake]

19. I truly hope and believe America is better than that.

Better than that racist sh*t the demagogues spew.

Maybe not. We'll see.

Bake

[Gregorian]

2. I am Toni Morrison.

I may be a white man, but I see and feel just the same as she.

I am most thankful that she speaks. There is sanity. There is truth. Maybe there will be beauty.

[doh1]

6. You didn't feel American until there was a black man as President?

[ZombieHorde]

9. I have never felt American, and I have lived here all my life.

The feeling was worse when I was a kid, because I lived in a deeply Catholic community, in a Catholic family, but I did not believe in God. I felt misplaced.

Of course, that is a completely different experience than what black people have been going through in this country.

[doh1]

10. what kept you from feeling American?

do you not want to be American?

Maybe you need to live around people who think and feel the same as you?

Maybe the U.S. is not the place for you? Do you think you would fit in elsewhere?

[ZombieHorde]

12. I don't know. Maybe because I did not choose to be American.

I feel a connection to many humans. I feel like a DUer. I feel a small connection to my university. I feel a powerful connection to my wife and kids.

I just feel no connection to flags or borders. Burning the American flag and saluting the American flag are the same to me.

[SATIRical]

14. So you have no problem with outsourcing jobs, right? (nt)

[ZombieHorde]

16. Not in the slightest, unless the working standards are below by exceptions.

When jobs I consider decent are exchanged for jobs I consider to be indecent (sweatshops, child labor, etc.), then I am unhappy about that.

Non-Americans need jobs too.

[SATIRical]

22. That's decent

At least you are consistent. I've seen several on here who are not.

Granted, it helps that I share your position on the issue!

[uponit7771]

3. Conservatives and some liberals will act like the GOP Southern Strategy means very little or

...doesn't have a tangible effect on people.

The US media sure acts like this and it's beyond disgusting

[loudsue]

4. Ms. Morrison, it hurts a lot of us white people, also.

It's beyond embarrassing. It's revolting to many of us that these people (rightwingers) think bigotry, stupidity, sexism, greed, selfishness, and hatefulness are somehow cool or strong or acceptable. Those things are NOT cool, and it wrenches my guts every time I watch or hear the leadership of the "conservatives" spew that shit. It insults me, personally, to hear people refer to Obama as a n.... And I hear it where I live in the south more than I care to admit. You're damn right it hurts. It hurts decent people everywhere.

[marshall gaines]

18. angel

you're decent and an angel. well said.

[EFerrari]

5. Of course it hurts. Of our two parties, one has become a hate group.

That's what they do, hurt.

[Initech]

7. I agree - things with them have become way out of control.

If they would stop using Koch / Heritage Foundation bullshit as their campaign platform we might be a bit mor civil in these debates. But the GOP has really shown their true lunacy lately and I think we're witnessing the end. Good. Fuck 'em.

[yurbud]

11. they can't stop. What else have they got to draw people into the tent?

Make your masters richer in case you win the lottery some day and join them?

[Aerows]

13. Nobody is fooled

white people included, with the attack on public workers. We all know why there is such spite for them actually getting a *shock* pension after they work their asses off for decades.

I'm white, and it hasn't fooled me for a minute, just like the Republicans attacking women's reproductive rights and health care hasn't fooled me for a minute.

[marshall gaines]

17. i missed that

Santorum actually said what a lot of people think, an honest politician. I'm not impressed with his honesty based in ancient racial hate. A true patriotic american.

[Kencorburn]

20. Leave it to Toni.

It’s true. As a black man, I did not feel American until we had a black president. Even though I can trace my family back to 1790, we not considered “American”. Before the civil rights movement, a white immigrant could come to this country and be instantly American, that person didn’t have to march for his rights. Although it may sound offensive for some, I think we should take that statement as a reason to be proud. That we as a nation have overcome our past sins and evolved to the point that we are closer to meeting those high the Declaration of Independence.

[Burma Jones]

21. I work with Marines...and I would love to see some dumbass call one a Government N****r

Fuck these fuck fucks, just fuck 'em........

Of course, growing up a WASP guy in the 60's from a family one generation removed from po' white trash, I was taught the difference between respectable black folk and just plain n****rs......and other racist shuckin' and jivin' from my family. Fortunately, I got "above my raising"