Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Hateful Things

Here, on this page, a photographer has gone to a museum for us. It's the Jim Crow Museum, a collection of racist artifacts.

http://www.pbase.com/spepple/hatred

It's pretty depressing, I warn you.

Beyond the photopgraphs of the exhibits themselves, the most depressing thing, for me, as usual, is the comments on his page. The very first one, for instance:

HighSierra 12-Jan-2008 02:21: "It is unfortunate that you have chosen not to balance your exhibit with some information about 'why' things got this way - about how freed southern slaves were rampaging the south, raping, murdering. Fortunately, for the educated white persons viewing your exhibit, we will continue to educate our children and grand children of the guilt you are attempting to assign to us. Perhaps an exhibit showing how your race is taking responsibility for your fatherless children is in order?"

Others deny that racism exists in America anymore (despite old Sierra's comment, which, as I note, LEADS OFF the comments section -- or, you know, if it exists, that it matters much.

Oh, you know, racism, what difference can it possibly make in our country?

That denial, it's a pretty thing.

3 comments:

zelda1 said...

Oh yeah, it's all their fault, I mean they came here on their own accord, volunteered to be slaves, and once here asked to be treated so unfairly. Again, let's blame the victims. How fucking sad. I think it has been proven over and over that the supposed rape was really the white man's fantasy or fear. All politics. It's never really about the woman but about power and keeping it and not sharing it. Rape for the white man is really a metaphor for land and politics, never was it about the woman. Who are these people. I want to title my thesis, The Black Man's Dick, according to the White Man. But I am not so sure it would be too cool with my committee.

Anonymous said...

I think that TOTALLY depends on your committee. :)

zelda1 said...

You're right, I'm thinking there are plenty who would not object, and, of course, I only pick way liberal people to be on my stuff. By the way, wasn't last night fun?