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What you're describing is not what happened. I would like to think it would be overlooked. But I'd also like to think his parents would explain why it would not be a good idea to dress up in blackface.
I created this thread for the purpose of that type of example. I'm not talking about Ralph Northam. I was simply using what I explained for peoples thoughts.
You are way misunderstanding what I meant. At no point did I say anything about the KKK or even Northam.
I'm saying for example. Let's say 10 years ago a teenage boy dressed blackface for a halloween party pretending to be an athlete he loves. He has no idea about blackface. Fast forward 30 years he's running for office & people want to say he's a racist because of it.
Then why doesn’t he just say “yes, I was young and stupid” and use this as a way to talk about race issues?
We are all stupid about some things, and generally we were all more stupid when we were younger. No need for him to grovel in public, just admit it and talk about what he’s learned about life since then. People would understand and even respect him for it.
Politics is judo. Northam is definitely old enough to know that.
I had no idea what it was until I took an elective in college, and we were told that back in the day, long before color tv, actors used to dress up in black face because Hollywood wouldn't allow real black actors, nor real NDNs to play the parts. It was always white actors and they would color their faces, and hands, (or wear gloves), to pretend to be a black person or an NDN, (and by "pretend to be" what I mean to say is "act a ridiculous and insulting stereotype"). The rules have changed: It is now not legal for any studio to depict an NDN unless the actor is actually an NDN, for example.
Honestly, I don't think a lot of people were aware of what "black face" is until either a class or something happened in the media. The fact is, we still have actors and models doing it to this day. There was a magazine shoot for model Gigi Hadid where they darkened her skin and put an afro wig on her - Gigi isn't that old, so it was in the very recent past.
The celebrity and modeling world can't even get it right, how would anyone expect Joe American on the streets to know about this? It's definitely being learned now, however.
For the record: I don't think Northam should be attacked for this. It was back in the early 80s, a very different time, very different mindset. He probably didn't even think it was wrong - people are judging by what we know now, not how it was back then. There's plenty to tear Northam apart on, something he did in his college years way back decades ago, isn't it.
Yah. I’m sure he had no idea the KKK is bad either. I’m sure he didn’t know they terrorized and strung up black people in trees. ...at least, not until he took a class.
Then why doesn’t he just say “yes, I was young and stupid” and use this as a way to talk about race issues?
We are all stupid about some things, and generally we were all more stupid when we were younger. No need for him to grovel in public, just admit it and talk about what he’s learned about life since then. People would understand and even respect him for it.
Politics is judo. Northam is definitely old enough to know that.
Again, I'm not posting this thread to defend Ralph. It's a question about people who have no idea about blackface & how they should be looked at. And even if he admitted it was him next to the KKK guy. That's pretty bad in itself. I also will state that he was around 25 & should know what he did. But I'm sure there are people a lot younger over the years that have done blackface having no idea about what it can be racially.
Whites historically dressed in blackface for racist and bigoted purposes. There's historical meaning behind it that most blacks are aware of... And Michael Jackson had vitiligo... Even if he didn't, there's no historical meaning, significance, or insult to whites behind blacks lightening their skin other than them thinking black skin was unattractive...
Many mainstream churches held minstrel shows with performers in blackface. Not once did anyone associate that performance with hate, fear and bigotry.
Never in a million years did anyone think it was degrading to blacks.
So now activists teach people to be offended by every imaginable way they can.
Dare any white person attempt to pretend to be a black performer, they now must 'die'.
Yet dem sen byrd, a member of the KKK became an esteemed member of the democrats.
What we have here is politicized weaponry, filled with lethal shot, giving a death sentence for being alive in cultural transition. Ignore the greater segment of the person's conduct and destroy them for one incident deemed racist by applying today's template against yesterday's behavior. No mercy! forgive felons who committed murder, demand for them voting rights. Destroy anyone who appears in a high school or college year book that by today's standards is unacceptable. Ignore their decades of behavior with no racist evidence.
The internet and instant communication is responsible for the instant daily regulations activists send out to alert to new offenses. Many people alive today have never been without instant communication. Many can't even recognize a hardwired telephone.
Do not forget it wasn't until the late 1990s that instant communication began to spread.
This guv fumbled the accusations but has anyone found any racist or bigoted behavior in his life since college?????
Today, cable, sports, news, weather is all about predictions. As if everyone wants to be the Delphic oracle or a miss cleo with a 900 number. So any single word or act is now used to make an assumption that something deeper and hate filled lurks in the heart of the accused. Likewise if a person were to use a medical term, like oophorectomy, by today's standards, would be thought to be a doctor. Makes no sense, destructive and divisive. Even hate and fear mongering democrats need to be defended in these cases.
Eric holder said we are a nation of cowards for not holding a discourse in race relations. Holder should have mentioned he was baiting people to be charged as racists for being honest and speaking their mind. the more the discussion is suppressed the deeper the divide. The activists, media and idiot legislators conspire intentionally and stupidly to create enemies where there are none.
The past matter in both the private and public sector depending on what the job is... If a CEO of a well know "private" company was found to have had a pass that offended the company's employees and customers, the CEO would most likely be asked to step down as well..
I still could not care less, and I doubt if anyone on this thread really does either. Outrage du jour.
I will have to look in my old yearbooks to see how many non-PC things are in there. I know there are photos of kids smoking joints but that should not be a problem anymore. I guess the cigs would be a bigger issue these days. I believe we have boys dressed as girls for some drama skits, I guess that might be seen as bad now. We had senior superlatives, one of which was most feminine girl and most masculine boy. That could be bad.
If anyone is in blackface I would be surprised.
That's actually a really good point. I have my high school yearbooks from the 1970s. NO ONE dressed up in blackface or KKK attire. NO ONE.
Personally, I am not too keen on forcing a politician to resign for something stupid and controversial they did 30+ years ago. It's not like he committed a heinous crime or something.
Plus, he apologized for it and that ought to be good enough.
Its illegal for public officials to make false statements. And he is sworn into office so he is lying under oath.
He apologized for it before he denied doing it. So one of the two statements is a lie. So yes he broke the law, and its a felony.
You look at Martha Stewart, Bill Clinton and several in the Mueller probe. Its the lies that got them in trouble. If Trump goes down very likely it will be lies that do him in.
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