|
|
I recently received a copy the latest Bulletin of the Arkansas C. of C.C. I read with interest the article on the former school administrator. The comments about bias in the media are, in my opinion, right on track. I would like to add a few examples to yours.
A few years back, a sports announcer called "Jimmy the Greek" made some remarks about blacks in general and he was fired. Andy Rooney, a reporter for "60 Minutes," made some comments about blacks in general and was reprimanded. Recently, a sports announcer who is known for his jokes to and about sports figures, dared to make a comment about Tiger Woods, a black golfer, who is the darling of the media. The commentator was fired and also dropped as a spokesman for a major retail firm. In all of the above examples, the media and so-called community leaders/activists ranted and raved until the people who made the comments made their usual apologies, and the companies concerned made their usual apologies and appeasements.
I was recently (July 1997) watching ABC-TV's "Good Morning America" program and the weatherman, who is black, commented on a previous story. The story was about wild horses in Virginia being driven from Assataegue Island to nearby Chincoteague Island to be sold at auction. The white reporter asked the black weatherman if he was going to swim from island to island. The black man said "Yes, and then I will be sold at auction." Everyone laughed and thought he was so funny. If the white man had made the remark, he would have been fired or compelled to make a tearful apology or both. We all know that this last statement is true, and I am very tired of people being fired, humiliated, or publicly vilified because of some statement that they made.
The last time I checked, Freedom of Speech was still one of the rights we enjoy. I guess that right only applies as long as you don't step on any toes, real or imaginary, of a minority.
I will end this letter with the statement that we should all support groups like the C. of C.C., S.C.V., etc. which represent us.
Sincerely,
RICK STEED
EDITOR'S COMMENT: Unfortunately, it is true that employers can control their employees' speech while they are at work. For that reason, it is best not to say anything about controversial issues (politics, religion, etc.) while on the job. Since most Americans are employees and spend most of their time on the job and meet most of the people they know while they are working on the job, that means that for most people America is not the land of freedom that the ruling circles want us to believe it is.
Too many people, however, falsely conclude that they have no right to exercise their political rights even when they are not on the job. Also, too many employers want to run their employers' lives for them even when they are not on the job. Recently, a man publicly active on behalf of the C.C.C. in South Carolina was fired by the Kroger Corporation. However, all of his activity took place when he was not on the job. He threatened to take Kroger to court, but Kroger back down and re-instated him in his job.
Many people have gotten themselves into trouble by telling racially oriented jokes while on the job. Telling such jokes anywhere, on or off the job, is usually a mistake. We know of people who tell one racially oriented joke after another but who never do anything constructive for our cause, These jokes usually have an undercurrent of hostility which only makes the joke teller look bad. We are not interested in degrading other groups. We want to get our own people organized in defense of our interests. Furthermore, there is nothing funny about America's race problem. We should do something constructive about it by reaching other European Americans with the message that we need to organize. This must be done only when you are not on the job.
Fortunately, most of us do not have to work at two jobs, so we do have some time of our own in which we can exercise our rights as citizens. Your editor gets time for his political activity by almost never watching television. Everyone has something upon which he waste time that would give him time to be an active citizen if only he gave up that time-wasting activity.
We urge everyone to follow Mr. Clayton's advice (in this issue) and not volunteer for anything that community leaders promote. Most employers are race-traitors who only care about making money. Community leaders are only their pawns. Ignore them when they suggest time-wasting activities for you to do when you are not on the job.