Monday, June 2, 2008

No Comparison


This morning Good Morning America raised the issue of why members of Trinity United Church applauded Father Michael Plfeger’s mocking of Hillary Clinton. They positioned the story to mark the contrast between how Blacks vs. Whites interpret Plfeger’s display.

Hmmmmm…. could it be that they agree with him? Is it possible that as hurtful as his portrayal may be to some, even to Hillary herself (and her supporters), he could be right on point with the underlining cause of her (and their) bitterness? And, with all of this discussion about mocking, why wasn’t there an uproar when Hillary mocked Barack with her “celestial choirs” speech in Providence, R.I., a few months ago?

Sure, I know where GMA was trying to go with this little discussion, but at least the brothers and sisters of Trinity were enjoying a harmless parody, whereas back in the day, White folks gathered friends and family to witness and celebrate the lynching of thousands of Black men, women and children. So, if we're going to take the time to deconstruct the differences of the cultural "read," let's do the hard work and provide a historical context.

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