We have a problem around talking about race in this country, says Maya Wiley of the Center for Social Inclusion. There are those on the right who would shut down any discussion of racial issues, instead claiming that mentioning race at all makes the mentioner the racist. Whether the subject is a jobs bill or a Tea Party rally sign, a mention of race is all it takes to cut off all possibility of productive conversation.
Maya Wiley joins Laura in studio to discuss the NAACP's call for the Tea Party to renounce racism from within its ranks, the desperate need for a jobs bill, and more.
The neurotics can’t stand the painful truth that they are just not as good as they would like to believe. Racism has its roots in economic pursuits. To bring up racism would force a lot of people to admit that capitalism caused the genocide of of millions of native Americans, the enslavement of millions of Africans, dehumanizes people in the middle East, and continues to cause poverty all over the world for the sake of a priveledged few. Yeh, it’s too painful to think about! Don’t bring it up again! Every thing is OK now; people just have to work harder for less. The stock market is what counts.
By Gordon Dills on July 16th, 2010 at 11:20 pm