"Selective Realism"
I was watching American history X the other day, and I found that there was a problem with the film. The same problem runs through most of John Singleton's early films as well as most of Spike Lee's films.
And that problem is: Selective Realism.
Most people, regardless of skin tone or ethnicity experience racism at one point or another. Being from Lancaster's East Side, I definitely know what that is like. I can't tell you the sheer numbers of times that I was jumped by a rainbow coalition of people, but I never developed a specific hatred for any group. I've beaten dozens of assailants of every stripe into the ground for attacking me, and it made me feel like less of a person each time it happened, instead of a powerful man.
My martial skill in my younger years was the primary reason that I'm still here to this day, but there's nothing fun or entertaining about slamming a kid your age's face into a brick wall to just thin out the ranks so you can continue to breathe.
Most of my friends didn't go to my school nor did they have the pleasure of being stomped on by Skinheads for giving a young Mexican girl who's your friend a ten-second headstart, so I doubt that they'll ever understand what my life was like before I met them... nor do I ever expect them to.
I've addressed this subject before, but people that join Gangs are weak. Only a pussy needs to hide behind his friends to do what he should be able to do on his own. The Old-School Gangs of the 60's and 70's had a code. Those of us that knew the old-timers know that. Their disputes were handled with words, and if the words failed, they slugged it out on the front lawns of a neutral neighborhood. After that, if it still wasn't solved, then violence happened.
Think of gangs as they exist now; a gaggle of violent, thoughtless people that aren't of any specific ethnicity that attack first and think last.
We have spent years in this country ignoring one simple fact: if you want to talk about poverty, White people top the charts. Sure, we haven't got the percentage, but we are the most massive in number.
The problem is that, unlike other gangs, White gangs tend to lean towards a racist ideology more obviously then others do. Sure, the other gangs are racist as hell, but that's not their sole agenda. They rule on the basis of turf and business, not skin color.
When I was in High School (Antelope Vally High School) in the early 90's, there was a sudden surge of Skinheads that was so massive that the local Fox affiliate came up and did a story on it. Lots of bad things had happened before that, but the Antelope Valley (Lancaster, Palmdale and Quartz Hill) was always treated like the bastard kids of the fringes of L.A. County, so we were a bit shocked that they thinked we were worthy of a story.
They showed us what we already knew; most of the Gangs were from L.A. Holy shit! Stop the presses! most of the people were from L.A... I was, so what does that have to do with anything?!
Bottom line to this whole segment?
Racism only serves one person: You.
You get to hide behind your shallow understanding of other human beings through stereotypes... and White people aren't alone in that. Look at Black, Asian or Latino comics performing, and you'll find hypocritical bullshit aimed specifically at White people, however well-intentioned, that's irrelevant.
Racism is racism, folks, it doesn't matter the history and skin-tone of those involved.
And that problem is: Selective Realism.
Most people, regardless of skin tone or ethnicity experience racism at one point or another. Being from Lancaster's East Side, I definitely know what that is like. I can't tell you the sheer numbers of times that I was jumped by a rainbow coalition of people, but I never developed a specific hatred for any group. I've beaten dozens of assailants of every stripe into the ground for attacking me, and it made me feel like less of a person each time it happened, instead of a powerful man.
My martial skill in my younger years was the primary reason that I'm still here to this day, but there's nothing fun or entertaining about slamming a kid your age's face into a brick wall to just thin out the ranks so you can continue to breathe.
Most of my friends didn't go to my school nor did they have the pleasure of being stomped on by Skinheads for giving a young Mexican girl who's your friend a ten-second headstart, so I doubt that they'll ever understand what my life was like before I met them... nor do I ever expect them to.
I've addressed this subject before, but people that join Gangs are weak. Only a pussy needs to hide behind his friends to do what he should be able to do on his own. The Old-School Gangs of the 60's and 70's had a code. Those of us that knew the old-timers know that. Their disputes were handled with words, and if the words failed, they slugged it out on the front lawns of a neutral neighborhood. After that, if it still wasn't solved, then violence happened.
Think of gangs as they exist now; a gaggle of violent, thoughtless people that aren't of any specific ethnicity that attack first and think last.
We have spent years in this country ignoring one simple fact: if you want to talk about poverty, White people top the charts. Sure, we haven't got the percentage, but we are the most massive in number.
The problem is that, unlike other gangs, White gangs tend to lean towards a racist ideology more obviously then others do. Sure, the other gangs are racist as hell, but that's not their sole agenda. They rule on the basis of turf and business, not skin color.
When I was in High School (Antelope Vally High School) in the early 90's, there was a sudden surge of Skinheads that was so massive that the local Fox affiliate came up and did a story on it. Lots of bad things had happened before that, but the Antelope Valley (Lancaster, Palmdale and Quartz Hill) was always treated like the bastard kids of the fringes of L.A. County, so we were a bit shocked that they thinked we were worthy of a story.
They showed us what we already knew; most of the Gangs were from L.A. Holy shit! Stop the presses! most of the people were from L.A... I was, so what does that have to do with anything?!
Bottom line to this whole segment?
Racism only serves one person: You.
You get to hide behind your shallow understanding of other human beings through stereotypes... and White people aren't alone in that. Look at Black, Asian or Latino comics performing, and you'll find hypocritical bullshit aimed specifically at White people, however well-intentioned, that's irrelevant.
Racism is racism, folks, it doesn't matter the history and skin-tone of those involved.
posted by Todd Tobin at 8:06 PM
3 Comments:
I work with kids each and everyday who are involved in Gangs. Funny thing is that they are just that kids... they get pulled into these things because they have lack of supervision and lack of support... at least that is the two leading things that bring them there...
They get what they want or think they need from these gangs...
When your family is involved in a gang and you grow up in that kind of environment I truly believe that it takes a strong person to get out of that... I also think that these kids are already struggling with normal problems of just trying to fit in somewhere and the gang invites them in...
and gives them what they think they want and need... (drugs, alcohol, women....)
We don't see many gangs around here that are made because of skin colour... I know it was that way in the past but now a days these gangs hate everyone equally...
This is a subject that is touchy for me... I really care about the kids I work with... I see so much potential for them, but that is all it is because they don't realize what they are capable of...
Sorry for the ramble... Talk to you later...
The only times I was ever in a physical altercation, it was with white, straight, homophobic, steroid freaks. I never held that against white heterosexuals or people who use steroids for that matter. Homophobes work my nerves.
My fighting style is more "Hulk smash" then ninja. I have a stocky 5'10 frame that holds a lean 200 lb. of muscle on a good day. There is nothing desirable about fighting, but if forced to defend myself, I can do so with enough ferocity to send gay-bashers running home to momma.
I just watched this movie again the other day. The rise of skinhead gangs in the LA area makes sense from a sociological standpoint, as a way for whites to protect themselves from gangs based on other races. But it's still wrong, obviously.
Although I have to say that even today, the gangs I've dealt with are generally not excessively nasty. I walked through a gangwar in Denver once, blacks shooting at Mexicans, and they let me pass.
My only problem has been with the same people that GW's had to deal with-although in my town, that manifests itself as the Volunteer Fire Department. They start shit because they think everyone's scared of their numbers, and I end it. They're a bunch of mildly racist, homophobic, loudmouth rednecks.
Post a Comment
<< Home