"That's retarded, Sir." Good for her. Shame on West, Esq.
Great article in New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/06/trayvon-martin-rachel-jeantel-on-trial.html
I watched Jane Velez Mitchell's show tonight and the asshole who is George Zimmerman's buddy referred to Ms. Jeantel as "Precious." He denies that it was a referral to the brilliant film, Precious, which would mean it was a very significant slam by a white "cracker" against a young black female who he suggested looks similar to the character in the movie Precious. White bigots like Frank Taaffe don't use the word "precious" routinely in their vocabulary. Despite his denial that it was related to the movie, this was a blatant reference to the film and an insult to Rachel, the witness.
The photo at below shows the brilliant actress playing the character 'Precious' in the eponymous film.
This trial shows how much the "cracker" white world still operates, although now a little less overtly, in many of the same ways it did in early years of last century with regards to racism (I'm white and I've always called white straight males like West, Esq a "cracker." Can't think of a better term for him, quite frankly). It's not politically correct to talk honestly about "racial" issues and to refer to our past heritage as a country. We should all be ashamed of that past. But our collective shame as a nation shouldn't take the form of denial.
The fact that we have a black US President seems to have poured gasoline on the fire of racism. In the big picture, it will probably move the world forward. But in our immediate world it seems to have not eliminated racism, but it seems to pushed every fucking button of people who were raised with racism. Paula Deen is an example. That is the way the world was. I am fifty. My father used the "n" word, and everyone around me did as well when I was a child in the sixties and seventies in Lubbock, Texas (I'm ashamed to say). He was such a racist that he wouldn't let me attend public elementary, at the time of integration, because my teacher was black. Instead, I was sent to a Catholic school, even though I was methodist. But that was the culture. I have spent my entire lifetime ridding myself of all of the programming. It was wrong then, it's wrong now. But it DID exist.
For me the definition of a "cracker" is a straight male who is white, bigoted, and "probly" misogynistic and obviously proudly ignorant and not-embarrassed at the ignorance.
Watch HLN. I'm TEAM JEANTEL in every respect. The Zimmerman defense lawyer Don West humiliated himself this. I felt nothing but anger and shame for him. He looked bufoonish at times especially with his "knock/knock" joke in opening statements and then to his openly racist and bigoted treatment of Rachel Jeantel. He carries all the shame for that encounter. Shame on you Don West, Esq. May this curse you for eternity.
Interesting week for illustrating just how much racism still exists in our country and white "crackers" are starting to dig in their feet against true change: the Paula Deen controversy and the Zimmerman trial. Not to mention what SCOTUS gutting of voter's rights protection (this was perhaps the MOST shameful moment?).
For every step forward (SCOTUS DOMA decision) you take twenty steps backward in one week.
