White racism is never having to say you're sorry. --David Shove Roseville
On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > The lack of empathy on this list for the family who attended Market > Bar-B-Que, and the urge to rationalize and otherwise excuse the behavior of the > people > who "served" them, is appalling. These people are not lodging their complaint > anonymously; they signed their name to their post. They obviously would not be > contemplating legal action if other patrons hadn't unilaterally come forward > to defend them, going so far and to provide their names for future testimony. > It wasn't a single waitress who disrespected them; the next person up on the > hierarchical chain likewise treated these paying customers in a manner > calculated to ensure they wouldn't return. Does anyone doubt this happened? On what > basis? > People on this list must think that the "Whites Only" signs and other > manifestations of Jim Crow are ancient history. They aren't. They are a fundamental > part of that grandmother's personal experience. To suggest that this woman suck > it up and extend herself further by getting in touch with the owners is naive > at best--racial ignorance is a harsher, but no less accurate description. > How have African-Americans in this country historically gotten satisfaction > for their grief and insult; by trying to reason with executives further up the > corporate ladder, or by threatening or filing a lawsuit and/or organizing a > boycott? That's what racist establishments, whether the racism is widespread, > happenstance, or otherwise, understand and react to. If the manager had caught > the waitress pocketing the $65 bill, she would be fired on the spot, and I > don't imagine there would be many on the list arguing that she just needed the > money this one day and should be excused for her behavior. > If the people on this list don't realize that black citizens routinely try to > ignore or rationalize away the subtle and not-so-subtle ways they are treated > with fear, suspicion and dislike by the white community, especially right > here in passive-aggressive Minneapolis, then it's time to get a clue. When your > mother is crying, your kids are scared, and a waitress, a restaurant manager > and a police officer all don't want to own up to the fact that you were > mistreated, despite the consensual opinion of objective observers, further patience > is > probably not a virtue. > Finally, those who profess to want to know the "whole story" before drawing > any conclusions should hope for a lawsuit. Otherwise your stance is just a > convenient way of ignoring what happened, while congratulating yourselves on your > fair-mindedness. > > Britt Robson > Lyndale > TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
