A little over a decade ago, I visited London. During that visit, my girlfriend and I went to visit the Greenwich Meridian. While there, we were walking on a narrow path side by side. An older woman was coming towards us. Without so much as an exchanged glance, G and I separated both of us stepping off the path, so that the woman could have the path. We took the grass. She, instead of saying "Thank you" or even smiling her thanks, clutched her handbag thinking perhaps, that we intended to snatch it from her. Our instinctual deference to an older woman was mistaken for theft prep.
A few weeks later, at the end of our visit to a famous museum in Paris, we went to the restrooms before heading home. There, an older woman prevented her granddaughter from using the restroom after me. Though I'd like to think this was my imagination, I'm pretty sure it wasn't. You see, the child saw me step out and she briskly stepped forward. You know how those ladies rooms lines can be! Gran, in her infinite wisdom, grabbed hold of the little girl and allowed someone else to use the facilities I had just vacated. Perhaps Gran assumed that I had sat upon the seat and might have left various germs behind? Gran would have been wrong. Note to Nana: I never sit in public restrooms if there are no seat covers, so the stall I vacate is quite safe from my germs I can assure you.
I tell these two stories as my preamble to saying this: when Herman Cain said during the Republican debate on Monday 13 June 2011, that he would be reluctant to hire a Muslim without first challenging/testing his 'loyalty' to the constitution, my stomach turned and I immediately had a flashback of my trip to London and Paris. I thought, "Wow! Did he really just say that? I mean, seriously?" In 1999, my response was, "Did she really just do that? I mean, seriously?"
For me, my response to Cain boils down to this: as a man of color Herman Cain should know better than to lump all Muslims together. Hasn't he experienced enough of that 'lumping' crap in his own lifetime? If he hasn't I'd like to know where and when he grew up because I certainly have, and I'm pretty sure my world is more integrated than his was at the beginning of his life.
Rather than judge a Muslim contender for a role in his administration on his/her merits, Cain throws out this asinine and repugnant suggestion that because an individual prays in a certain way, he/she is immediately suspect? Listening, I thought I heard echoes of any number of stereotypes about people of color; homosexuals; Japanese-Americans during WWII; Hispanics; women! Well before the end of the debate, any positive thoughts I had had about Herman Cain had been consigned to the trash heap.
Surely, a candidate for President, one who wishes to be taken seriously in that role - either candidate or President - can do better than this? At some point during the course of the evening I had to say to myself, "You know Herman, it really no longer matters what else you say, cuz Mr. Cain, you ain't able. You may be willing, but you ain't able." Sorry.
A few weeks later, at the end of our visit to a famous museum in Paris, we went to the restrooms before heading home. There, an older woman prevented her granddaughter from using the restroom after me. Though I'd like to think this was my imagination, I'm pretty sure it wasn't. You see, the child saw me step out and she briskly stepped forward. You know how those ladies rooms lines can be! Gran, in her infinite wisdom, grabbed hold of the little girl and allowed someone else to use the facilities I had just vacated. Perhaps Gran assumed that I had sat upon the seat and might have left various germs behind? Gran would have been wrong. Note to Nana: I never sit in public restrooms if there are no seat covers, so the stall I vacate is quite safe from my germs I can assure you.
I tell these two stories as my preamble to saying this: when Herman Cain said during the Republican debate on Monday 13 June 2011, that he would be reluctant to hire a Muslim without first challenging/testing his 'loyalty' to the constitution, my stomach turned and I immediately had a flashback of my trip to London and Paris. I thought, "Wow! Did he really just say that? I mean, seriously?" In 1999, my response was, "Did she really just do that? I mean, seriously?"
For me, my response to Cain boils down to this: as a man of color Herman Cain should know better than to lump all Muslims together. Hasn't he experienced enough of that 'lumping' crap in his own lifetime? If he hasn't I'd like to know where and when he grew up because I certainly have, and I'm pretty sure my world is more integrated than his was at the beginning of his life.
Rather than judge a Muslim contender for a role in his administration on his/her merits, Cain throws out this asinine and repugnant suggestion that because an individual prays in a certain way, he/she is immediately suspect? Listening, I thought I heard echoes of any number of stereotypes about people of color; homosexuals; Japanese-Americans during WWII; Hispanics; women! Well before the end of the debate, any positive thoughts I had had about Herman Cain had been consigned to the trash heap.
Surely, a candidate for President, one who wishes to be taken seriously in that role - either candidate or President - can do better than this? At some point during the course of the evening I had to say to myself, "You know Herman, it really no longer matters what else you say, cuz Mr. Cain, you ain't able. You may be willing, but you ain't able." Sorry.
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