Vince Yanez | thebigslice.org/
7 March 2013
Every once in a while we post a story on The Pragmatic Progressive
Page about a certain state or region, and inevitably, we get people who
start stomping their feet or crying or threatening to leave because they
were offended. We might point out that Texas voters are idiots, the
Deep South is full of morons or that Arizona is a bunch of racists. And
the cry will always go up….’But I AM NOT a racists, therefore, you are
WRONG!’
So here’s the deal. You and I both know that every type of person
lives in every type of region, and anyone with a brain knows that when
someone says ‘Texas voters are idiots’ - we are talking about the
majority of those voters, because as elections go, majority always wins.
When they do documentaries in the Deep South and show toothless,
bible-thumping inbred-types spouting off their hatred for ‘that Muslim’
and waving around their Confederate Flag – yes, we realize that isn’t
everyone, but as someone who has travelled to the Deep South many times –
that isn’t hard to find. In fact, it’s too easy to find; whether it’s
the front desk of a Motel 6, the waitress of a Waffle House or any of
the half-a-billion Wal-Mart dotting the landscape. Let’s not pretend
otherwise.
You see, I’m from Arizona. And when people say, ‘Arizona is a bunch
of racists!’ – I don’t cry and scream and defend my state by pointing
out that I, in fact, am not a racist. I think about the fact
that we put through bills like SB1070, that we vote into office people
like Arpaio, Brewer and McCain, or that we have a ton of uneducated
Minute-Men on our border with guns strapped to their sides and some
misguided vigilantism keeping them peering into the desert day in and
day out. I think about the fact that my state will vote in these morons
time and time again, so if my state appears racists to everyone else in
America, how is my crying helping the fact that actions speak louder
than words?
At the end of the day, we can either say that Arizona is full of
racists or we can say that the racists in Arizona are the only ones that
care enough to vote…while all those lazy, apathetic non-racists are
just sitting around crying they are being called racists. We can say
that Texas voters are idiots, or we can say that the idiots are who care
enough to vote in Texas, and all those lazy, apathetic non-idiots are
being given a bad rap. We can make a blanket statement that the Deep
South is full of a bunch of freaks, or we can just admit that we were
only basing that on every person we met, every time we stopped at any
rest stop, gas station or Cracker Barrel…and all the cool people just
don’t leave their houses much.
Remember, though all forms of ‘prejudice’ may not be true, they are
usually based on something that isn’t exactly a fairy tale, so let’s
start being honest with ourselves.
Or…we can try harder. If you don’t like that your state is being seen
as a major problem in America, then get out there and vote, and get
those who are like you (who you claim there are many) to vote as well.
THAT is how you change things. But to just stomp your feet every time
someone points out a fact that everyone seems to agree on…that isn’t how
you fix things. It never has been.
I come from a racist state, with weirdos AND idiot voters. I’m not
going to pretend otherwise. I’m not going to cry and stomp and threaten
to leave your page/club/house when you point that out. Instead, I’m
going to either decide that is not the state for me and leave, or I’m
going to try to fix the problem – but one thing I do know, tears and/or
anger have never carried the same weight as a vote at the ballot box.
Ever.
And if you are saying I’m trying to change things!!! – good
for you, try harder, those of us who don’t have blonde hair and white
skin want more places to travel in this damn country of ours without
fearing for our lives every time we get a freakin’ flat tire.
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