tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post116619274535537366..comments2023-11-03T06:35:48.003-05:00Comments on Shark and Shepherd: More on McGeeRick Esenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07280070509167910367noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-1166335329435570162006-12-17T00:02:00.000-06:002006-12-17T00:02:00.000-06:00And, I have to say, young Kim's comment suggests t...And, I have to say, young Kim's comment suggests that crossing back may be possible.Rick Esenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07280070509167910367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-1166335192604716762006-12-16T23:59:00.000-06:002006-12-16T23:59:00.000-06:00No need to apologize, Lew, I think I was just focu...No need to apologize, Lew, I think I was just focusing on a different aspect of it. If an event horizon is something across which we cannot see or move, it follows tht there is something that we don't see or reach. But maybe we aren't bound by the law of physics when it comes to race relations. Maybe we can cross back. In saying that, however, I understand that I am asking people to credit my sense of what is beyond the event horizon and that I need to be open to what I may not see. I am fairly certain, however, that the McGees can't help me do that.Rick Esenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07280070509167910367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-1166249005490044292006-12-16T00:03:00.000-06:002006-12-16T00:03:00.000-06:00I apologize for the oblique reference to the cosmo...I apologize for the oblique reference to the cosmology of singularities (black holes). According to Hawking, once you cross the "event horizon" you can never go back to the other side. Hawking posits that an astronaut who has crossed the event horizon may not even feel the difference - at first. So what I was trying to say, plainly, but I failed in that, is that we may be beyond being able to, or have sufficient understanding how to, repair the damage caused by racism and and the responsive racial consciousness. I think we don't know, so it's sort of like one of Rumsfeld's unknown unknowns. Yikes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-1166207777129551762006-12-15T12:36:00.000-06:002006-12-15T12:36:00.000-06:00Good post Rick. I tuned in to Eric's show yesterda...Good post Rick. <BR/><BR/>I tuned in to Eric's show yesterday and almost crashed my car when I heard McGee being compared to two prolific men (Martin and Malcolm). That was disturbing. We live in a totally different era. Place the McGee Jr. that we know today in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement and I am sure he’d be shunned if not "hung". Integrity was to be maintained and moral codes were not to be broken in that era. Personal issues aside, McGee should be placed into a category of his own, but if I had to compare him to anyone it would be NYC’s Charles Barron.<BR/><BR/>The McGee/Martin comparison clearly shows the desperation of some people in the Black community. Some people are aching for a modern day Martin/Malcolm, therefore any person with enough guts to stand up and fight against white supremacy will be supported no matter what. Some people are so desperate that they are willing to dismiss mental issues as mere character flaws and ignore “warrior” tactics that may be controversial or detrimental. I believe this desperation contributes to the dependency of Black people, which hinders our self-sufficiency. Instead of handing out “Get Out of Jail Free” cards, people should hand out criticism. I think some Black people interpret criticism as a form of oppression. Therefore if a Black person criticizes another Black person, that Black critic is viewed as an “Uncle Tom”. (Criticism is not a bad thing and as a Black woman, I've survived it on numerous occasions.) <BR/><BR/>I agree with Eric Von’s point about black politicians. A Black politician’s tactics are not as relevant as the type of relationship he or she has with their colleagues. McGee’s success legislatively is slim, one of his colleagues condemned him publicly and many of his colleagues urged him to apologize for what some perceived to be homophobic remarks. Regardless to those facts, he does respond to the demands of many of his constituents. He has a strong following that rally behind him when he addresses racial issues, but people should choose their racial battles wisely. <BR/>(The Jude beating needed to be addressed. The Wauwatosa stunt seemed egotistical if not uncalled for. McGee’s plea agreement supports my belief.) <BR/><BR/>People lie in order to influence the perception of others; therefore I believe that McGee cares a lot about what people think. He has the ability to manipulate the masses, including the media in order to maintain control of his circumstances, which equals power. I think McGee feeds off that power and is a puppet master in the Black community. *Most politicians are opportunists and puppet masters*. <BR/><BR/>Milwaukee’s Black community reminds me of the “passive parent” I often see in a grocery store or mall. The parent ignores the tantrum of their disruptive child as others look on in disgust. Although others find the child to be obnoxious, the parent is used to their child’s antics. If the child’s tantrum continues, the parent will give in to their child’s desires only to temporally pacify the spoiled brat. <BR/><BR/>Is McGee Jr. the Black community’s spoiled brat? I wonder.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-1166194662506361392006-12-15T08:57:00.000-06:002006-12-15T08:57:00.000-06:00Nice insight.Nice insight.Dad29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08554276286736923821noreply@blogger.com