We’ve also lost a couple classmates too soon.

I am interested to see where this conversation can go.

I think the answer is “yes” with some discernment.

I live in a black neighborhood and love our local Bronzeville Coffee shop, where, until recently I had been one of very few anglo’s to patronize.

It’s a very social place, with lots of joking and discussion between patron’s and the owner. (think Barbershop!) One day I walked in and a guy sitting at the bar talking to the owner/barista looks at me approach, looks back at the owner and says in a LOUD voice, “you got white folks coming up in here?!!” then looks back at me with an incredulous half-smile.

The owner, who knows me, just laughed. I looked at him and said. “hey, I live here brother, its my neighborhood too!” We had a discussion in which I told him about the ministry that I run at which point he looked back at the owner and said LOUDLY, “They takin over the churches too??!!” after which we all laughed pretty good.

Now imagine that happening in the reverse racial context. . . . an all white coffee shop with one black guy coming in. Probably not possible without overt racism kicking in. The history of our country has great inequities that create contexts in which jokes, poking fun and story telling is not done on a level playing field with all participants getting to take the same shots at one another. . . to me that’s an acceptable double standard.

If I as the outsider approach this with a sincere desire to learn rather than a reactionary self-righteousness I can learn a lot. When I hear someone from a majority culture say “If they can use the “N” word, then why can’t I” or “If they can make that joke about us, we should be able to make it too” I hear reactionary self-righteousness which lacks sincerity.

Good Times…

The Ohio Dept. of MRDD is currently considering dropping “retardation” from its name, because of the negative connotations. Many of the county boards have dropped it over the past several years. So have many state depts across the country. This is a work in progress.

The “R” word is painful to many of us. I hope to see the day when it can move constructively into the realm of satire, but believe that day is not today!

Thank you for raising the issue here. It is relevant.
I’ve heard some state level staff define the term “African violet” as a black woman with a disability. I don’t know if there is a discrete group that self-refers in this way, or what. These women are looked at as having a triple challenge. Members of minority groups and people with disabilities can face some similar social challenges. (And maybe temptations to sense of entitlement. We “walk the line.”

We may share some perspectives resulting from what Bonhoeffer once referred to as “the view from down under.”
I think Nancy Mairs wrote in one of her books that we know many things “normal” people in the dominant culture don’t. We’ve had access to parallel streams of information, so we have increased knowledge/insight.

Sorry so longwinded. If you lived nearby, we could have each other over for dinner.

Thanks for your honest feedback. As in so many areas of life, I think it’s difficult for us to have true sensitivity or understanding unless we have personal relationships or connections with people from groups or cultures that are different from our own. Relationship is so crucial.

Ed G.

I have been disappointed in the church’s lack of awareness and response to needs of people with disabilities ever since my son was born. There is some attempt, but it is arfed by the need. Sometimes it seems like a token. The vast majority of people with disabilities do not attend church, and if you’ve spent much time with people in that community, it’s not hard to see why.

We do not need this kind of baggage piled on, with the excuse it is art or political commentary.

What happened to not offending your brother? Wake up, people.

Yes, there is a double standard. But should we accept that?