Penchuk.com

My previous post talked about how there are two sets of rules in regards to the “n-word”. This article talks about Michael Richards going on Jesse Jackson’s radio show as part of his apology tour. Richards made these comments:

“I fear that young whites will think it’s cool to go around and use that word because they see very cool people in the show business using that word so freely,” he said. “Perhaps that’s what came through in that … the vernacular is so accessible.”

Clearly, he’s subscribing to the two rules. Why is it only a problem if “young whites” use the term? Shouldn’t it be a problem for everyone?

UPDATE:  Here’s someone concerned about youth in general.

“My concern is the impressionability of young people,” he said. “I think that some young people are going to say, ‘Wow, if Britney Spears and Paris Hilton can do that, I wonder if I can do that.’”

The article has to do with celebrities not wearing underwear, a much less controversial, uh, controversy. 

If you have even looked at the news lately, you’ve probably seen Kramer’s racist rant. Michael Richards said some things that are reprehensible and hard to believe came out of his mouth. I don’t see any way to defend what he did.

But that’s not the point of my post. In the article linked above is this quote from comedian Paul Rodriguez:

“Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don’t happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaining,” he said. “Freedom of speech has its limitations and I think Michael Richards found those limitations.”

This is a very dangerous double-standard. If like most people, you believe in race equality and treating people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin, there’s no way to defend Rodriguez either. Equality means that people are equal and therefore what’s good for white is good for black and vice versa. If whites can’t say “the word” why should African-Americans be allowed to do so? It’s a double standard that’s unacceptable in my eyes.

If freedom of speech has limitations, those should be the same for everyone.  Yelling “fire” in a crowded theater is wrong for everyone, not just whites.

Is a burrito a sandwich?  Of course not.  Panera just lost all credibility in my book.

The detainment camp at Guantanamo is clearly an awful place and there is no question that the soldiers and jailers there torture its prisoners. It is a barbaric facility that serves no purpose but to harm the United States’ international interests.

Everything I wrote above has to be true. If it wasn’t, why else would the prisoners have access to books and one of their favorites be Harry Potter.