This week I got an email from a coworker. Behold the email in its entirety, with commentary! (names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.)
Good Morning Zero,
So far we're off to a good start...
There is an ugly rumor circulating about a MySpace page and Senator Obama’s presidential candidacy. The rumor states you professed on your MySpace page to purchase an AK47 if Senator Obama was elected president. I believe in neither assuming nor accepting “rumors”. Therefore, I am approaching you because I feel we have a good working relationship.
Susan, my coworker doesn't know me very well. I'd never own a commie gun, and I haven't used MySpace in a few years. What I did say was said on facebook, and what I said was "Zero is celebrating Obama's victory by purchasing an assault rifle." It's nice to know that Susan and I have a good working relationship, because she's going to try damn hard to destroy it. Now watch as Susan goes ahead and assumes the rumor as true:
However, if your MySpace page does have this quote – I have a few questions.
Will you shoot me because my skin is black like presidential-elect Obama? And, if you pull the trigger will you look me in my eyes to see Susan as a project team member who is black or a black woman who happens to be a project team member? And, when my blood is pouring out of my body will you watch to see what color it is?
Okay Susan, here are the answers:
- No, I'm not going to shoot you because you're black.
- No, there will be no blood letting so staring into each other's eyes will not be necessary.
- No, I won't be checking the color of your blood, but if "oversensitive" were a color, that's the color it'd be.
I'd like to ask Susan a few questions:
What on God's Green Earth gives you the idea that I want to shoot you? Why would you think I'd shoot someone because of the color of their skin? What makes you think I care about your skin color, or that of President Elect Obama? What in my comment would imply that I want to shoot anyone at all? Yes, yes, my comment was a little provocative, but did you know I was going to buy an assault rifle anyway? Did you know I've wanted one for years? Did you know that I think guns are a lot of fun, as well as a necessary evil? Did you know that Obama wants to make assault rifles illegal, so I want to make sure I purchase one well before he comes to power?
Most importantly, why didn't you confirm the rumor before asking a bunch of incredibly ignorant questions revealing
your underlying bigotry?
Susan seems more than willing to believe an unsubstantiated rumor and twist it around to think that I want to murder black people. I don't see where she gets that, but if one lives one's life as a perpetual victim one probably perpetually seeks victimizers.
Each individual has the constitutional right to freely express their opinions and thoughts on subject matter. But, please know that this “rumor” has me greatly disturbed. Maybe I am being overly sensitive if you are truly exercising your constitutional right. I have lived with racism my entire life and it is painful.
Indeed, racism is painful. Probably about as painful as unjustly being called a racist.
I apologize in advance if the “rumor” has misrepresented your opinion.
Susan
Apology accepted. Now all you've got to do is work on the chip on your shoulder. While you're doing that I'll be at target practice with my new assault rifle.
Posts
