9/04/2009

D*ck-a-D*ck

NOTE: I'm really really really really trying to get back into blogging, but would prefer to do so without focusing solely, or even to any great level, on current events or politics. It really is much nicer that way. But after reading the below-referenced blogger, I wanted to get something out of the way that's been bugging me for a while.

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Sometimes you've just got to call a duck a duck. But in this case I want to replace each "u" with an "i."

Yep...I think Lester Schultz, blogger for BaysideNOW, is a dick.

Why? Why would I so cavalierly refer to someone I've never met as a dick?

For starters, how about a statement like...

For many years the conservative elements in the U.S. have been telling
people of color to "pull yourself up by your bootstraps." That was a
comfortable way of keeping these people in bondage.


How could I have been so naive to think that advocating for self-reliance and responsibility is merely nothing more than another way for the man to keep everyone else down? I don't know if I should feel stupid for not recognizing this earlier or upset that I never knew I was such a bigot! "But wait, David," you might say, "he didn't actually call you a bigot."

Well, not right there he didn't. Of course, he wasn't done yet...

He [Obama] becomes the first person of color to be elected President of the
United States. How's that for being special? Now what do the bigots
do that wanted to limit him, prove his inferiority by placing immense
hurdles in front of him?


And...

...bigotry finds like-minded people and when the people are not of like
mind, power can be used to dupe them. And conservatives certainly have the
power and the money.


My goodness, Mr. Schultz...I mean...dick...how silly of me to think that I could hold viewpoints incongruous with either the President's or yours and that they not be, in fact, signs of my deeply seeded narrow-mindedness, intolerance and prejudice. I can only take solace in the fact that you haven't compared me to a Nazi!

Oh...

I'm reminded of extreme right-winger, Adolf Hitler, smugly perched high up
at Olympic stadium to watch his white athletes, who have been given nothing but
the best to train, beat the "negrified" nations like the United States.
Jesse Owens forced Herr Hitler to leave the stadium.


You see, dick, I'm sick and tired of people like you automatically assuming that my beliefs and opinions are rooted in bigotry, racism, sexism, homophobia or whatever other reprehensible accusation you want to use to describe people with whom you disagree. The fact of the matter is that you don't know how to play nice, and would much rather spend your time leveling allegations you know make people look like some of the most disgusting individuals on the face of this planet than discuss the actual issues. And that you think you can take some of the most perverse traits of humanity and ascribe them to a person simply because he or she doesn't share your opinions makes you a dick.

Finally, you twice refer to President Obama's altruism in your dicknitude-revealing little essay. Well, dick, meet Nick. This might make you realize that people have very honest and compelling reasons for not necessarily being happy with every single action our President takes. Reasons that have nothing to do with the color of his skin, but everything to do with the content of his character.

Take it to heart. It might make you less of a dick.

2 comments:

Nick said...

Why do I get the feeling you used my post because my name rhymes? ;) As if its not bad enough that I heard that rhyme on the playground in grade school.

Seriously... dick's like this guy definitely need to be called out... on both sides of course.

David Casper said...

I wholeheartedly agree this needs to be called out ON BOTH SIDES. But I will admit that my own biases towards my beliefs sometimes make it difficult for me to see it when it's coming from "my side," even though I'll never deny that it's taking place. If I do see it and recognize it, I'll do my darndest to call a duck a duck in a like manner.

As for using your post, it's funny you should bring that up, because as conveniently coincidental as it seems, it just so happens that right about the time I read yours I had been having some conversations with people about how naive it was to think the government was so magically altruistic. Your post nailed that. And since Lester here seems to really think Obama is altruistic, I thought your post was a perfect counter to that. That your name is Nick was just icing on the cake!