Snark can't even begin to cope with this sickening display of hatred--directed at elementary school children:
A group of artists has been asked to lighten the faces of children depicted in a giant public mural at a Prescott [Arizona] school.
The project's leader says he was ordered to lighten the skin tone after complaints about the children's ethnicity. But the school's principal says the request was only to fix shading and had nothing to do with political pressure.
The "Go on Green" mural, which covers two walls outside Miller Valley Elementary School, was designed to advertise a campaign for environmentally friendly transportation. It features portraits of four children, with a Hispanic boy as the dominant figure.
R.E. Wall, director of Prescott's Downtown Mural Project, said he and other artists were subjected to slurs from motorists as they worked on the painting at one of the town's most prominent intersections."We consistently, for two months, had people shouting racial slander from their cars," Wall said. "We had children painting with us, and here come these yells of (epithet for Blacks) and (epithet for Hispanics)."
...Faces in the mural were drawn from photographs of children enrolled at Miller Valley, a K-5 school with 380 students and the highest ethnic mix of any school in Prescott.
Of course, there is a opportunistic politician lurking behind this:
City Councilman Steve Blair spearheaded a public campaign on his talk show at Prescott radio station KYCA-AM (1490) to remove the mural.
In a broadcast last month, according to the Daily Courier in Prescott, Blair mistakenly complained that the most prominent child in the painting is African-American, saying: "To depict the biggest picture on the building as a Black person, I would have to ask the question: Why?"
Blair could not be reached for comment Thursday. In audio archives of his radio show, Blair discusses the mural. He insists the controversy isn't about racism but says the mural is intended to create racial controversy where none existed before.
"Personally, I think it's pathetic," he says. "You have changed the ambience of that building to excite some kind of diversity power struggle that doesn't exist in Prescott, Arizona. And I'm ashamed of that.
"
I suppose "racially divisive" is the new black.
To those like Councilman Blair, accurately depicting the student body--that is, reminding white people that they aren't primus inter pares anymore--is no doubt raising a "diversity power struggle." This is how Palinism garners so much support: some white people practice the most pernicious form of indentity politics, the politics of the blood.
What's worse is that we have reached the point where people, including putative leaders and opinion makers, feel comfortable stating this crap in public. And it's not just the animals who yell racist slurs. Consider what Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker wrote in 2008--on the pages of The Washington Post no less (italics mine):
It's about blood equity, heritage and commitment to hard-won American values. And roots.
Some run deeper than others and therein lies the truth of Josh Fry's political sense. In a country that is rapidly changing demographically -- and where new neighbors may have arrived last year, not last century -- there is a very real sense that once-upon-a-time America is getting lost in the dash to diversity.
We love to boast that we are a nation of immigrants--and we are. But there's a different sense of America among those who trace their bloodlines back through generations of sacrifice...
What they know is that their forefathers fought and died for an America that has worked pretty well for more than 200 years. What they sense is that their heritage is being swept under the carpet while multiculturalism becomes the new national narrative. And they fear what else might get lost in the remodeling of America.
They're not racist or anything, they just have strong ties to where they're from. They have deep roots that go back generations stemming from a multi-generation attachment to their country.
They're not racist or anything, except when they freak out over a large picture of a brown child*, or when they hurl racial epithets at children.
Then they're pretty racist. And it's the opportunists like Councilman Blair and the enablers like Kathleen Parker--and The Washington Post--who help let this happen.
*Since Blair thought the child was black, maybe he only hates African-Americans?[/snark]
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I am the former Mayor of Prescott Arizona and I have called for the resignation of City Councilman Steve Blair because of his racist remarks. See my blog post at
Steve, if you truly love Prescott you need to resign
See our group Facebook page
Calling for the Resignation of Steve Blair, Prescott, AZ City Councilman
"there's a different sense of America among those who trace their bloodlines back through generations of sacrifice..."
Funny that when she writes that, I don't think of English white guys. I'm thinking of the African slaves who suffered months in horrific conditions on a boat to be treated as animals in another country. Who fought and died in many of our nation's wars so we could enjoy our freedom today.
I'm thinking of the Chinese and Irish who laid down the tracks for cross country railroads, given slave wages and worked to death because they weren't white or "white enough". And this so we could have a reliable national transport system to get food, goods, news, and medicine across the country in a matter of days or weeks instead of months or years.
I'm thinking of the Native Americans who still cling to the edges of mainstream euro-American society, having fought bravely in innumerable wars, killed like animals since the US government didn't regard them as citizens and even barely human. Having a bounty placed on their heads, like some mangy coyote. That they still exist at all in patches of American real estate is a testament to the hundreds of years of bravery and loss of these people, who (if we're going by blood and war here) have MORE right to the land that myself and other people of euro-Caucasian descent currently call home.
And that's just a small smattering of how much you can turn that statement on its head, and why our nation is one founded on blood, sweat and tears from EVERY population in this country. To suggest that only white people deserve to have our faces represented on some piece of artwork, or mentioned or sympathized with, because the signers of the Constitution happened to also be white, is to ignore almost all of American history and shows such a profound and sickening display of euro-centrism and narrow-vision that I'm sorry to say I might share some genes with that person.
Gah! When freakin elementary level history confounds your argument, I think you oughta abdicate your role as journalist. The stupid, it burns!
âAll Men are created equalâ! The founders had it right, when attempting to form a perfect union and they also knew that they were not there yet but knew we one day would get there. Lincoln moved us forward as did JFK and LBJ. This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.
It is my contention that this AZ law is not constitutional and will fail when challenged (unless, of course, they keep adding more amendments), pretty funny for this so called perfect law, that many internet blogs claim it was copied âWord for Wordâ from the Federal law, which I frankly do not believe, if it was then no amendments would have been made, right?, of course.
As for the undocumented workers, as was attributed to Ronald Reagan âItâs the Economy, Stupidâ. When the economy is good we say letâs all celebrate âCinco de Mayo, my brothersâ but when the economy is down âitâs all your fault, you damn immigrantâ. This too will pass. The real problem is the narcos, arms and people smugglers and thatâs what the focus should be on.
Donât you find it funny that no one ever voted for Brewer for Governor, itâs all about politics and getting elected, do not be fooled. Busy Brewer has passed S.B. 1070, no permit conceal weapons law, the famous Birthers law, banning Ethic studies law, (could she be behind the Mural in Prescott, Arizona) and if history is a lesson she should look up Arizonaâs House Bill 2779 from two years ago (which failed when legally challenged) and the craziest one the boycotted Martin Luther King Day, not wanting another holiday, how crazy is that. I believe there is an undercurrent to their enactment of new laws, they real love following a distinct pattern. Poor Brewer, last week, she first she said her Dad had died in Germany fighting the Nazi in World War II (war ended 1945) and we find out her father was never in Germany and died in California in 1955 (watch the spin doctors go into overdrive) and then she went to Washington and came back empty as always, poor dear.
All men were created equal according to the creator. God never created any religion or color. bible says man's thoughts and thinkings are always sinful. it is in his blood before even he born to this world. it will never change and no one can ever change either.
http://www.umcssa.org