Saturday, August 21, 2010

Too much racial sensitivity

Dr. Laura is out the door

After saying “nigg*er” eleven times on her radio talk show of August 10, 63 year old psychologist Laura Schlessinger has resigned. It may be a resignation to her but I think she was fired. I don’t know if it matters since after 30 years I hear her show was getting stale anyway. I never listened to it as I am not a fan of radio psychologists but I am interested in what readers think of the call that got her in trouble. It’s 6:40 long and I think you will find it interesting.

I think Dr. Laura makes some good points but in these days of overblown racial sensitivity, one is not supposed to say ANYTHING that might be the least bit sensitive. It’s sad that has happened as we used to be a loose, tolerant society that was not so thin skinned. Today, too many lack a sense of humor and take themselves way too serious and that is a shame.

Schlessinger says she is going to try to “regain her first amendment rights.” I don’t think she has lost those rights; she simply said some things that in this uptight liberal society we live in are considered inappropriate. Therefore, she no longer has a radio show.

Here is another example of the garbage we have to put up with today. The black candidate for the Republican Congressional seat in District 3 is former Paradise Valley Arizona Mayor Vernon Parker. He is opposed by Ben Quayle, son of former VP Dan Quayle. Because of Parker’s ethics issues, Quayle referred to him as the “National poster boy for the Democratic Party.” Parker is outraged at the use of the word “boy” and considers it racist. As silly as that sounds it gets even sillier when you consider that Parker brags about being endorsed by Sheriff Arpaio, a guy thought by many to be the biggest racist of them all.

How do you think the Prius driving, CFL bulb using, PC crowd would accept the following interaction from a 1938 Jack Benny radio show? Benny’s valet was a black man named Rochester who was played by the great Eddie Anderson. In one scene, Benny and Rochester are going west on a train. As the train stops in Santa Fe, Rochester thinks he is at the 125th Street station in Harlem. Benny tells him it’s Santa Fe and the people there are Indians.

Rochester says “Just the same, I saw a papoose eating a pork chop.” Benny says “What of it. He can be an Indian and still eat a pork chop.” Rochester says, “I know, but he had it between two slices of watermelon.”

That was funny stuff in 1938. In 2010, I don’t think Mr. Parker or many other blacks would laugh. Parker would be worrying too much about an insignificant non-racial comment calling him a “boy.” Meanwhile Charles Barkley is always making fun of white people and they laugh it off. Maybe we white guys should start being paranoid too.

To leave a comment or to read the 62 other comments, click "Jim's azcentral blog" in the right column under links. You will not receive a virus. Jim McAllister writers for the Arizona Republic.

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