Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Oh puleeze
Just in case there wasn't enough craziness afoot in the land already, there's a report in some NY papers today that Gov. Patterson is scolding McCain and Palin for [subtly] injecting race into the campaign by deriding Obama's work as a "community organizer." Patterson says they engaged in "racial coding" when Palin mentioned Obama's community organizing. What she said, however, was that if her time as governor is inadequate experience, then how adequate is his stint as a community organizer. Since that's his main work experience, the comparison and question seem fair.
Some community organizers do in fact do wonderful and helpful work. They are many things to many people: basketball and swim coaches, after-school activities coordinators, housing assistants, labor organizers, etc., etc. Some community organizers deliberately hire into (a/k/a infiltrate) offices and organizations in order to work from within to bring changes they think are important. Patterson's remarks show that either he does not realize, or he is overlooking, the reality that "community organizer" is the name for people who work in communities, sometimes manipulatively, in order to change a social order they think is wrong. People don't think anything racist when they hear the phrase, even if they don't like the work - it's the manipulation they don't like not their complexions. "Community organizing" is not, per se, derisive or racist but it may not require executive ability so much as compassion and energy.
Some community organizers do in fact do wonderful and helpful work. They are many things to many people: basketball and swim coaches, after-school activities coordinators, housing assistants, labor organizers, etc., etc. Some community organizers deliberately hire into (a/k/a infiltrate) offices and organizations in order to work from within to bring changes they think are important. Patterson's remarks show that either he does not realize, or he is overlooking, the reality that "community organizer" is the name for people who work in communities, sometimes manipulatively, in order to change a social order they think is wrong. People don't think anything racist when they hear the phrase, even if they don't like the work - it's the manipulation they don't like not their complexions. "Community organizing" is not, per se, derisive or racist but it may not require executive ability so much as compassion and energy.
Labels: 2008 election, reflections, writing
Post a Comment