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I Don’t Like Trump or Racism
(Please relax; some of this is satire. I don’t like Trump or racism.)
I was talking to the African-American guy at one of the places I work. He’s about my age, and a janitor. He makes minimum wage, I make double that, but neither of us get any benefits and the only paid sick days either of us have are the few mandated by state law. We talk.
He seems less worried than I am about what will happen under the Trump administration to people of color. I’ve been reading Huffington Post and watching SNL, and there’s a lot to be worried about. I mean, Twitter much? It’s happening.
My janitor says I should be OK, but he’s “been f*cked for a long time.” While I was in college, he was in the Army, where the job skill he acquired was to drive a truck. Still, after the Army, he worked for Ford as a welder, the only job he ever had where he made more than minimum wage, at least until the factory closed down, sending him into a janitorial career. He can’t remember how many times he’s been hassled by the cops walking to and from work during the last eight years alone.
Anyway, we talk like this because I am a woke person (I studied that in grad school instead of working at Ford.) Some things we don’t have time to talk about because, well, he’s pretty busy cleaning up after all of us at work include, as the new administration takes office:— From 1980 to 2008, the number of people incarcerated in America quadrupled, from roughly 500,000 to 2.3 million. The U.S. is 5% of the World population and has 25% of world prisoners. One in every 31 adults in America is under some form of correctional control.
— African-Americans constitute nearly one million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population, locked up at nearly six times the rate of whites. African American and Hispanics comprise 58% of all prisoners, though only about one quarter of the U.S. population.
— One in six black men had been incarcerated as of 2001. If current trends continue, one in three black males born today can expect to spend time in prison during his lifetime. About 58% of the youth admitted to state prisons are Black.
We also didn’t have time to discuss that the reason Black Lives Matter exists right now is because unarmed Black people were killed at 5x the rate of unarmed whites in 2015. On average, two unarmed Black people a week are killed by police. Only 10 of the 102 cases in 2015 where an unarmed black person was killed by police resulted in officer(s) being charged with a crime, and only two of these deaths (Matthew Ajibade and Eric Harris) resulted in convictions of officers involved. In only a small handful of those killings did the current administration order the Justice Department to look into federal civil rights charges.
I had to get going (birthday party in the breakroom, but none of my millennial colleagues remembered to invite the cleaning staff, except maybe to sweep up afterwards), so we didn’t talk about African-American voter suppression in elections from 1869-2016, or mention that those Black people in jail, the ones inside the wall for felonies, are by and large denied the right to vote even after they get out.
He shared some thoughts as the term of America’s first black president ends.
He said he kinda wished Obama had worked harder to raise the minimum wage (last time on the federal level was 2009, but it was voted on by Congress in 2007 under Bush) and made available health insurance that had a deductible he could afford, but I quickly explained that that was all the Republicans’ fault, and pointed out the number of people of color Obama had appointed in his administration, as well as his many inspiring and heartfelt speeches after each mass shooting in America.
Anyway, there’s a lot of worry about come January, we agreed. He thanked me for standing with him in solidarity, changing my Facebook photo to reflect awareness, and asked that I pass along to the others at work that they please make sure their used paper towels end up in the trash can instead of next to it.
BONUS THE POINT: The setting is made up. So’s the janitor. That is satire, sarcasm, a fictional construct to say the problems of people of color will have under Trump are sadly nothing new. They are institutional — American — to our nation’s racist core. If anyone who cares tries to say the real issues are all part of one guy, Trump, they will imagine everything will be better when Trump goes away (Recount!) Well, Trump has “been away” for a very long time and look what’s happened. We have to fix a system now hundreds of years old in the U.S., fix ourselves, or nothing good will come of a Trump presidency, or any other.
Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved. The views expressed here are solely those of the author(s) in their private capacity.
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Mitch said...
1Peter,
Satire???
I thought I detected outright sarcasm.
With an attempt to point out a bit a bit of … Hmmm… Two faced behaviors.
From you????? Can’t be.
;- )
M
12/2/16 5:06 AM | Comment Link
bloodypitchfork said...
2Someone said
“I was talking to the African-American guy at one of the places I work.”
What the fuck? You were talking to THE African-American guy… ummm.. something is wrong here.
That almost sounded.. well…nevermind.
And..places you work?ummm..wait a minute.. I was under the impression you are retired? But practice journalism and give speeches as an avocation. Not as a job.
Wait…who the hell wrote this? This doesn’t sound like Peter at all. Total different grammer… or syntax or whatever. Most of all.. this..
“I had to get going (birthday party in the breakroom, but none of my millennial colleagues remembered to invite the cleaning staff”
Millennial colleagues? And you work for wages?
What is going on here? I don’t even see the so called satire?
Something else too
“Anyway, we talk like this because I am a woke person ….”
What the hell is a “woke” person? Peter.. this doesn’t sound like you at all. Were you drunk?
I mean.. what is the point of this post? I seem to have missed it.
12/2/16 5:58 AM | Comment Link
bloodypitchfork said...
3“I Don’t Like Trump or Racism”
ummm, this doesn’t sound like it…
“I was talking to the African-American guy at one of the places I work.”
hmmm, so by this, I assume he’s the ONLY black person who works there, right? And he happens to be a janitor. Like a million other places. Ok…yes.. so what? Last week I saw a BLACK professor at Michigan State sitting with a bunch of white students. So? What’s the difference? There’s at least a million WHITE janitors in this country, making the same wage as your COLLEAGUE. AFTER ALL..HE WORKS FOR THE SAME COMPANY. WTF?
something is very wrong here. I don’t know what it is exactly.. but what ever it is..it’s irritating me.
And btw…I Don’t Like Trump or Racism..either. As for the former..I actually DETEST this sonofabitch.
As for the latter..I DETEST it too. Just in case you get the wrong idea here. This post just seems..well… weird. I don’t know why. Maybe I just need to chill. Bad dreams last night. Pissed me off. Bad mood maybe.. I dunno..
actually.. nevermind.
bartender.. yeah yeah, I know you just opened. I need something. Something for… a bad attitude today. Something like…DOH! I know… gimme a ice cold shot of 100prf ATTITUDE ADJUSTER. Last night, I dreamed Trump appointed David Duke as the head of DHS. Woke up so pissed off I kicked a hole in the wall. Man was my wife pissed. Tried to explain.. she didn’t know who he is. I said..”think KKK”. That’s all it took. She stuck a $20 in my hand and said.. “go get an attitude adjustment.” Well here I am. In fact.. leave the bottle. I need to re-read something. Maybe I’ll GET it after my..ahem.. attitude is adjusted.
12/2/16 6:33 AM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
4Blood,
Dude… First… Everything irritates you. Especially in the morning.
Second…. Dream therapy…. I mean… Yes… I see where you think Trump is a handsome man… But dreaming about him……
Personally…. I was dreaming about this blonde, brunette and a red head I knew in college….
M
12/2/16 7:52 AM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
5“Nothing good will come of a Trump presidency…”
Well, the RICH will disagree. And in Trumpland that is all that matters.
12/2/16 9:34 AM | Comment Link
bloodypitchfork said...
6Mitch said…
“Blood,
Dude… First… Everything irritates you. Especially in the morning.”
Yes Dr. Freud. It does. Especially after Murika has elected the posterchild for Sociopaths-R-Us. Which reminds me, ..did I mention waking up half the night due to a recurring bout of Shingles will make even The Jolly Green Giant IRRITABLE?
“Second…. Dream therapy…. I mean… Yes… I see where you think Trump is a handsome man… But dreaming about him……”
ummm.. Well Dr. Freud, congratulations. It appears you’ve proved the concept of parapraxis. Perhaps you can diagnose my subliminal habit of rolling my eyes too. It irritates my wife. I would be grateful for your advice on how to stop the world from being so fucking stupid. Then I could quit suffering from this hideous habit.
Meanwhile,
bartender.. time to go home, but give me a sex pack to…er ..six pack to go. One more thing. When he arrives tell Dr. Freudian Slip he’s a moron for me, k?.
12/2/16 10:33 AM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
7No worries. When Demented Donald makes good on his pledge to deport the 20,000,000 illegal aliens, there will be lots of good jobs for the rest of US.
12/2/16 10:41 AM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
8Blood,
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
As for. Solution…
Zombies….
Clear, definite solutions to them
PS.
Its ok to hsve your obsession with Trump.
Its almost 2017…all sorts of weird shit is allowed now.
M
12/2/16 11:01 AM | Comment Link
chuck said...
9Where are Barry the Bomber and Liz the Injun, and also, the new mis-leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer of the Democratic party, protecting the people regarding DAPL? Don’t worry – change we can believe in can happen by the half-white mis-leader in the next month and a half. He can close Gitmo and bring us clean coal. Hope, change, believe. I’m off to take a dump. We need clean coal.
12/2/16 12:45 PM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
10Why are most of you outraged at Trump winning? He is the first out plutocrat. He wasn’t outed he came “out” decades ago. America was founded as a plutocracy. The so called Founding Fathers would love a Trump as POTUS. Very few of you get it. An out Plutocrat finally putting to rest the scam of America being of, by and for the people. That never has happened and never will. The people are contentedly watching Petticoat Junction reruns. Trump will make sure that idiotic reruns will always be available and via free antenna TV.
12/2/16 1:42 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
11I’m off to watch AMC reruns. Jimmy Stewart is great. I hate Trump. I hate Clinton. Isn’t it wonderful the Democrats are getting in the streets and protesting? All white and black people need to get together, but who are we fighting for? We fucked and are fucking the natives. Go to 46 seconds in on this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzHlcioNUGU
Like me on YouTube, Twitter, etc. Have a nice day.
Should I limit my digital footprint? Freedom isn’t free. U$A. Repeat as often as needed and wave multiple flags.
My real friends help people even if I met them online or only talked to them once. People who help people are friends. Keep on . . .
12/2/16 1:59 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
12Gooble Rule 41. Have a nice day!
12/2/16 2:29 PM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
13“He seems less worried than I am about what will happen under the Trump administration to people of color.”
He is probably right…US IS not alt-right. Low-income rural white voters in Pa. voted for Obama in 2008 and then for Trump in 2016. The DNC explanation of its loss was because of white supremacy is a whitewash.
Hillarious lost because too many people in the three key states dont like a lying, self-entitled sellout.
12/2/16 2:29 PM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
14I wonder if Obama is blaming Hillary’s loss as tainting his legacy or is Hillary saying his bailing out the rich cost her the election. Either way they both deserve to be intertwined in failure. Neither one counted on the people wanting change. They had bought the phony hope and change thing and Hillary was saying she would be Obama’s third term. Poor delusional gal. She was living in such a bublle of self love that she was blind to the facts. She represented the status quo and the status quo didn’t appeal to most Americans.
Fake news alert! Obama says unemployment is down to 4.6%. The guy is shameless when he lies.
12/2/16 2:54 PM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
15Looks like the MICC (military/industrial/congressional complex) will prosper under Trump with his Secretary of Defense choice. War makes a lot of money for the elite. That’s a plutocracy for you. Enjoy!
12/2/16 6:07 PM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
16Trump is already waging war with China.
https://www.ft.com/content/fd19907e-b8d4-11e6-961e-a1acd97f622d
12/2/16 6:43 PM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
17Oh, for those who wanted Clinton- she is a card carrying plutocrat. Obama is a closeted plutocrat who will come out eventually while in retirement and Stein is a pathetic plutocrat wanna be. Guess that leaves the rest of us treading in the moat.
Don’t wait for the drawbridge to be lowered. Learn to get on with your life and enjoy those close to you who deserve affection and love.
12/2/16 8:22 PM | Comment Link
Andrei said...
18You know, it looks like Americans are really concerned about appearances. Because, apparently, a president catering to the interests of the rich is A-OK, but a president who’s a rich person him- or herself is “bad, mkay”.
At least, that’s how it looks like due to all this media hysteria following Trump’s victory.
12/3/16 5:26 AM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
19Andrei: yes indeed and particularly if you’re a half white guy who wants to be known as the first black president -you get a pass for carrying water for the plutocracy while filling the moat so it is even wider and deeper with any slight spills.
12/3/16 7:14 AM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
20Assuming the Pennsylvania vote totals are accurate, Trump’s victory could be simply that many PA voters are bigots; they apparently dont like Mormons either. Trump got 300.000 more votes in PA than Romney. Trump’s “make America white again” appealed to them. It’s not only Muslims, Mexicans, blacks who should watch out.
12/3/16 8:19 AM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
21Above all, American voters don’t like lying politicians.
Word to the wise: next time the dunces at the DNC shouldnt run someone with the lowest favorability ratings and lies more than a 42nd street whore.
As for that other lying POS, if Trump thinks his voters will forget that he promised to lock her up for national security crimes, and then picks P-BRAIN for SECSTATE, he will find the picthfork crowd demanding his head.
12/3/16 8:36 AM | Comment Link
bloodypitchfork said...
22“Learn to get on with your life and enjoy those close to you who deserve affection and love.”
I’ll file that under.. “To Do Daily”. Thanks. Sometimes we forget what is REALLY important.
Rich Bauer said…
“As for that other lying POS, if Trump thinks his voters will forget that he promised to lock her up for national security crimes, and then picks P-BRAIN for SECSTATE, he will find the picthfork crowd demanding his head.”
Notwithstanding ..the “Drain the Swamp” bullshit. Moreover, Pres. Elect. Sociopath, recently called his supporters “dumbasses” for believing his campaign bullshit. Once his base wakes up to the truth.
One thing cracked me up yesterday, Sarah Palin called Trumps deal with Carriage.. “crony capitalism”. Looks like she ain’t gonna get an appointment.. unless it’s an ambassadorship to Bumfuck Mars.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/sarah-palin-donald-trump-carrier-deal-crony-capitalism-232139
First thing to come out of this Dimwit’s mouth that is plausible.
12/3/16 9:00 AM | Comment Link
teri said...
23Andrei,
Actually, only about half the people eligible to vote bothered with it. And a measurable percentage of those who did vote left the presidential selection blank.
Of the half of eligible voters who voted, half of those went Trump and half went Clinton. That means only about 1/4 of the voting population voted for him and 1/4 for her. So 1/4 of the population picked our next president – 3/4 could say they didn’t vote for whomever the “winner” turned out to be because they voted for the other person, didn’t vote, or left the presidential choice blank. That’s why people are unhappy.
Basically, people didn’t like either candidate and I bet we’d have protesters even if Clinton were elected. It’s the MEDIA who is okay with Clinton, and everyone has figured out that the media is full of shit at this point. It was the MEDIA who kept saying that the Clinton email stuff and the Clinton Foundation were “nothing” – obviously, they meant something to the people, since only 1/4 of the voters checked her name on the ballot.
12/3/16 9:21 AM | Comment Link